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The Old Fallback Dennis Allen Used When Determining Bears DB Starters

The Bears talked all offseason about getting faster on defense but when it came down to it they were forced to value something else instead.
Gene Chamberlain|
Cam Lewis closes in for a tackle in Tennessee during preseason.
Cam Lewis closes in for a tackle in Tennessee during preseason. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Chicago Bears

One great mystery of Bears training camp on defense had been who they would eventually settle on at safety and slot cornerback after the injuries to Kyler Gordon and Coby Bryant.

While they went through a lengthy period of rookie Malik Muhammad at slot cornerback and Cam Lewis at safety, eventually the depth chart for Week 1 had Xavier Woods at safety and Lewis moving to slot cornerback. It doesn't mean Malik Muhammad won't play at all. In fact, he probably will see some time, but not when they first line up in nickel unless they change their minds.

The reasoning should be obvious with rookie Dillon Thieneman manning one safety spot, but coordinator Dennis Allen made clear the determining factor. The simplest explanation is always best and was in this case.

"I don't know that there was one specific thing that we were looking for," Allen said Thursday at Halas Hall. "I mean, obviously somebody with some veteran experience I think is important to have back there in the back end."

Experience now instead of speed?

Experience? They had experience when they had Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker at safety. Neither was brought back. They wanted to be faster.

"We lost some of that last year with Byard and Brisker moving out of the building and then obviously with Coby’s injury. so, you know, having another veteran presence back there I think was important," Allen said.

When the play is real and not preseason, all of that speed the Bears sought in their offseason moves becomes a little less valuable than good old experience. Offensive coordinator Press Taylor described it best. The playing speed for rookies or young players is going to be much different than what they're used to in college.

"I think with any young player, it kind of takes time in some way, shape or form to figure out how fast or how slow that time is," Taylor said. "It is specific to each individual. They have not played at the speeds that they're going to play. Preseason is one thing but the regular season is something else and the playoffs are going to be a whole another thing."

Taylor estimates it's why they see rookies settle in more during October and November. It did happen on his side of the ball last year with Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III.

Of course, speed or experience would not have been the issue had Allen been able to put Gordon and Bryant on the field because he'd have both with each player.

Woods is the new Byard

Woods started eight seasons for four other teams, including 2022-24 for the Bears' Sunday opponent, Carolina. Lewis playing in back with Thieneman might have worked but he has had 1,346 defensive plays and about half were at slot cornerback. Woods has 8,147 plays and safety is his postion. He was limited in practice Thursday with a groin injury, but hasn't had issues before.

Woods is not going to have his eyeballs popping out of their sockets when he sees the playing speed while Thieneman can be expected to be in back trying to figure out how everyone got so much faster since preseason. Eventually the rookie safety will adjust to facing NFL starters and not practice squad types. Until then he can use a more experienced hand in back.

Lewis has had some experience but it's split between safety and slot cornerback and he's definitely not going to be stunned by the speed of play like Muhammad likely will, a rookie player who wasn't even a slot cornerback until training camp began.

"I want our guys to go out there and play hard, play fast, play physical and execute their assignments," Alle said.

Sometimes, and when it comes to rookies in Week 1, playing faster occurs because you know what you're doing and not because you run faster.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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