Thanks everyone for taking the time to participate in our latest Bears Twitter mailbag.

Let’s get started:

@mikecwright what kind of improved role can @Kcarey25 play next year? #Bearsmailbag

— Chicago Sports Talk (@CTownSportsTalk) February 12, 2015

@mikecwright: First off, let me say what a steal I thought Ka'Deem Carey was as a fourth-round pick last year. We're talking about a guy churning out 1,929 and 1,885 yards in back-to-back seasons at Arizona before coming into the NFL. To me, he was arguably the best back available in last year's draft. Now, having said that, there's just not a ton of snaps to go around with the Bears already having one of the league's best all-purpose backs in Matt Forte. But that's not to say Carey's role in 2015 can't increase, because with the Bears expected to shift to a more run-oriented philosophy on offense, they'll need more than one guy toting the pill. Given John Fox's experience in Carolina, I definitely envision Carey and Forte forming a duo similar to the Panthers' duo of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. For that to happen, though, Carey really needs to put in the work this offseason to develop into a player the Bears can depend on to help Forte carry the load. He'll also need to significantly improve in pass-protection. I don't envision Carey and Forte ever splitting carries equally, but I do expect the former's role to increase in his second season.

@mikecwright If Mariota is on the board when the Bears' pic comes up, should they select him?#bearsmailbag

— Adam Huntley (@ASH3417) February 12, 2015

@mikecwright: Depending on how it all falls, my first question in response to your question would be whether Marcus Mariota is absolutely the best player available at No. 7. New Bears general manager Ryan Pace made it clear during his introductory news conference that his draft philosophy is not based on the team's needs. He believes in taking the best player available, regardless of positional needs. That's actually a philosophy I agree with totally. You draft the best players available and find a way to fit them into what you do on both sides of the ball. When you draft to fill needs, you wind up rating guys higher than you normally would because of your need at that position, which is something Pace explained he did in the past, and admitted it was a mistake. So while I know plenty of fans are tired of Jay Cutler, the simple fact is you can win with him if you don't put everything entirely on his shoulders. If the Bears shift to a run-first philosophy, as expected, I predict you'll see Cutler perform better in 2015. But if Mariota is available at No. 7 and he's the best player on Chicago's board, I don't see why they wouldn't take him. At the same time, if he's available and he's not the best player on the board, the Bears would be wise to not reach just to fill a perceived need.

@mikecwright do you see a possibility of David Bass moving 2 LB due to his athleticism and smaller DE size if Bears go to 3-4? #BearsMailbag

— Tanner Dorow (@TDorow10) February 12, 2015

@mikecwright: I definitely see that happening because David Bass has the physical skills, the speed and the explosiveness to fit as a linebacker in a 3-4 front. The only concern I'd have would be whether he's capable of dropping into coverage and playing well in space. If the Bears play a hybrid scheme in 2015, Bass obviously fits as a defensive end in 4-3 looks and as an outside linebacker in three-man fronts. So I think the prospect of potentially flashing some versatility would be appealing to Bass.

#bearsmailbag @mikecwright what are the chances we can actually dump Cutler and start anew?? Thanks buddy

— Jake Shlofrock (@IAmTheShlaef) February 12, 2015

@mikecwright: It's definitely doable, but I don't see it happening. The Bears could trade Cutler and save $12.5 million against the cap. While Cutler's $15.5 million salary for 2015 is guaranteed, it's not out of the question to think another team might be willing to take on that contract. Now, any team willing to trade for Cutler would also take on his $16 million in guarantees for 2016. If the Bears plan to move Cutler, they'd need to start working on it soon if they haven't already. If Cutler is on the roster on the third day of the 2015 league year, which begins March 12, $10 million of his 2016 salary becomes fully guaranteed. The last $6 million of his 2016 salary becomes fully guaranteed on the third day of the 2016 league year.

So if the Bears wanted to release Cutler before next season, they would still have to pay him $15.5 million. If Cutler comes back in 2015, the Bears would owe $10 million if they wanted to cut the quarterback before the 2016 season.

As I said, it's doable. But I doubt the Bears would just straight-up release Cutler without a contingency plan in place to replace him. A trade scenario seems more likely, but I doubt they'd find a partner to pull that off.

@mikecwright what's the largest bear in North America? Where is it located? #bearsmailbag

— Rashied Davis (@RashiedDavis) February 12, 2015

@mikecwright: First off, Rashied, it's always fun to get a Bears player or former player to join in the fun. You probably considered your question a joke, but I did a little digging around to see if I could get this answer. From what I can tell, the largest Bear in North America is the Kodiak bear, which lives on Kodiak Island or one of the islands off the coast of southwest Alaska. I could be wrong here, but that's what all the web searching yielded for me.