Chicago Bears impending free agents and top team needs

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Nov 20, 2016; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (6) runs with the ball against the New York Giants during the third quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

Top Team Needs

1. Quarterback

Like this is any surprise. Two of the three Bears quarterbacks from 2016 have expiring contract and the other is Jay Cutler, whom everyone thinks is done in Chicago. Not only is the depth becoming a concern at the position, this team has no definitive starting option either. That makes it by far the biggest priority for them. Teams don’t win in the NFL without at least a serviceable quarterback. This franchise knows than better than anybody.

2. Defensive Back

The secondary was a real liability for the defense this year. Not only did they suffer a series of ill-timed breakdowns in tight games, they also forced just 11 takeaways on the year. Keeping in mind the Bears had 44 in 2012. Suffice to say the cornerback and safety positions are both well below average on this unit. If the Bears are going to become a serious defense again in this league, they have to find guys on the back end who can make a play.

3. Tight End

Trading Martellus Bennett may have been the right call for chemistry issues, but it definitely opened up the Bears to a world of hurt at tight end. After Zach Miller went down with injury, they had zero options on the roster worth mentioning. Modern NFL offenses need a tight end who can threaten in the passing game. The Bears saw this first hand when Bennett was at his best. Thank must take advantage of a strong draft class to solve this issue.

4. Defensive Line

Akiem Hicks was a superb addition by Ryan Pace and he front office. Jonathan Bullard still has plenty of promise after an inconsistent rookie season. The concerns up front lay with Eddie Goldman. When healthy, he’s near impossible to contain without multiple blockers. That’s just it though. Goldman has dealt with a series of injuries to his lower extremities already. Concerning for sure, and it increases the likelihood this team should consider adding more help up front.

5. Offensive Tackle

Some will list this much higher. In truth the Bears aren’t totally devoid at tackle. Bobby Massie and Charles Leno are far from great, but they showed in 2016 they could at least be passable. Given the relative weakness of the upcoming draft and free agent periods at the position, it might not be wise to prioritize it this year. Even so, if an opportunity does come up where a good one is there for the taking, it’d be foolish not to pounce.

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