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Bears' safeties all getting a shot

BOURBONNAIS - The Bears' safety position remained in flux Friday.

Rookie Brock Vereen opened camp paired with Ryan Mundy on the first team, but Wednesday and Thursday Danny McCray moved into the starter's role alongside Mundy.

On Friday, it was McCray paired with 14th-year veteran Adrian Wilson on the first team.

"The rationale is it's an open competition," coach Marc Trestman said. "We're going to move people around, and you're going to see that throughout training camp and the exhibition season."

Clearly it's too early in camp to write down a depth chart even in pencil. But McCray helped his cause with an interception Friday of a Jay Cutler pass that was intended for Brandon Marshall but tipped by linebacker Lance Briggs.

Vereen, the fourth-round pick from Minnesota, remains focused on the learning process and isn't fixated on where his reps come as long as his development continues.

"In my mind, I'm still a rookie who has to prove he belongs on the 53-man roster," the 5-foot-11, 199-pounder said. "I'm far too young to even worry about starting, not starting, whatever. In my mind I still need to prove I'm worthy of being on this team.

"I feel like I've had any setbacks that a rookie would. That's not an excuse. That's just saying there's definitely an adjustment that has to take place. But I've got a great group of vets around me to learn from."

The most experienced of all the veterans is the 34-year-old Wilson, a five-time Pro Bowl pick who is working to come back from a foot injury that prevented him from playing at all last season. Wilson showed enough in the first six training camp practices to get a look with the starters Friday.

"He's worked himself back, and we've just stood back and allowed him to acclimate himself on not only what's going on in the classroom, but let him get his feet underneath him on the field," Trestman said. "He continues to get a little better each and every day, and (defensive coaches) felt it was time to move him up there and get a day's practice.

"We'll look at the tape and see how he did and continue to move people around."

Wilson declined interview requests after Friday's practice, but earlier in camp he said he isn't competing against other players but against himself to come back after the long layoff.

"I don't have any goals," he said. "I'm just going out there and competing with myself. I'm not competing with anybody. I'm just here to play football. I'm a very prideful person. I take a lot of the critics that said I can't play, that it was a terrible signing by the Bears, and all this other stuff that's being said, and I use that as motivation for me."

Those knocks on Wilson may be more perceived by him than actual criticisms, but if the imaginary chip on his shoulder helps fuel his comeback, it's all good. After last year's disappointing safety play, the Bears could use the attitude and experience that Wilson brings.

• Follow Bob's Bears and NFL reports on Twitter@BobLeGere.

Thirty-four-year-old safety Adrian Wilson, shown here with the Patriots last season, practiced with the starters during training camp in Bourbonnais. Associated Press
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