The Chicago Bears may have a left tackle competition on their hands, but that’s not the only spot Ben Johnson still has to sort out. In fact, the bigger headache right now might be safety.
Johnson has already spent his first year with the team dealing with uncertainty at left tackle, when Braxton Jones was named the starter just six days before Week 1 against the Minnesota Vikings. If the Bears settle that spot before then this time around, Johnson can call it “ahead of schedule.”
Still, the left tackle battle looks far clearer than the one at safety. It would be a surprise if Jones isn’t the Week 1 starter, especially with Jedrick Wills Jr., Kiran Amegadjie and Theo Benedet all in the mix behind him.
Jones, as the piece of the puzzle most likely to hold the job, is really just the tallest tree in a short forest. That picture stays the same until Ozzy Trapilo returns, though he has only been working in individual drills so far.
Johnson made that point himself this week when he wrapped up his answer on left tackle by bringing up safety on his own. That’s a pretty good sign the Bears and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen still aren’t locked in on Cam Lewis.
Lewis said this week that camp has been “alright,” and he also admitted he’s not happy with how he’s played so far. He wants to create more plays on the ball, and that’s going to matter if he wants to win the starting job.
His biggest competition comes from Xavier Woods, a veteran heading into his 10th season. Woods signed a one-year deal earlier this month, and he’s already making his presence felt. On Tuesday, he picked off Case Keenum to finish practice.
There is at least one reason the Bears may feel better about navigating this uncertainty. Johnson has seen this kind of thing before, and last year the team had stability at safety with Kevin Byard III and Jaquan Brisker both playing all 17 regular-season games. Byard, in turn, led the NFL in interceptions.
Dillon Thieneman is also coming along, and he’s doing it by playing faster and showing a better grasp of Dennis Allen’s defense. But he’s still a rookie, and he still doesn’t know who will be lining up opposite him in Week 1 against the Carolina Panthers.
With 17 days left before the regular season begins, the Bears still have work to do.
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