LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Settling into a comfortable chair in the Halas Hall lobby on his first full day with the Bears, free safety Josh Bullocks soaked in his surroundings and smiled.

The four-year NFL veteran glanced at a wall adorned with plaques of 26 Bears Hall of Famers and also admired glass cases that contain a Walter Payton jersey and the Super Bowl XX trophy.

New Bears free safety Josh Bullocks signs a one-year contract Thursday at Halas Hall.

“I like tradition,” said Bullocks, a free agent who signed a one-year contract with the Bears Thursday. “That speaks a whole lot about the program as far as where it’s at and where it’s trying to go. That’s why I went to Nebraska. It makes you feel real special and real proud.”

Bullocks wanted to play for a franchise with a rich history, and that’s one reason he chose the Bears over a few other teams in free agency. Another thing was the opportunity to join a veteran defense that has employed the same scheme since Lovie Smith became coach in 2004.

“The Bears have been always been consistent in what they do,” Bullocks said. “They have the same defense, and they’re going to play hard and fight until the end no matter what. With me coming in, I feel I have those same traits.”

Bullocks spent his first four NFL seasons with the New Orleans Saints, compiling 306 tackles and six interceptions. The 6-1, 207-pounder started his first three seasons. He was demoted last year in training camp, but ultimately started six games, amassing 45 tackles and one interception.

In signing with the Bears, Bullocks is excited about joining a defense that features perennial Pro Bowlers Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs and Tommie Harris.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to be around those types of guys and just to be around this organization and all the history, especially on the defensive side of the ball,” Bullocks said. “It’s a great thing, and it’s an opportunity I’m looking to take advantage of.”

The Saints defense struggled against the pass last season, ranking 23rd in the NFL in yards. But that was seven slots ahead of the Bears, who yielded an average of 241.2 yards per game.

Bullocks has not been guaranteed the starting free safety job with the Bears. But with his speed, range and experience at the position, the 26-year-old appears to be the leading candidate.

“The job won’t be given to me,” Bullocks said. “I’ve got to go out there and earn it. I don’t see myself as a starter right now, but I see myself working my way up to become a starter. I just want to work my way into it and go out there and do the best I can and then see what happens.”

Bullocks was busy Thursday at Halas Hall. He met with Smith; was introduced to new teammates such as Urlacher, Kyle Orton, Kevin Payne and Josh Beekman; and went out to lunch with defensive backs coach Jon Hoke.

After playing for a Saints team that lost to the Bears in Chicago each of the past three seasons—including in the 2006 NFC Championship Game—Bullocks is happy to have switched sides.

“Coming up here and playing against Chicago, I was pumped up and excited,” he said. “The fans were real great. It seemed like a great place to play football.”

Bullocks is also pumped up and excited about the chance to play twice a year against his identical twin brother, Daniel Bullocks, who is a free safety with the Detroit Lions.

The brothers were teammates at Hixson High School in Chattanooga, Tenn., and later at Nebraska. They played against each other in the second-to-last game last season when the Saints beat the Lions 42-7 in Detroit.

“We’re very competitive,” Bullocks said. “When we play against each other, you’ll notice a difference. We’re going to talk trash and we’re going to try to out-do each other. That’s how we both got here [to the NFL] and it’s something that makes us better.”

Roster news: In other news, the Bears placed tackle John Tait on the reserve/retired list after he filed his retirement papers with the NFL, and cornerback Marcus Hamilton, an exclusive rights free agent, signed his one-year tender.