5 questions Bears must answer in next 2 weeks

With just 17 days of preparation left before the Bears head north for their Sunday night regular-season opener against the Packers in Green Bay, they still have plenty of questions. They're hopeful most of them will be answered before the end of the preseason, and these are the most pressing:

1. How can rookie linebacker Roquan Smith be ready to play in Week 1?

That didn't seem to be much of a problem until Smith had to be shut down at Tuesday's practice with a hamstring issue. Now there's this dilemma: How much can they accelerate the catch-up process for the eighth overall pick without risking an injury that could set back his timetable by weeks?

If the Bears play it safe Saturday and don't use Smith at all, do they play him in the final, meaningless preseason game on Aug. 30? If he doesn't play in either game, can he be counted on against the Packers?

“We're not going to put anybody out there that doesn't feel like they're 100 percent mentally and physically,” coach Matt Nagy said. “But it's going to be close, for sure, without a doubt.”

The wisest course may be to scale back Smith's workload and shoot for a Week 2 debut.

2. Is James Daniels a starter and, if so, at what position?

The Bears said when they drafted Daniels 39th overall, that they projected him as a guard, but he's gotten all of his recent work as the backup center, and Nagy said that's where he'll stay for now.

“Right now, James is in a good spot of being able to play some center,” Nagy said. “But the benefit is playing some guard. What it does it gives you that depth and the versatility. Whatever (offensive line coach) Harry (Hiestand) feels like we need to put him at — if it's guard, hey, let's go. I'm fine with that. If it's center, same thing.”

If Daniels is promoted to No. 1 center, where he played at Iowa, that means Cody Whitehair moves to guard after two years in the middle. If that's the plan, the Bears need to make the move now.

3. With Leonard Floyd (hand) out, where will the pass rush come from?

This really shouldn't cause as much hand-wringing as it has. Floyd had just 4.5 sacks last season, and the Bears still finished No. 6 in sack percentage, so it's not like the pass rush depends on Floyd. And, while we're on the subject of Floyd, it's unlikely that he'll provide much help if and when he attempts to play with his fractured hand wrapped in a club. Tackling is difficult enough, but it'll be even more challenging to engage in the hand fighting, which is a key part of the pass-rush process.

So, it's fair to wonder if someone else will emerge while Floyd gets back to 100 percent. Sixth-round pick Kyle Fitts flashed early but hasn't followed up, and outside linebacker Aaron Lynch is still not ready a month after a hamstring injury. Isaiah Irving shows promise, and Sam Acho could improve upon last year's 3 sacks with more playing time. But DE Roy Robertson-Harris could be the one to step up. After notching two sacks in the final four games last season, the 6-foot-7, 295-pound Robertson-Harris has at least one sack in each of the first three preseason games, for a total of 3½

“He's done well,” Nagy said. “He has produced. He's had these sacks, and that jumps out to everybody when you have sacks. But he's a big, tall kid. He's somebody I think is growing as a player. He's receptive to coaching, and he works hard. When you put those things together you have success.”

4. How badly does Adam Shaheen's injury hurt the tight end position?

The 2017 second-round pick's role was being ramped up before he suffered a sprained ankle and foot early in the third preseason game, and it could be several weeks before he's back. The good news is that tight end was one of the deeper positions on the team. But Dion Sims, the best blocker at the position, has been out nearly two weeks with a concussion, and he had multiple concussions with the Dolphins.

Trey Burton is the top pass-catching option at tight end, and backups Daniel Brown and Ben Braunecker have both made an impact in the passing game with their increased opportunities.

“Most of the time with these guys, they're all very competitive, so when they see a chance to take advantage of an opportunity, they usually try to make the most of it,” Nagy said. “Not that they're not trying before that, but when the opportunity's there, sometimes indirectly you do see that happen.”

Brown had five catches for 90 yards in the second preseason game, and Burton and Braunecker each had TD catches last week.

5. Is defensive lineman Akiem Hicks' knee injury cause for concern?

Not yet, but he's one of the players the Bears can least afford to lose. Hicks didn't play against the Broncos and hasn't practiced all week, but for now the Bears are saying his absence is precautionary, and that he's day-to-day.

“He's gonna be that way right now,” Nagy said. “We trust what he tells us and how he feels and where the training staff is at with him. I'm more than fine with that. I want to make sure he's ready to rock 'n' roll for Week One.”

• Bob LeGere is a senior writer at Pro Football Weekly. Follow Bob's Bears reports on Twitter @BobLeGere or @PFWeekly.