BOURBONNAIS, Ill. -- Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace says he's confident the team will work out a deal with rookie linebacker Roquan Smith, and the team is “optimistic he’ll be here soon.”

Smith, Chicago’s first-round pick in 2018, remains unsigned and has not yet reported to training camp. The Bears and Baltimore Ravens each began their camps a week earlier than the rest of the NFL, as they will play in the annual Hall of Fame Game. Smith, the No. 8 pick, played at Georgia where he was the 2017 winner of the Butkus Award. Smith participated in minicamp practices with the Bears, where he took reps with the first team.

“I’m sure he’s dying to be here,” Pace said on Thursday, the day veterans were due to report.

Rookies reported earlier in the week. The GM also said he wasn’t alarmed by Smith’s absence, calling the contract snag “rather common” and “somewhat predictable.” Pace cited good relationships with agents as one reason he was optimistic for a deal. The GM said the holdup was in “details.”

“We know that it’s a process,” Pace said.

Smith is represented by CAA. In 2016, Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa held out for all of training camp before he signed a contract. Bosa then went on to win defensive rookie of the year. Bosa is also represented by CAA.

Several top 10 picks in the 2018 class remain unsigned, including the New York Giants’ Saquon Barkley and the Cleveland Browns’ Baker Mayfield.