LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Although the Bears spent their first-round draft pick on a tight end, veteran incumbent Desmond Clark is looking at rookie Greg Olsen as an ally, not an adversary.

“We’re all working for that starting gig,” Clark said. “He’s coming in. He’s going to do everything he can do to get the most playing time he can. I’m going to do what I’ve got to do to try and hold my position.

Tight end Desmond Clark tied for the Bears lead with 6 touchdowns last season.

“I think we’re going to complement each other well because we’ve got special skills that complement each other. So I don’t really look at us as adversaries. I look at it as two components of this offense that are going to help this offense become more potent.”

While the 6-6, 254-pound Olsen is extremely fast for his size and can stretch the defense down the middle of the field, Clark is a superior blocker who also can catch the ball as witnessed by his 46 receptions for a career-high 626 yards and 6 TDs last season.

“He’s got better straight-ahead speed than I have,” Clark said. “That’s something the tight end position could use. That’s what he’s going to complement this whole offense with. I’ve got my abilities to work the middle and run-block and the play-action stuff.

“But like I said, he’s going to complement everything we have been doing around here. He’s just going to add to what we’ve been doing.”

Olsen did not participate in the Bears' weekend minicamp because the NFL required him to attend a promotional trading card event in Los Angeles.

Waiting game: Unsure when commissioner Roger Goodell will announce a possible suspension for Bears defensive tackle Tank Johnson, all the team can do now is wait.

“I have no idea [when a decision will be rendered],” said coach Lovie Smith. “We know it’s coming and that’s enough for us. When it does, we’ll deal with it then.”

Smith was asked if any members of the organization spoke to Goodell on Johnson’s behalf before or after the defensive tackle met with the commissioner last Wednesday in New York.

“I think the commissioner has gotten plenty of information about how everyone feels about Tank,” Smith said. “That’s why we feel good. Once you get a chance to meet Tank, you know what we’re talking about. The commissioner has had a chance to do that. We’ve all voiced our opinion. I know he’ll do the right thing.”

Been there: Devin Hester isn’t the first Bears player to move from cornerback to wide receiver. Rashied Davis, who made the same transition last year, has some advice for his teammate.

“Study the playbook,” said Davis, who caught 22 passes for 303 yards and 2 TDs last season. “Get in it and study. Really try to learn it. That was probably the biggest difficulty for me.”

Playing the slot position, Davis could lose some of his reps to Hester this season. But the former Arena Football League star isn’t too concerned at this point.

“I just do what I do,” Davis said. “I don’t worry too much about that. I want [Hester] to be successful. If he’s successful, then we’re successful.”

Measuring stick: The Bears won’t break out the pads until training camp, but the three non-contract minicamp practices Friday through Sunday gave coaches a chance to evaluate the 2007 squad for the first time.

“It’s important for the coaches, but more important for the players just to see what we’re going to look like this year,” Smith said. “We’ve added a couple wrinkles, guys in new positions, all of that, just giving the guys a chance to jell as a group.

“Even though we’ve had offseason work, we haven’t been able to go against each other, so it’s good to see where we are.”