Approximately two months remain between today’s OTA workout — the 10th of 14 this year — and the start of training camp, but the sprint for positions is already underway, as the linebackers have learned.

While the weakside and middle linebacker slots are set in the grasp of Ian Gold and D.J. Williams, respectively, the strongside duties await someone to grasp them, and so far, Eddie Moore has made the first big push, working his way into first-team work throughout team camp.

“When we first met, Coach (Jim Bates said), ‘No one has a position locked in except Ian and D.J. Everything else is free and open.’”

Moore has walked through that open door, using his reunion with Bates — under whom he played for three seasons with the Miami Dolphins — as a catapult into an opportunity.

“It couldn’t have worked out any better,” Moore said. “It’s straight competition across the board. The best man will get the job.

Microfracture surgery kept Moore sidelined last fall, and he spent the season completing his undergraduate studies at the University of Tennessee. But Moore is healthy now — and so too seems to be his career after a year away.

More notes …

… Wide receivers Brandon Marshall, Glenn Martinez, Brandon Stokley and Rod Smith remained out of uniform …

… Tight end Tony Scheffler took in the session. He underwent surgery for a fractured bone in his left foot last week and is now on crutches, with a boot protecting his injured foot …

… Domenik Hixon turned in perhaps the catch of the day with a tightrope grab of a short Jay Cutler pass while falling out of bounds …

… Special teams has been a point of emphasis. The team worked on punts on Tuesday and Wednesday and turned to field goals on Thursday, with Jason Elam making his first on-field appearance of the week to date …

… And without further ado, some photos:

OTA Day 11 wraps up the week’s work on Friday … see you then.