One of the most encouraging developments of the bye week for the Huskies was the apparent return to active status of safety Jason Wells, a senior who hasn't played in more than two years while battling knee and Achilles injuries.

Wells spent the three days rotating in at safety --- mostly at free safety --- with the first unit, and could see time in games beginning with the Nov. 7 contest at UCLA.

Asked after Tuesday's practice if he felt he was 100 percent, Wells said "as close as I'm going to get.''

That's an acknowledgment that he's had two pretty serious injuries --- he tore his ACL in a game against USC on Sept. 29, 2007, missing the rest of that season and then all of 2008 as a result, and then injuring his Achilles last spring,

Wells said the knee has recovered pretty well. "It's just the Achilles (now) and I feel like I'm passed that now,'' he said. "I've just got to go out there and work and try to get a spot.''

Wells was in line to get some playing time early in fall camp before re-injuring his Achilles. It's that setback that has UW coaches cautious about rushing his return now. UW defensive coordinator Nick Holt said this week he thought about putting Wells in against Oregon but wanted to wait another two weeks knowing the bye was coming.

"We've got to be smart and monitor him well,'' UW coach Steve Sarkisian said this week. "He wants to get back out there. We've just got to be careful.''

But Wells appeared to show during the three bye week practices that he's ready to return.

At 6-2, 214 he would provide a big presence at free safety. And having started 11 games in his career, he would also provide some needed experience for the last four games of UW's regular season. He was one of UW's steadier players in the secondary before his knee injury, having picked off a pass against USC shortly before getting hurt.

"I think he provides some stability and leadership back there that is obviously needed,'' Sarkisian said. "We're very young back there and if Jason can give us some time that would be greatly needed for us.''

Not having played in more than two years means Wells has some rust to knock off.

"I'm just working on flexibility now, just lowering my back pedal, just working back out there and hitting people,'' he said. "It feels good go be back out there. ... I feel comfortable now. It's just getting all the plays down when you are out there actually playing and not just (studying them) on the board.''

Wells would likely work in a rotation with Nate Fellner at free safety with Nate Williams and Victor Aiyewa at strong safety.

Wells said he's happy to fill in wherever need, just hoping to get on the field in whatever capacity possible. As a fifth-year senior, this will be it for Wells as a Husky (he said he hasn't looked into getting a sixth year and if he plays this year, the chances of that would seem really remote).

"I'm very anxious (to get back out there),'' he said. "There are only four more (regular season) games this season so I'm trying to get back out there for four more.''