Viewpoint: Plenty of questions need to be answered by Bears

A year after starting the preseason with the highest expectations, the Bears face radically different circumstances. They will not be the defending NFC champions, returning most of their key pieces to go with some intriguing new ones. No, when training camp begins Wednesday at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, the Bears will be just another NFL team fighting for respectability. Some cause for optimism: The last time the Bears were considered also-rans going into a season was 2005. They went on to finish 11-5 and take the No. 2 seed into the NFC playoffs. To approach such success in 2008, the Bears must answer a lot of questions. Here are 10 of the most pressing: 1. Does the Super Bowl loser jinx expire after a year? Fortunately for the Bears, recent history says yes. A year ago, ample talk focused on whether the Bears would fall victim to the jinx, which has affected NFL runner-ups throughout this decade. Only two, Tennessee in 2000 and Seattle in 2006, even made the playoffs the season after losing the big game. Last year's Bears added to the ignominy, finishing 7-9. But they can take heart: Of the five previous Super Bowl losers that missed the following season's playoffs, all rebounded with a postseason berth the following year, except Oakland in 2004. “I think we'll be healthier and in a better state of mind [this season],” Bears linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer said. 2. Who will be the opening-night quarterback? The Bears swear the competition between Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton is a 50-50 proposition, although skeptics wonder whether the job is Grossman's to lose. No matter, their duel will be the most prominent story line of the preseason. The team will chart every throw Grossman and Orton make during every drill, but exhibition games will be most telling. In practice, after all, the defense cannot even touch the quarterback. It will be interesting to see how Grossman handles himself psychologically in what amounts to the first job interview of his pro career. In every other season since 2004, he has gone into camp as the undisputed starter. 3. Will Brian Urlacher regain his peak form? The first issue the Bears have to sort out with Urlacher, their middle linebacker and defensive captain, is his contract, which he wants to renegotiate. The impasse is not expected to linger, but at the very least it could affect Urlacher's mood early. The bigger questions involve Urlacher's health a year after he suffered from an arthritic lower back. He has said the condition is much improved, while offseason neck surgery went well and should not affect him. Urlacher missed the Pro Bowl last season for only the second time in his career. He recently turned 30 and should remain in his prime, but his physical status merits close watching. 4. Can the offensive line be fixed in one season? Age and injuries turned the front five from a strength to a weakness last season. The Bears released right tackle Fred Miller and did not re-sign left guard Ruben Brown, but subtraction is not a total solution. The Bears need rookie left tackle Chris Williams to blossom quickly. If he pans out, he'll improve two positions by allowing tackle John Tait to move to his more natural position on the right side. Center Olin Kreutz, an 11th-year mainstay, must prove his sub-par season arose from problems around him more than a fall-off in his skills. And a void still exists at left guard, where Terrence Metcalf, Josh Beekman and John St. Clair are not enticing options. 5. Is it possible the Bears will miss Cedric Benson? Probably not after Benson's lethargic performance last season. But he was looking lighter and faster before he was arrested twice for alcohol-related offenses and forcing the team to release him. The Bears are optimistic about rookie running back Matt Forte, but he hasn't proven a thing. The recent signing of running back Kevin Jones provides a cushion, but he is only 6 1/2 months removed from tearing his right ACL. Many teams in recent years have had productive running games despite an absence of stars in the backfield. The tandem of Forte and Jones surely will be a solid upgrade over what the Bears had last season. It couldn't be much worse. 6. Will Devin Hester's role change much? On the way to establishing himself as the greatest return man ever, Hester faces a new challenge. Bears coaches have talked about substantially expanding Hester's role as a wide receiver. It could be a necessity given the offense's lack of established playmakers. If Hester becomes a full-time receiver, the Bears likely will look to ease his burden in the return game. Hester still could return kickoffs, for example, while Danieal Manning, Rashied Davis or even Garrett Wolfe could help on punts. 7. Can the return of two starters help the defense return to dominance? The Bears' defense was outplaying San Diego's prolific offense in last season's opener, holding the Chargers to one touchdown before both Mike Brown and Dusty Dvoracek suffered season-ending knee injuries. Brown was the anchor of the secondary and emotional leader of the defense. Dvoracek was the team's best run-stopper, and the Bears were excited about lining him up at defensive tackle next to fellow Oklahoma alumnus Tommie Harris. Without Brown and Dvoracek - and cornerback Nathan Vasher, who missed 12 games with a groin injury - the defense was decidedly average. To have any chance of playing at its 2005-06 level, it needs both to stay healthy. That is something neither has been able to do in recent seasons. 8. Will the tight ends have to carry the passing game? Although he received little publicity this offseason, second-year pro Greg Olsen had his coaches gushing about the progress he displayed in practices and workouts. Desmond Clark remains a steady, capable veteran. Look for both Olsen and Clark to be among the team's top four receivers this season. The wideouts are unproven after Marty Booker, so Grossman or Orton will be looking frequently to Clark and Olsen. Two-tight end sets figure to become a staple. 9. How will GM Jerry Angelo round out the roster? Well, there's that Brett Favre guy, for one. But such a pairing is quite a long shot. Regardless, the Bears could use a better candidate as a No. 3 quarterback than undrafted rookies Caleb Hanie and Nick Hill. Reports continue to link them to Chris Simms, who is on the outs in Tampa Bay. In a deep and versatile secondary, expensive nickelback Ricky Manning Jr. looks like the odd man out. He could go in a trade for a draft pick or depth on offense. 10. Is this season a referendum on coach Lovie Smith? It is not as though Smith's job is in jeopardy two years after he went to the Super Bowl and signed a lucrative contract extension. But the public's faith in him will be at stake. Before last season, Smith told everybody to trust his judgment when he made moves such as not retaining defensive coordinator Ron Rivera. By the end, Smith publicly was taking blame for a season gone bad. Another poor campaign, and a lot of people will wonder whether the deft touch Smith showed in 2005-06 was a fluke. Nick Hut covers the Bears for Shaw Newspapers. Write to him at nhut@nwnewsgroup.com.