Chicago Bears: Ranking Remaining Offseason Priorities
The Chicago Bears have been one of the NFL's busiest teams this offseason, but there are still a handful of areas they need to address before the season starts.
The Bears added a bevy of new players to their roster via free agency and the draft, and they are likely done with making big splashes this offseason.
Even though they likely will not be going after any big-name free agents who are still on the market, they still have some issues that will need to be addressed this offseason.
With the team making the switch from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4 defense this offseason, there a lot of positions on that side of the football that need to be sorted out before the regular season begins. Both linebacker positions, as well as the nickelback position, need to be evaluated, while tight end Martellus Bennett's situation and Kyle Long's future both need to be addressed sometime soon.
Just ahead, we rank five of Chicago's top remaining offseason priorities from No. 5 down to No. 1.
5. Determine TE Martellus Bennett's Future with the Team
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In 2013, the Bears signed Bennett to a four-year contract worth $20.4 million. He registered 65 catches for 759 yards with five touchdowns during his first season in Chicago, and he was named to the Pro Bowl after hauling in 90 passes for 916 yards and six touchdowns last season.
Despite Chicago's struggles on offense, he was a consistent target for Jay Cutler in the passing game last season.
Prior to the start of the NFL draft late last month, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported the Bears were listening to offers for Bennett. Schefter also reported Bennett is looking for a contract extension.
According to Spotrac, Bennett has a $6.125 million cap hit in 2015 and a $6.31 million cap hit in 2016. Holding out for a new contract is not all that uncommon in the NFL, but it is rare for a player to be looking for a new contract when he still has two years remaining on his current deal.
General manager Ryan Pace has not spoken much about Bennett since he was hired in January, but he did clarify the trade rumors earlier this offseason.
"No, no, [Bennett has not asked to be traded]," Pace said earlier this month, according to ESPN Chicago's Jeff Dickerson.
He later discussed Bennett's decision to not participate in the team's offseason workouts.
"With him, it's individual choices," Pace said, according to Dickerson. "I've been talking to him and his agent. We'd love for him to be here right now competing, especially with what we've got going right now. That's his individual choice and it's voluntary, but hopefully he'll be here sooner than later."
If Bennett refuses to participate in Chicago's upcoming minicamps or even training camp, the team is going to have to decide whether to offer him a contract extension or try to trade him to another team. He is an integral part of Chicago's offense, but he may not be worth a contract extension considering he is already 28 years old and has only had one overly productive season in the NFL.
4. Identify Starters at Inside Linebacker
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Ever since Brian Urlacher left the Bears following the 2012 season, they have struggled to find a replacement at middle linebacker.
The team used a combination of D.J. Williams and Jon Bostic at middle linebacker over the course of the last two seasons, but both struggled with their play on the field and with injuries, and the team will have to find two starting inside linebackers now that it has transitioned to a 3-4 defense.
Williams was not re-signed, leaving Bostic to compete with Shea McClellin, Christian Jones, DeDe Lattimore, Jonathan Brown and former Tampa Bay Buccaneers starting middle linebacker Mason Foster for the team's two open spots.
Foster likely stands the best shot of earning one of the team's starting inside linebacker positions after signing a one-year, $825,000 deal this offseason. In 57 career games with the Bucs, Foster registered 343 tackles, six sacks, 12 pass deflections, five interceptions and scored two defensive touchdowns.
He is an instinctive linebacker who has the ability to roam from sideline to sideline, and he can also make an impact against the pass. While Foster appears to be a lock to hold down one of the starting inside linebacker spots, the other spot is still wide-open.
McClellin will be making the move from outside linebacker to inside linebacker this offseason, and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio likes his potential.
"He has good instincts," Fangio said, according to Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune. "He can run. He could be a good blitzer from in there. Just a little bit of everything."
He struggled last season as an outside linebacker, particularly in pass coverage, but he may be able to thrive on the inside as a pass-rusher. He was initially drafted as an edge-rusher, but he struggled at defensive end. He was at his best at Boise State standing up, and Fangio may finally put him in the right spot to succeed.
Jones showed flashes as a rookie last season, and Fangio likes what he has seen from the former Florida State Seminole.
"He’s got good size. He’s got good athletic ability," Fangio said, according to Arthur Arkush of ChicagoFootball.com. "He’s a young, eager guy and football’s important to him. I think he’s got a bright future if he can develop."
The Bears appear to have three solid options at inside linebacker, and the rest of this offseason will be a battle between Foster, McClellin and Jones for the two open spots.
3. Sort out the Nickelback Position
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Last season, the Bears planned on moving cornerback Tim Jennings inside to nickelback when the team went to its nickel package with Kyle Fuller moving to the outside, but starting cornerback Charles Tillman was injured in Week 2, and Fuller was thrust into a starting role.
Instead of using Jennings in the slot in their nickel package, the Bears used a combination of Al Louis-Jean and Demontre Hurst at nickelback last season.
Louis-Jean finished last season with nine tackles and played just 122 snaps on defense, according to Pro Football Focus.
Hurst, according to Pro Football Focus, played in 373 snaps and finished with a minus-1.8 overall grade, but he did register a plus-2.4 grade against the run. He finished the season with 39 tackles, one forced fumble and one interception.
Both Hurst and Louis-Jean signed two-year extensions this offseason to remain with the team through 2016, but there is no guarantee either will be the team's primary nickelback this season.
If they do not feel comfortable with either Hurst or Louis-Jean playing out of the slot, the Bears could try to move Jennings back inside on passing downs, with Alan Ball taking over Jennings' spot on the outside.
Ball signed a one-year deal with the team this offseason after spending the last two years with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He appeared in just seven games last season due to a biceps injury, but he has recorded 216 tackles and six interceptions in eight NFL seasons.
If the Bears want to think outside the box at nickelback this season, safeties Adrian Amos and Brock Vereen could also be options.
Amos was selected by the team in the fifth round of this year's draft, and the former Penn State safety has experience playing cornerback. Bleacher Report's Dan Pompei observed Chicago's rookie minicamp over the weekend, and he was impressed by Amos.
"Adrian Amos looks like he has potential to be an interceptor," Pompei tweeted. "He has range, length and excellent hands. Made catches away from his body."
Amos will likely have a steep learning curve, but he could grow into the position this season.
Like Amos, Vereen also played some cornerback in college. He is solid against the run and could potentially push Ryan Mundy at strong safety this offseason, but he has good range and the ability to be a playmaker. He will need some refinement, but his upside far exceeds both Louis-Jean's and Hurst's.
The Bears could also use a rotation at the position in 2015, but regardless of who they decide to use at nickelback this season, the position will need to be addressed in training camp and the preseason.
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2. Decide Whether Kyle Long Plays Guard or Tackle
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Guard Kyle Long is coming off his second straight Pro Bowl appearance, but he could potentially move outside to tackle this offseason.
"He’s very athletic and he’s very well-rounded," Pace said at the combine about Long, according to Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. "I think he can play multiple positions on the offensive line."
Long knows he is athletic enough to play outside, but it would be an adjustment for him.
"I feel like I am athletic enough to play tackle," Long said late last season, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. "But it is not like you can just throw someone out there and say, 'He is going to have success.' The reps are really important (in) getting comfortable with what you are trying to do."
Jordan Mills has struggled at right tackle the last two seasons, and despite having a need at the position, the Bears did not add a tackle in free agency. The team did draft TCU tackle Tayo Fabuluje in the sixth round of this year's draft, but he is still a work in progress.
New offensive line coach Dave Magazu said no spots along the offensive line have been solidified so far this offseason.
"We don’t know who anybody is yet," Magazu said over the weekend, according to Finley. "We haven’t put pads on. People sell other people short too quick. This is not a 100-yard dash. Sometimes you have to let things play out."
Long has the size (6'6", 313 lbs) to play on the outside, and Pompei thinks a move could be in the works this offseason:
"14. I wouldn’t be surprised if Kyle Long gets some action at RT. The door isn't closed like it had been.
— Dan Pompei (@danpompei) February 19, 2015"
If the Bears do decide to move Long to tackle, they will need to feel comfortable with his replacement at guard.
The team took Oregon center Hroniss Grasu in the third round of the draft, and the former Duck could potentially move to right guard. He is quick and athletic and does a great job of getting to the second level.
"His ability to get to the second level is phenomenal," offensive coordinator Adam Gase said over the weekend about Grasu, according to Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune. "That's kind of what we were looking for and that's why it was such a good pick for us."
If the Bears decide to keep Grasu at center and have him compete with veteran Will Montgomery in training camp, the team could use Vladimir Ducasse, Ryan Groy or Michael Ola at guard if Long makes the move to the outside.
In the end, the Bears will have to determine whether moving Long to the outside is the best option for the team moving forward.
1. Establish Roles for Each Pass-Rusher
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As it currently stands, the Bears have Pernell McPhee, Lamarr Houston, Jared Allen, Willie Young, David Bass and Sam Acho competing for an opportunity to rush the quarterback in 2015.
McPhee and Acho were signed in free agency and have experience playing outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense, while Allen, Young and Bass are converting from 4-3 defensive ends to 3-4 outside linebackers this offseason. Houston has experience lining up at outside linebacker in a 3-4, but he has spent the majority of his career playing defensive end.
Between now and the start of the regular season, the Bears are going to need to establish roles for each of their pass-rushers.
McPhee is the most accomplished 3-4 pass-rusher of the group, having finished last season as Pro Football Focus' second-best 3-4 outside linebacker with a plus-26.0 overall grade. He registered 7.5 sacks and forced one fumble last season, and he is projected to be one of the team's starters at outside linebacker in 2015.
He has the ability to line up both outside and inside, and he will likely be a key piece in Fangio's system. While McPhee likely has locked down one of the open outside linebacker spots, the other starting spot appears to be wide-open.
Houston has a chance to take over that role in 2015, but he is coming off a torn ACL. He is similar to McPhee because he has the ability to play both inside and outside, but he will need to prove this offseason he can consistently get after the quarterback.
Young is coming off a torn Achilles, but he has not been able to participate in any of Chicago's offseason practices, according to Adam Hoge of WGNPlus.com. He led the team with 10 sacks last season, but it is unlikely he will be used as a starter this season because of his inexperience at the position.
Allen is one of the most productive pass-rushers in NFL history, but he registered just 5.5 sacks last season and will be playing outside linebacker for the first time in his career.
"He did well in the minicamp we had here, and I think he was excited about it," Fangio said about Allen, according to Dickerson. "Like I told him, I think he can have a rebirth to his career here playing a little bit of a new position."
Allen has never had to play out of a two-point stance, but he could thrive in Chicago's new system as a situational pass-rusher.
McPhee, Houston, Young and Allen are all locks to make the roster, meaning Bass and Acho may be competing for one remaining spot on the roster.
The Bears claimed Bass off waivers from the Oakland Raiders prior to the start of the 2013 season, and the former Missouri Western State star registered 23 tackles, one sack, one interception and one defensive touchdown in 12 games that season. He only appeared in eight games last season, but he registered 10 tackles, three sacks and forced one fumble.
He has a lot of upside and potential, but Bass may have a tough time beating out Acho because of his lack of experience at outside linebacker.
Acho was taken in the fourth round by the Arizona Cardinals in 2011, and he registered 40 tackles, seven sacks and four forced fumbles his rookie season. He finished with four sacks in 2012, but he registered just two sacks between 2013 and 2014.
Unlike Young and Allen, Acho thrives against the run and could be used near the goal line or in short-yardage situations.
The Bears have plenty of players who can play outside linebacker this season, but the key for Chicago will be establishing a role for each one of them before the season starts.
Statistical information courtesy of NFL.com unless otherwise noted.
Matt Eurich is a Chicago Bears Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.
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