Complete Chicago Bears 2015 Off-Season Projections

Jan 19, 2015; Lake Forest, IL, USA; New Chicago Bears head coach John Fox speaks during a press conference at Mugs Halas Auditorium. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

From the end of the season through free agency and the draft to 2015 kick off.  Here is what the Chicago Bears should do.

Team Free Agency

Before anything else, John Fox and Ryan Pace must assess their own roster, including the high volume of players set to become free agents this March.  They’ll have to review tape, meet with them and then decide whether or not they should be re-signed or allowed to leave.  Here is how the list should look for both categories.

Re-Sign

• Brain de la Puente, C/OG
• Stephen Paea, DT
• Danny McCray, S
• Sherrick McManis, CB
• Demontre Hurst, CB
• Al Louis-Jean, CB
• Chris Conte, S

Stephen Paea earned his money this past season as an interior pass rusher.  Brian De La Puente brings valuable depth at guard and center.  McCray and McManis are key special teams aces while Hurst and Louis-Jean are young corners who improved as the season went on.  As for Chris Conte, he did have four interceptions despite injury problems and warrants a short-term deal to give him one last chance under a top coordinator like Vic Fangio, at least as competition.

Let Leave

• Jimmy Clausen, QB
• Dante Rosario, TE
• Trevor Scott, DE
• Darryl Sharpton, LB
• Charles Tillman, CB
• Anthony Walters, S
• J. Williams, MLB
• Lance Briggs, OLB
• Eben Britton, OG/OT
• Jeremy Cain, LS
• Zach Miller, TE
• Josh Morgan, WR
• Montell Owens, FB
• Jay Feely, K
• Austen Lane, DE
• DeDe Lattimore, LB

Lance Briggs and Charles Tillman are just too old and worn down at this point.  This Bears team needs to get younger.  As for the other names on the list, all of them were rather unremarkable at their jobs this past season and not much help on special teams either.  A lot of roster turnover is expected and Fox’s staff will need plenty of open slots.