The Tribune’s Brad Biggs answers your Bears questions weekly.

Will Tarik Cohen be the third-down back this season? — Paul P., Las Vegas

That’s a good question, and we’ll have to see how things play out over the summer. Benny Cunningham primarily handled that role last season, and it’s fair to say those who clamored for Cohen to get an even larger role as a rookie overlooked the fact Cunningham was pretty solid. His numbers weren’t flashy, but he caught 20 passes for 240 yards (12.0 average) and two touchdowns. Cohen was making the leap from an FCS college program and had a lot on his plate as a running back and wide receiver and on special teams. If the Bears had rushed Cohen into the third-down back role, they risked exposing the quarterback to a hit. The first priority for a third-down back is mastering the pass-blocking assignments. Now that Cohen is in his second year, that is absolutely a role he could earn.

“We’re learning his skill set,” running backs coach Charles London said. “He’s a very versatile player and we’re going to put him in as many spots as we can and give him as much as he can handle, and he’s proven he can handle a lot.”

I asked London if he thinks Cohen can handle the role.

“Yeah, no doubt,” he said. “Right now he’s about 190 pounds and he runs really good routes. He will stick his nose in there and protect. He understands protections and he understands route running, so I wouldn’t put it past anything he can do.”

Is Cohen’s height (5-foot-6) an issue in terms of pass blocking? He can’t run a route every time.

“Not at all,” London said. “He’s a thick-built guy. He’s got a thick upper body. He’s got a thick lower body. He understands pass protections. Now, obviously we haven’t been able to go out there and do it live and we’ll have to do that in training camp. But I don’t see anything that will inhibit him as a pass blocker. Guys like that have built-in leverage. Think about it: It’s hard to run a guy like that over just because he’s short, he’s stout, he’s strong and if he uses the right technique, he’s going to be tough to defeat.

“I think you will see him a little bit everywhere, and like I said, you want the ball in his hands because he’s that dynamic-type player, but obviously you can’t release him (into the pattern) every time. He needs to be back there. He needs to understand protections and what’s going on. He’s got to be back there to protect Mitch (Trubisky) when it’s time to protect him.”

I’ll never understand why Dontrelle Inman was let loose and not Josh Bellamy. A quick look at his statistics reveals a superb receiver. — Barry T., Houston

Inman’s contract expired, and the Bears chose not to pursue him. The 29-year-old remains a free agent, so that’s probably an indication he’s not quite the playmaker you recall from last season. I’m not knocking Inman, but the reality is in a good offense, he’s a No. 4 or No. 5 option. When you talk about wide receivers that far down the depth chart, you generally need to get quality special teams production out of them. Bellamy is faster and a better option on special teams. You have to consider the total picture and not just a few statistics. The Bears have two wide receivers now that are pretty good on special teams in Bellamy and Bennie Fowler, and it’s going to be interesting to see how the depth chart plays out.

What’s the latest on Kevin White? I think Anthony Miller’s going to be a hit but would love to see White finally stay healthy and get some game time. I’m a sucker for punishment, I know. — @mrantwi

I don’t want to be dismissive when it comes to your question, but White is in the same spot right now that he was last spring. All of the reports on him are positive. The coaches are saying the right things about him. They like the way he looks. They like his work ethic and approach. Reality is after participating in only five games over his first three seasons, encouraging words in the middle of the offseason don’t carry a whole lot of value. It’s about producing during the season, and White needs to show he can get on the field and remain on the field. Certainly he’s overdue for some good fortune. We’ll have to see what pans out for him. But to predict how he’s going to perform this year is impossible.

Does Kevin White make the final roster? — @lethalbro2

He can’t be a lock to make the 53-man roster coming out of preseason, but I am sure the Bears would like to see some return on their investment. White is guaranteed a little more than $2.69 million this season. While there is offset language in his contract, there’s no way another team would pay him that kind of money, so the Bears would be on the hook for at least a portion if they were to release him. It’s not enough money to say he’s locked into a spot. To me, White needs to earn a spot with performance.

Does it look like Tarik Cohen put on too much weight? The pictures from OTAs show a new roundness to him. — @bob_thebrewer

Cohen looks to be in excellent shape. London said Cohen weighs about 190 pounds right now, and he looks to be carrying it well. I don’t think this is a concern at all.

The Packers are going to a press man coverage under defensive coordinator Mike Pettine. Are the new Bears receivers physical and capable of getting off the line with hand fighting, etc.? — @pill_phil

Former Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers was a big proponent of press man coverage as well and the Packers utilized it regularly, so this isn’t a new wrinkle for them. Given Allen Robinson’s size and experience, he will do just fine. Let’s be real here too, it’s not so much the coverage being played by the cornerback but the skill of the cornerback. Rookie Anthony Miller will have to adjust to more physical play at the line of scrimmage in the NFL. That’s something all young wide receivers have to do because they don’t see as much of it in college and certainly don’t encounter the same caliber of cornerbacks.

What's the difference between an OTA and minicamp? — @slg0921