Veteran defensive back Cam Lewis is in Year 1 with the Chicago Bears. He is still currently fighting for a starting job as the team quickly approaches the end of the preseason.
The Chicago Bears don't have many starting spots available as the team prepares for Thursday's joint practice with the Tennessee Titans and the preseason finale on Saturday.
Left tackle is the obvious one.
Bears head coach Ben Johnson said that is still an ongoing spot, and the team doesn't even know with 100% certainty who the starter is going to be for the Week 1 matchup against the Carolina Panthers.
Johnson said the competition against the Titans will be huge for the team to evaluate that position, but he also highlighted another important role that must be finalized.
"Safety is another spot where we're hoping over those big three days there that we're able to come to an agreement on who it should be going out there game one so that we can go forward from there," Johnson said.
When veteran Coby Bryant injured his knee on Aug. 3, that created a flurry of players taking snaps opposite of rookie Dillon Thieneman. One of which is veteran defensive back Cam Lewis, who signed a two-year, $6 millon deal this offseason.
When he was with the Buffalo Bills last season, he played all over in Sean McDermott's defense, primarily in the box (143 snaps) and in the slot (135 snaps). With the injury to Bryant, Lewis has been playing primarily at safety, but he is still learning the nickel role.
That has had an impact on the veteran defensive back.
"I don't feel like I made enough plays on the ball," Lewis said. "You know, I do my job, I do communicate pretty, you know fairly well, but I don't know it's just like I said, it's just not to my standard. It feels a little rocky like, you know, I'm still learning, you know, the defense, how DA [Dennis Allen] wants it to be played, but prior years, most camps feel like I made a little bit more plays. So it felt like it was a little bit better. Now, overall, maybe, you know, coaches may feel like it was a pretty good camp, but like I said to me, it doesn't feel that way, so still got some, you know, room to get better, and that's a good thing."
Johnson made it clear that the safety position is still up for grabs. Lewis' biggest competition right now is veteran Xavier Woods, who is going into his 10th season in the NFL. In Tuesday's training camp practice at Halas Hall, Woods intercepted quarterback Case Keenum to end the day.
Lewis understands the NFL is a results-based league. There are 31 other NFL teams who are cutting players, making roster changes and constantly looking to bring in competition, similar to what the Bears have done at the safety position.
"You know, being in the NFL, your job is not 'secure,' you know? Always had a chip on my shoulder, so I don't look at it as a big thing," Lewis said. "I go out there and put my best foot forward, go to, you know, compete my butt off, try to help my team win football games and the outcome is gonna be the outcome."
