Wondering about a player, a past game or another issue involving the Bears? Senior writer Larry Mayer answers a variety of questions from fans on ChicagoBears.com.
How much, if at all, do you think Roquan Smith will play against the Packers?
William P.
Schaumburg, Illinois
Coach Matt Nagy said before the preseason finale there was "a good chance" that Roquan Smith would play in the season opener against Green Bay. The rookie linebacker has not suffered any setbacks, so the assumption is that he will in fact play against the Packers, though it's unclear how many reps he'll get. Here's what Nagy had to say about Smith on Monday: "He's making gains. He's been stacking good days. There hasn't been a setback. He's doing well. Let's keep being cautiously optimistic with him, but we like where he's at." Asked about Smith's potential playing time in Week 1, Nagy said: "Whether it's him playing all the game or whether it's playing in packages, our coaches will balance that out and they'll know where he fits within the scheme and what he does best. It'll probably be a game-by-game thing to where he gets fully up to speed. Who knows, it could be the entire game. It could be 10 plays. I don't have that answer, but we'll find out and go from there after Week 1."
Have the Bears announced who will start at left guard for them in Green Bay?
Pete F.
Minocqua, Wisconsin
The Bears have not made it official, but coach Matt Nagy said Monday "there's a good chance" that veteran Eric Kush would start at left guard against the Packers. Said Nagy: "I'm not going to sit here and say 100 percent because we haven't declared that yet. But there's a good possibility that he will start." Kush is being pushed by rookie second-round pick James Daniels. Here's what Nagy had to say about Daniels: "What everyone needs to understand with James is he's a rookie and there's a lot that goes on. We've evaluated everybody. He's real close … What we're hoping with James is that we as coaches can get him to the point where he can just continue to grow each and every day in his technique. He's nowhere close to where the finished product is. He's got a ways to go, so we'll keep working on that."
Have any players the Bears released during final cuts been signed by other teams?
John G.
Bloomington, Illinois
The only player the Bears cut Saturday who has joined another team has been nickel back Cre'Von LeBlanc, who was signed to the Detroit Lions' practice squad.
