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Wondering about a player, a past game or another issue involving the Bears? Senior writer Larry Mayer answers a variety of email questions from fans every day on ChicagoBears.com.

Any word on what numbers the Bears rookies will be wearing?

Mike S.
San Diego, California

The Bears have assigned the following uniform numbers to their draft picks: Major Wright (27), Corey Wootton (98), Joshua Moore (31), Dan LeFevour (15) and J’Marcus Webb (73o). Undrafted free agents will wear these numbers: Greg Mathews (16), Antonio Robinson (18), Quentin Scott (37), Cornelius Brown (39d), Brandon Minor (39o), Matt Mayberry (64d), Tim Walter (64o), Jimmy Sadler-McQueen (73d), Levi Horn (79), Freddie Barnes (83), Vic Hall (84), Lawrence Wilson (94) and Barry Turner (96). Keep in mind that it’s common for a few of those numbers to change following final cuts heading into the regular season. In other “numerical news,” defensive tackle Marcus Harrison has switched from No. 94 to 99, defensive lineman Jarron Gilbert has changed from No. 70 to 93 and linebacker Kevin Malast has switched from No. 64 to 52.

I know the Bears were thinking about signing a veteran backup quarterback. Now that they’ve drafted Central Michigan’s Dan LeFevour, does that mean they are no longer interested in adding an experienced pro?

Brian T.
Bolingbrook, Illinois

Not necessarily. Even with the selection of Dan LeFevour in the sixth round of the draft, the Bears still could possibly sign a veteran backup quarterback. Here’s what general manager Jerry Angelo said when asked about the issue following the draft: “I can’t say we won’t do that. We could take four quarterbacks to camp. We talked about doing that. A lot of teams do that. That could happen.”

Freddie Barnes’ stats last year at Bowling Green were amazing. I realize that he is criticized for not having great speed, but there is no questioning his hands. Do you think he’ll make the roster, perhaps pushing Rashied Davis out of the mix?

A.J.
Orlando, Florida

There’s no question that undrafted free agent Freddie Barnes had a remarkable senior season at Bowling Green, setting an NCAA record with 155 receptions and leading the nation in receiving touchdowns with 19. But barring an injury, I don’t see Barnes supplanting one of the Bears’ top four receivers—Devin Hester, Devin Aromashodu, Johnny Knox and Earl Bennett. The fifth and possibly sixth receivers contribute primarily on special teams, so Barnes is going to have to excel in that area to have a chance to make the final roster. It seems like I always get emails asking about whether the Bears are going to replace Rashied Davis, but he is an exceptional special teams player who is very valuable on the coverage and return units.

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