We’re less than a week from the NFL combine and less than three from the opening of free agency. What approach will new general manager Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus take in rebuilding the Chicago Bears roster? The Tribune’s Brad Biggs reads the tea leaves in this week’s Bears mailbag.

How are the Bears going to address the offensive line? Free agency or the draft? — @daniel11605

As much as general manager Ryan Poles talked about building a roster beginning with both lines, this is something to watch. We’ll need some clues to get a better idea of the direction the team will go first. To me, you have to start with evaluating the offensive linemen the team has under contract. Where do the Bears want to line up Teven Jenkins when they hit the field this spring? If the answer is left tackle, then maybe that position isn’t at the top of the to-do list when free agency opens next week. If the Bears believe Jenkins is best at right tackle or guard, do they believe Larry Borom has a shot at anchoring left tackle?

If the Bears don’t see a long-term left tackle option on the roster, that is a major hole to fill — and could lead thm to pursue Cam Robinson (Jacksonville Jaguars) or Terron Armstead (New Orleans Saints) in free agency, provided they reach the open market. Robinson played on the franchise tag last year, and the Jaguars will have to tag him again or re-sign him before free agency. The window for teams to use the franchise or transition tag opened Tuesday. The Jaguars have the No. 1 pick in the draft, so they could draft a left tackle and allow Robinson to depart. The Saints surely would like to retain Armstead, but they are buried in salary-cap issues.

I think most believe veteran Cody Whitehair is best at guard, so the Bears could keep him there. James Daniels is a pending free agent and should command a big payday on the open market. Sam Mustipher has 1½ years of starting experience, but the Bears likely will seek an upgrade or competition at center. Borom could project as a tackle or guard, but the Bears might want to add competition.

If the Bears really want to overhaul the offensive line, they probably would have to do so via free agency and the draft by using their second- or third-round pick. First, we need to hear from Poles and coach Matt Eberflus on how they feel about the players the team has under contract.

Can you foresee any solutions where the Bears can bolster their offensive line, wide receivers and some missing holes on defense without somehow moving a large salary? Just seems like too many holes and not enough cap space. — @eric_pedersen83

I agree that the Bears have a lot of issues to address on both sides of the ball, and it will require some difficult decisions. It will be fascinating to see how the new regime prioritizes some of these needs. The Bears have the cap space to make some big moves in free agency and can make a few moves to create additional operating room, but if Poles stays true to his word, he will be doing some bargain shopping. It’s about finding fits for the scheme and getting players with experience to fill roles. It will be a process for Poles to do a complete roster makeover, which will take some time. A roster is never “set,” but figure he probably needs two swings through free agency and two draft classes to really get things rolling.

Is it a foregone conclusion that Allen Robinson won’t return? — @bearssox4ever

Foregone conclusion? No. But I certainly expect Robinson to explore his options in free agency, and my hunch is that will lead him to sign elsewhere. For whatever reason, there just didn’t seem to be chemistry between him and quarterback Justin Fields last season. Robinson will be seeking a huge payday, and the Bears might choose to use their resources differently.

Any chance the Bears would franchise tag James Daniels? Not sure what the salary-cap ramifications would be, but I think he still has untapped potential. Is the feeling around the league about him that he is ascending or capped out? — @jeffdetra

I think people believe Daniels’ best football is ahead of him. He’s only 24, has a lot of experience and was pretty good last season. That being said, I would be very surprised if the Bears chose to use the franchise tag on him considering it comes with a price tag of $16.7 million. It’s possible the Bears will see if they can work out a new contract, but I would expect him to at least explore what’s out there on the open market. He could easily get a deal that tops $10 million annually.

Where has everyone on Matt Nagy’s staff landed? — @1959WhiteSox

Defensive quality control assistant Ronell Williams is the only member of Nagy’s staff to remain with the Bears under Eberflus. Coaches who have not landed work for 2022, to my knowledge, include Nagy, offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo, wide receivers coach Mike Furrey, tight ends coach Clancy Barone, assistant special teams coach Brian Ginn, strength coach Jason Loscalzo, offensive quality control/quarterbacks coach Mike Snyder, assistant defensive line coach Shane Toub and offensive assistants Tom Herman and Henry Burris.

These coaches have been hired elsewhere:

Juan Castillo: Washington Commanders tight ends coach
Sean Desai: Seattle Seahawks associate head coach/defense
Chris Jackson: Jacksonville Jaguars wide receivers coach
Bill McGovern: UCLA defensive coordinator
Mike Pettine: Minnesota Vikings assistant head coach
Michael Pitre: Atlanta Falcons running backs coach
Donovan Raiola: Nebraska offensive line coach
Chris Rumph: Minnesota Vikings defensive line
Bill Shuey: Jacksonville Jaguars outside linebackers coach
Chris Tabor: Carolina Panthers special teams coordinator
Deshea Townsend: Jacksonville Jaguars passing game coordinator/cornerbacks coach

Who are the options for starting cornerbacks in free agency? — @twtamtrakandrew

J.C. Jackson of the New England Patriots will be the most coveted cornerback if he reaches the open market. He’s a potential candidate for the franchise tag, although the Patriots have generally avoided using that. Other veterans available include Stephon Gilmore, Carlton Davis, Casey Hayward, Darious Williams, Steven Nelson, Kyle Fuller and Charvarius Ward. One thing I would keep in mind is that Eberflus did pretty well in Indianapolis with an aging veteran in Xavier Rhodes, whom the Colts were able to sign on the cheap. Rhodes was slower than he was originally in Minnesota, but the Colts identified a player who would fit their scheme and wouldn’t take up much cap space. It was a terrific signing.

So it’s possible the Bears would take a similar approach — and it might not be someone whom they would sign in the first wave of free agency, when teams inevitably overpay. Cornerback is a huge need, and the Bears need to infuse the position with at least two new options to raise the level of play.

There seems to be a view that an offensive player is the inevitable pick in the second round, but would you be shocked if the Bears took a defensive player with their first pick given the change of scheme and holes at CB, LB, safety and DT? — @davidpbmaddox

I’m not sure who has that view. It’s really hard to predict what a team is going to do in Round 1 this far out — although last year at this time, it was apparent that if the Bears didn’t make a move for a big-time veteran quarterback, they would move mountains to try to draft one. It’s even more difficult to predict what position a team will target in Round 2. What if Poles makes his most significant moves in free agency on offense? Would folks saying an offensive pick is inevitable pivot at that point? I’ve always said it’s best to see what happens through the first two weeks of free agency to get a better idea of the true roster needs a team has. We can talk at length about positions of need, but it’s impossible to say who the top-graded players will be when the Bears are on the clock. My best advice is to wait and see what shakes out with the roster. Which players will be signed? Which players will be released? What areas of need will look more settled by early April? Take a step back and see what clues the team leaves.

How does Tarik Cohen’s future with the Bears look right now? Should we expect him on the roster in Week 1? — @Bearssznn

A key date for Cohen is coming up shortly after the new league year starts March 16. He has a $3.9 million base salary for 2022, and $2.5 million of that becomes fully guaranteed if he’s on the roster on the trigger date. Typically, these trigger dates are in the first few days of the league year. Right now, $2.5 million of his base salary is guaranteed for injury, and Cohen has missed the last 31 games (including postseason) since tearing the ACL in his right knee early in the 2020 season. Needless to say, it has been a long road back with at least one significant detour. Given the time he has missed and the money he’s owed — $4 million when including a workout bonus — I would not be surprised if the Bears decided to move on.

Of course, it’s impossible for me to say where he is physically right now, as the team has said next to nothing about his rehabilitation and how it differed from a more typical return from an ACL injury. That seems like a lot of money to pay a gadget player on offense and punt returner, but that’s just my opinion. The timing of the guarantee in the base salary and the change in front office and coaching staff certainly complicate things.