No clear answers for when Bears first-rounder Kevin White might hit field

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. — The Chicago Bears are five days into training camp, and the extent of first-round wide receiver Kevin White's activity has been limited to looking good in his No. 13 jersey (no pads) and floppy white hat.

While White's teammates dig in for the preseason opener that hits in 10 days, the No. 7 overall pick in April's draft remains on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list and awaits clearance to start running following a shin injury he suffered during OTAs nearly seven weeks ago.

Head coach John Fox said on Monday that he had no timetable for White's training camp debut — or even whether he'll make an appearance during the Bears' practices at Olivet Nazarene University through late August.

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“I think he’s making headway," Fox said. "Like I said, he was on the shelf for six weeks, just his conditioning level and even soft tissue [needs improving], just building him back to get the chance to come and play football rather than just throwing him out there.”

At what point does White's absence become a problem?

“It’s all a problem; coaching this stuff is a problem," Fox said. "But I think at the end of the day, I prefer him to be out there. But I’ve seen guys miss time and have the seasons of their life. So I’m going to try to define him. He’ll get a chance to do that himself.”

Not exactly a glowing forecast. And guys like that, the Odell Beckhams of the world, tend to be the exception rather than the rule. At some point soon, White's availability for the start of the season might be the next level of concern.

Also sitting out practice Monday was star receiver Alshon Jeffery, who suffered an AC joint sprain on Sunday, which is not serious. Eddie Royal was the only wideout to stand out in Monday's session that included holdover Marquess Wilson and a cast of unknowns — the likes of Cameron Meredith, Joshua Bellamy, Ify Umodu, John Chiles, Levi Norwood and others.

Jeffery told Shutdown Corner his shoulder is fine and that he should be back to practice when the team hits the field on Wednesday. As for White, Jeffery said it's important for the rookie to get into the flow.

"I think it's important to get on common ground with Jay and [learn] how we feed off each other, and how we play together," Jeffery told Shutdown Corner. "He's fast, he's got it, but he's got to get a feel for the speed of the NFL. But he will."

(White wasn't made available to media because of the team policy of typically keeping injured Bears players away from microphones, even though Jeffery honored a previous request for an interview with Yahoo.)

White came out of nowhere to turn in a massive senior season at West Virginia: 109 catches, 1,447 receiving yards, 10 touchdowns, plus seven consecutive 100-yard games out of the chute. At 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, White will outsize almost any defensive back he encounters.

It appeared to be a perfect displacement: the quiet, humble White takes the place of similarly sized (but vastly different, personality-wise) Brandon Marshall, who was traded to the Jets for nickels on the dollar after finding himself in the middle of locker room chaos last season. (Interestingly, White and Marshall had become friends prior to the NFL draft, and Marshall texted his congrats to White on draft day.)

White and Jeffery could be a prolific pair on the outside, and Royal almost certainly will be productive in the slot with Cutler. But White coming from a spread offense — not many wideouts have made a seamless transition in Year 1 to a pro scheme, like the one coordinator Adam Gase runs — and missing time is hurting his development.

“It’s a level jump [to the NFL]," Fox said. "It’s like going from JV to high school, if you played high school football. It’s like going from high school to college. It’s a level jump, and it’s a tough adjustment for everybody, no matter what offense they came from or defense.”

Fox said White was "day-to-day" and that he hoped he would return "sooner rather than later" but added "it’s just a hope,” which doesn't inspire confidence in a return too soon. As far as what White is doing to rehab the injury, that's not really clear either — and it almost suggests that White is not close to being in playing condition.

“We’re just not doing a lot with him as far as strong on-grass movement," Fox said. "He does — and I’m not going to get into all his things — but some of it’s in water. There’s a lot of ways to build your cardio system without pounding on a particular body part. We’re in that stage, and hopefully it continues to grow.”

Otherwise, Marshall's assumed replacement will find himself another step behind in trying to live up to his billing and help improve this offense.

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm