Biggest Questions Facing Chicago Bears with Training Camp Underway

It seems countless questions surround the Chicago Bears as training camp gets underway.

Granted, this is an overly positive time of year for any team, even one coming off a three-win campaign with massive overhauls at premium positions and with an injury-riddled roster from last year trying to make it through the heat unscathed.

Padded practices have provided the positivity bump as expected, but peek through the cracks and it's not hard to see some of the biggest questions surrounding the team.

Make no mistake—some of these questions fall into the "good problem to have" category. Asking how in the world the Bears figure out who starts at a certain position classifies as such. As fans will understand, though, these sorts of questions won't make up the majority.

With camp progressing through the early stages, let's take a look at the biggest questions facing the Bears.

Where's Kevin White?

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This probably isn't the first question fans wanted to see with camp starting.

It's still early. But a quick Twitter or Google search shows plenty of hype around Chicago's new-look wideout depth chart after the No. 1, Cameron Meredith. One would think this sort of hype at a time when everything is overly positive would include a former top-10 pick.

Instead, the reactions around Kevin White boil down to "well, he looks fast."

Maybe that's a bit unfair, and White himself understands the process, as he told Chris Emma of CBS Chicago: "Probably the hardest thing I've had to dostaying away from the game for basically two years, not being able to produce."

White will surely grab a few headlines as the preseason progresses, and no, his failing to do so doesn't mean he won't succeed on the field next season. It's only the summer after all. But as we will detail, the coaching staff hasn't waited around to see whether he'll pan out. Also, the new guys on the roster are making waves from the jump.

For a rebuilding team like the Bears, having a top-10 pick pan out is huge, which means White watch won't end soon, even if he keeps having a quiet summer.

Can Edge-Rusher Be the Team's Deepest Position?

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Sounds ludicrous, right?

Depth on the edge isn't the first thing to come to mind when it comes to Chicago's deepest spots, but it might be time to push it to the forefront of the mind.

After all, Leonard Floyd enters a sophomore campaign off a season in which he smashed through expectations on the way to seven sacks despite missing several games with nagging issues.

Following an offseason of hearing about Floyd putting on weight while keeping the same speed, early camp returns have seen this ring true too. Here's Robert Zeglinski of Windy City Gridiron: "Leonard Floyd's offseason was as advertised: Body type still lanky but looks noticeably bigger/faster on first day."

But it's the talent around Floyd making this talk of depth possible. Pernell McPhee, if he's able to stay on the field, is one of the more consistent rushers in the league. Willie Young remains one of the best underrated rotational rushers, as demonstrated again last year, when he picked up 7.5 sacks.

Now keep in mind Lamarr Houston is back in the fray after missing last season and the Bears don't have a financial reason to ax his contract given the cap space available.

In short, this question might find its answer in the unit's ability to stay healthy more than anything. Don't blink.

Is the Secondary Hype Justified?

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There is already incredible hype around Chicago's new-look secondary.

It's important to remember this will occur almost no matter what for two reasons, though:

• New faces equal major hype.
• It's not hard to look better than what the Bears fielded last year.

So is the hype justified?

After all, new safety Quintin Demps made a few big plays right out of the gates and new corner Prince Amukamara looks comfortable taking over No. 1 duties. The latter didn't have any problems talking up his play after swatting away a pass intended for Kendall Wright, either.

"I can let the receiver beat me [deep] because I'm going to be underneath him anyway," Amukamara said, according to the Chicago Tribune's Rich Campbell. "So when Kendall came up and stopped, boom—I'm driving. I break to him, and then I look at the quarterback."

This doesn't seem like unwarranted hype. Demps is already one of the team's notable veteran leaders and has been a turnover machine over the past four years. Amukamara could see a huge boost compared to his past few seasons simply because of how defensive coordinator Vic Fangio will deploy him, which we're already seeing.

At this time of year, it's important to distinguish between unwarranted hype and what's real. The improvements here feel more like the latter.

How Do the Bears Figure Out Who Starts at WR?

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As hinted when pondering the White situation, the rest of the faces in the wide receiver corps have put on shows so far.

With Meredith locked in as the No. 1, the Bears went out and added three notables with Markus Wheaton, Wright and Victor Cruz.

Wright and Wheaton have looked good at times so far, with the former lining up in the slot and going for quick outs as expected. Wheaton can perhaps play on the outside, which the coaching staff will undoubtedly use to its advantage when stretching the field with his speed.

Even the veteran Cruz has come as advertised, and he's liked what he's seen from Mike Glennon under center.

"He's done a great job," Cruz said, according to Bob LeGere of the Daily Herald. "He's concise. He's clear about what he wants, how he wants it run, and he's able to apply what he wants on the field and talks us through it."

This falls under one of those good problems to have mentioned in the intro. The Bears have options along the wideout depth chart in terms of pecking order and deployment, just in time for the team to break in two new quarterbacks to boot.

That means this is easily one of the summer's best battles.

How Much Can Quiet DL Adds Help?

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The Bears took some heat for not addressing the defensive line much over the offseason, as the perceived need went from a possible selection in the top three of the draft to not happening at all.

When most of the dust seemed settled, the team added John Jenkins and Jaye Howard.

One has to wonder how much of a difference both men can make after being rather quiet moves. Howard has already made headlines after most of the league shied away from him thanks to a hip injury.

"I'm getting close to 100 percent," Howard said, according to Pro Football Weekly's Hub Arkush. "You know I'm out there being able to work every day with the guys. Yesterday was my first day back on the field, so I'm just happy for that and being fortunate enough and blessed to be out there. It's definitely made me a better player working through that."

Howard's arrival in particular could provide a massive boost for the Bears next to Akiem Hicks and Eddie Goldman, though it's important to keep in mind Jonathan Bullard looks poised to make a name for himself this summer too.

For late signings, Howard and Jenkins could have big impacts. Expectations could inflate their contributions, but camp performance will help to start deciding whether the front office has a steal or two on its hands.

How Big of a Deal Are Injuries?

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Injuries.

The Bears had more problems in this area than almost any team last year, boasting a silly amount of cash on injured reserve by the end of the season and 19 names total. No position went unscathed, and the horrors of the campaign have seemed to bleed into this summer.

Let's pump the brakes.

Yes, the Bears missed guards Kyle Long and Josh Sitton in a recent practice, as well as linebacker Danny Trevathan. Yes, McPhee just went on the physically unable to perform list. Running back Jeremy Langford also suffered an injury.

But injuries and general absences listed here aren't major concerns considering we've hardly turned the calendar to August. Last year is fresh in the mind—and should be in many ways—but the injury bug suffered there shouldn't be there too.

If players start dropping like flies during training camp like it's the 2016 regular season, the Bears might have a problem on their hands. It would be time to start talking about the possibility of there being an organizational issue.

Until then, though, a few predictable start-of-camp issues in the summer heat aren't a sign 2016's curse isn't done with the Bears.

Is It Time to Panic over Trubisky?

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Mitchell. Trubisky. Fumbled. Three. Snaps.

A cursory Google or Twitter search shows off borderline widespread panic because Trubisky had a few issues during exchanges while working a padded practice in July.

The above is somewhat silly, but rational folks get the idea.

We've known since the Bears drafted Trubisky he would have some problems with snaps at times, not only because of his collegiate offense but also because a rookie quarterback is bound to have these issues as he gets accustomed to working with new players in a live setting.

"He is a rookie," head coach John Fox said, according to LeGere. "It was our first day in pads, and our linemen, [especially] the center, is a little more anxious to get off the ball, because there is quite a bit of force getting ready to hit him."

It would be easy to focus on the negatives here. Goofing a snap seems like a ridiculous mistake because to complete one is such a simple feat. But focusing on a few mishaps overlooks the fact Trubisky looked huge and had plenty of zip on his passes.

The overarching situation is important too. Trubisky hasn't been pegged as the starter, and that's never been the surefire plan, not after the big contract dished to Glennon. The rookie has time to make these mistakes, and it's better to see them now than during a game setting, exhibition or otherwise.

This is like the injuries—if it keeps happening, fine, there's a worthwhile reason for panic. But right now, the biggest question has perhaps the easiest answer.

All contract information courtesy of Spotrac unless otherwise specified. Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.