Shawne Merriman doesn't want to get drawn into a verbal exchange with the Bears. The defending NFC champions haven't been shy about goading Merriman in advance of Sunday's season opener at Qualcomm Stadium. "I would like to say a bunch of things," Merriman said Friday. "And that starts all the way to the top and all the way to the bottom. Things have been directed at me and toward my team. But for the sake of this team and what we're trying to accomplish, I haven't said anything. I don't know how long that can last, but I still keep trying."