Injuries not helping safety situation

Chris Harris (knee) joined fellow safeties Josh Bullocks (quad) and Craig Steltz (ankle) on the sidelines Tuesday. Rookie safety Major Wright is back on the practice field but still not cleared for contact following last week's finger surgery.

Al Afalava, who has plummeted on the depth chart, is the only one of the top seven safeties who hasn't missed time with an injury, making evaluations difficult.

"It hurts quite a bit, especially for some of the younger players who really need to get a look," coach Lovie Smith said. "Major Wright was doing some good things. Being out of there isn't helping him at all. But when you have guys go down, you know you have to shuffle it. It seems like that's what's happened to us each year. We've had injuries back there. Guys have to be able to play a couple positions, and it's an opportunity for someone to step up."

In Smith's six previous seasons with the Bears there have been 40 changes at safety, 20 at free and 20 at strong.

Injury update: Strong-side linebacker Nick Roach had arthroscopic surgery to clean out foreign material is his left knee Tuesday morning.

Roach, who started 15 games on the strong side last year after Pisa Tinoisamoa was injured, hopes to be back before the start of the regular season. But his chances of winning the starting job in his battle Tinoisamoa have all but evaporated.

"I think it hurts you every day you don't practice, especially when you're competing against someone who is out there and is a good football player," coach Lovie Smith said. "But we've seen Nick play. Whether he's the starter or not, he and Pisa will both play football for us this year."

No worries: Weak-side linebacker Lance Briggs said he didn't have time to worry when Brian Urlacher went down with a calf injury early in the game last Saturday night.

"This is football," Briggs said. "Just like last year, anything can happen. If Brian's not here then Hunter (Hillenmeyer) has to step in or Kevin Malast or Pisa (Tinoisamoa), whoever. I was relieved when I heard it was nothing serious, but in the middle of a football game you have to focus on what you have to do."

Urlacher has not practiced this week, but his injury isn't considered serious. Wide receiver Earl Bennett (hamstring) also did not practice. Offensive tackle Kevin Shaffer had an excused absence.