Brad Biggs at the Chicago Tribune answers your questions:
What are the top safety options that Ryan Poles reasonably can trade for? Andre Cisco from the Jets an option? With a rookie at safety, the Bears are very weak at this position and have draft picks and players to fill this gap. — @rgbears69
The Bears still are getting a feel for how Xavier Woods might fit into the structure of Dennis Allen’s defense after signing him last Friday. Coincidentally, that was the day Coby Bryant underwent surgery on his left knee, a procedure that Ben Johnson revealed Tuesday [last week] will sideline him four to six months.
So unless Woods is a flop, and I don’t think anyone expects that, I’m not sure what the need would be to trade for a safety. Teams can find safeties with experience on the street, and no one is going to trade a top-tier safety unless they have a replacement on hand or envision moving on from the player after the season. In either situation, you’d have to pay a pretty penny to get a difference maker.
Woods is entering his 10th season and has started 121 games in his career in a variety of systems. That experience should make him a quick study when it comes to Allen’s defense and calls on the back end. I touched base with a personnel man who was with a team Woods previously played for, and he gave Woods high marks for intelligence and said he’s a good fit for a locker room. If that report is spot on, you’d expect he’s a good player to help out first-round pick Dillon Thieneman. He’s not Bryant, but he is a pro and has had solid durability in his career.
Woods became available because the Tennessee Titans released him just one year into his two-year contract. The Titans primarily moved on from Woods to clear salary cap space and make way for rookie safety Kevin Winston Jr.
His primary strength lies in his pass coverage. During his 2025 season he earned a 70.3 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus, ranking 24th among qualified safeties, and allowed just a 75.5 passer rating when targeted. He also brings versatility, having played both free and strong safety throughout his career, as well as some nickel cornerback in his early days.
His main weakness is his run defense. In 2025, his PFF run-defense grade ranked 89th at the position. He is also rarely utilized as a blitzer, so it is not considered a major part of his game. Over his nine-year NFL career, he has recorded just two total sacks—one with the Minnesota Vikings in 2021 and one with the Tennessee Titans in 2025.
Significantly, Woods missed six games during the 2025 season due to a hamstring injury. He has issues with durability, also missing time with hamstring problems with the Bengals (2018) and the Panthers (2022 & 2023).
I’d say that with Woods in the defensive backfield instead of Bryant, the Bears will be looking for Thieneman to do more in run support and to potentially blitz from that position. They are also crossing their fingers that Woods be able to put those durability issues behind him and remain healthy.