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Bears rookie safety Major Wright stretches during camp before later injuring a groin muscle. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty)
By Brad Biggs
BOURBONNAIS -- The Bears are hoping everything is OK with safety Major Wright, who left the practice field Monday with a groin muscle injury.
Wright is the second player to go down at a position where the team has been unable to find any consistency since Lovie Smith arrived in 2004. Chris Harris remains sidelined with a back injury suffered Saturday, and Smith said, "It's a back injury. They take a while."
That doesn't sound like Harris will be returning Tuesday or perhaps even the next day.
As for Wright, the Bears typically shut down players with muscle pulls for at least four days. They want to be cautious, especially in the first week of August when a mistake made by a matter of days can wind up costing a player weeks if he reinjures himself. No timetable is known for Wright.
The third-round draft pick from Florida made a big hit over the middle Monday and then picked off a Caleb Hanie pass before limping off the field. He had scored some reps with the first team Sunday in the absence of Harris. His work hasn't gone unnoticed.
"Big hits and also I like the way he's played the ball," Smith said. "He's been around the ball quite a bit. He has good hands, he's eager. I'm excited about him being here. He's a good football player. We need to get him back out on the football field, though, because there's good competition at the safety position."
If there's a plus side to players being out, it's the chance to look at more options. Veterans Craig Steltz and Josh Bullocks are benefitting most with Danieal Manning still projected as a starter. Bullocks has made some plays. Steltz was praised throughout the offseason.
Remember, Steltz was projected to be a starter entering training camp last summer before Smith juggled the depth chart just before camp. He had spent the entire 2009 offseason running with the ones. Then, there is Al Afalava, who made 13 starts as a rookie last season but has some climbing to do on the depth chart.
The Bears have swapped starting safeties 41 times in six seasons under Smith. The plan in trading for Harris and drafting Wright was to solidify the positions. They're not off to a grand beginning, but it's early and there are options.
We'll see who is on the practice field when things get going at 3 p.m.
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