Dvoracek is healthy again, but he will have to earn the starting job again. Veteran Anthony Adams stepped up last season, his first with the Bears, and picked up the slack left by Dvoracek's injury and the pathetic performance of Darwin Walker, who was supposed to be much more of an impact player than Adams but was hardly a factor. Rookie Marcus Harrison and versatile veteran Israel Idonije also figure in the Bears' DT rotation.

"Dusty came out and did a good job for us in last year's season opener," defensive line coach Brick Haley said. "You could see that Dusty's got talent and ability to do some of the things that we want to get done. Anthony also has done a great job. We're pleased with the performance that he gave us last year and the work that he put in. Israel got more snaps at that (tackle) position during the offseason, so we're excited about that."

--The Bears used their first-round pick in 2007 on tight end Greg Olsen, who frequently flashed his combination of size, speed and receiving ability while catching 39 passes for 391 yards.

But it was 10th-year veteran Desmond Clark who was the Bears' leading receiver among tight ends, with 44 catches for 545 yards.

"Desmond has been an integral part of our offense the last three years," tight ends coach Rob Boras said. "Desmond is our starting tight end. He makes plays when he's called upon. He's very steady in the run game, which often goes unnoticed. You look at his average yards per catch the last couple years, and he's had one of the highest in the league for tight ends, so obviously he's making plays down the field."

Clark averaged 12.4 yards per catch last season to Olsen's 10.0.

--Wide receiver Brandon Lloyd's history has been that when the games begin he doesn't sustain the same high level of achievement that he displays in practice. He caught just two passes for the 49ers last season but has a chance to play key role on a Bears unit in flux.

Lloyd has reached a crossroads in his NFL career, and the Bears are hoping the talent that he displayed in offseason practices carries over onto the field when the lights and the pads are on.

"His desire right now is high, and we need for it to stay that way," wide receivers coach Darryl Drake said. "He has shown a lot of ability in practice and that needs to carry over into a game. We just need to continue to keep him going and see what happens when the pads come on. We're just going to keep pushing him, keep his desire to be good there, and I'm looking forward to him being able to help us."

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I feel like the reason why I have this contract is because I've already displayed that I can carry this role. It's nothing that I have to become; I'm already there." -- DT Tommie Harris when asked if he felt added pressure after signing his four-year, $40 million contract extension.

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