FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) – It’s getting tougher to tell the safeties from the cornerbacks on the New England Patriots.

Eugene Wilson has been working mostly at cornerback after starting at safety for them during his other three pro seasons. Randall Gay has played both spots. Artrell Hawkins, primarily a cornerback during his first seven seasons, started at safety after the Patriots signed him last Nov. 16.

That’s the versatility coach Bill Belichick wants in a secondary where injuries last year forced him to juggle whatever healthy pass defenders he had.

“We have four people who play corner and safety,” Gay said Tuesday. The coaches “like to be prepared for anything because you can only dress a certain amount of people. The more you can do, the better for you.”

The Patriots gave up the second most yards passing last season, and the loss of Rodney Harrison was a big reason. The hard-hitting strong safety suffered a season-ending knee injury in the third game and didn’t come back to practice until Monday.

His return could free up Wilson to start at cornerback, his college position at Illinois. Harrison hasn’t ruled out starting the season opener Sept. 10 and could line up next to Hawkins, who would move to free safety.

Wilson says he doesn’t care where he plays. His preference? “Just to play, man,” he said.

When three torn ligaments ended Harrison’s season, Wilson became the Patriots’ most experienced safety. The level of his play dropped at first and he couldn’t match Harrison’s considerable leadership skills.

“It was just a whole different experience, just having so many different guys moving in and out and just working with different people all in one season,” Wilson said, “but that’s in the past.”

Harrison is in the present. He returned to practice Monday after more than 10 months on the sidelines.

The loss of Harrison provided “a spot for me to step up, but last year is in the past. We’re not really worried about that now,” Wilson said. “He’s back out here moving around pretty good.”

Last season, Asante Samuel started all 16 regular season games and both playoff games at left cornerback. Rookie Ellis Hobbs started the last eight regular season games and both playoff games at right cornerback. Gay is back after missing most of last season with an ankle injury. Add Wilson to that mix and the Patriots have a chance to be much better at covering receivers.

“I started off camp doing mostly corner,” Wilson said. “So now I’ve got my feet (comfortable) back for corner, and safety is just kind of coming naturally.’

Gay, his ankle healed, also practiced Monday for the first time since training camp began July 28.

“I haven’t played any safety yet, but they can start rotating me at safety tomorrow,” he said. “So I don’t look at who they put at each position. I just worry about what I’m doing out there.”

Gay said he always feels he’s at “square one,” even when he’s been playing regularly because he doesn’t want to get too content and slack off.

“He needs to get his confidence and get his timing and get comfortable with the communication and playing the different techniques that the defensive backs play,” Belichick said, “press coverage, off coverage, man, zone, reading the quarterback, reading the receivers, seeing patterns develop, all of those kinds of things.

“Randall is a smart guy. He works hard. Football is important to him and he picks things up pretty quickly.”

He has to, considering he could end up playing both safety and cornerback.

Wilson is in the same situation and said he doesn’t know where he’ll play Friday night in the exhibition opener in Atlanta.

“I’m working at both of them,” he said, “so that’s left up to the head man.”