Bears' Plan to Replace Coby Bryant Also Gives Clarity on Favorite in Slot CB Battle

The Bears will move Cam Lewis to safety full time at training camp now that Coby Bryant is hurt and that gives the team a clear favorite at slot CB.

Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Jones. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Before Coby Bryant suffered a knee injury during the first padded practice of training camp, the Chicago Bears were deploying four different players at nickel cornerback in a competition to decide who will fill be the first man off the bench if Kyler Gordon misses time during the regular season.

Now, in the wake of Bryant's injury, that number is down to three.

According to ESPN's Courtney Cronin, Cam Lewis will now move to safety full time with Bryant on the shelf for the next eight to 10 weeks and Jaylon Jones, Malik Muhammad and Josh Blackwell will continue getting reps in the slot.

"Cam Lewis will focus on playing safety while Coby Bryant (knee) is sidelined," Cronin wrote. "Lewis, who was playing at nickel corner in place of Kyler Gordon, will be replaced by Jaylon Jones, Josh Blackwell and Malik Muhammad in the slot. Jones got the nickel reps with the (ones) on Tuesday."

While it looks like Lewis is the next man up at safety for now, it'll be interesting to see if that changes at all once Elijah Hicks returns from his shin injury that has him on the PUP list.

Hicks isn't expected to be out for long, but we also don't have an exact timetable for his return, either.

Who is the favorite at slot cornerback?

Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Jones. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Between Muhammad, Jones and Blackwell, Jones is easily the favorite to land the top backup job in the slot.

Jones saw a ton of first-team reps there during the spring when both Gordon and Lewis were sidelined with injuries, and he has continued to receive a lot of looks with the starters in training camp while rotating with Lewis.

It isn't clear how many, if any, first-team looks Muhammad and Blackwell have gotten during camp. Chances are they will see more now that Lewis is out of the picture.

But given how much action Jones has already seen with the ones during the offseason, he is easily the favorite to win the job and be the first man off the bench if Gordon isn't healthy enough to play.