Chicago Bears Free Agency: Projecting Free-Agent Contract Offers

With the hiring of general manager Ryan Pace and head coach John Fox, the Chicago Bears finally have some sort of operational structure in place as free agency inches closer.

When the league year begins, Pace and Fox will have approximately $28 million to spend on retaining current players and signing new ones.

As it currently sits, the Bears have 21 unrestricted free agents and three exclusive-rights free agents, according to OverTheCap.com. The Bears already have $62.3 million committed to offense and $44.2 million committed to defense.

Let's take a look at a few free agents whom the Bears should extend contract offers to.

DT Stephen Paea

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

2014 base salary + bonuses: $1.17 million—cap hit: $1.17 million

We already know Stephen Paea can be a successful defensive tackle in a 4-3 scheme. What we don’t know is whether he can line up the middle of a 3-4 scheme. He’s definitely big and strong enough to play the positions, it just might not be the best fit.

The Bears announced Tuesday that Vic Fangio, formerly with the San Francisco 49ers is the team's new defensive coordinator.

Fangio ran a 3-4 defense with the 49ers and had a lot of success. Head coach John Fox said in his introductory press conference that he is not tied to either scheme, saying:

"We're going to put our players in the best position for them to have success and that’s how we’re going to earn their respect moving forward because they know we can help that. Whether that’s a 3-4 or 4-3 has not been determined yet."

Paea had one of the best seasons of anyone on the Bears roster in 2014. Per Pro Football Focus, he sacked the quarterback six times, while playing 65 percent of the snaps at defensive tackle. Pro Football Focus rated Paea as the NFL’s 11th-best defensive tackle and fourth-best pass-rusher.

Contract offer: Four years, $18 million with $5.5 million guaranteed

LB D.J. Williams

Duane Burleson/Associated Press

2014 base salary + bonuses $1.31 million—cap hit $1.41 million

D.J. Williams will be an interesting case for the Bears. Williams has missed 10 games due to injury over the past two seasons in Chicago. But Williams has a history with new head coach John Fox. The linebacker spent two seasons in Denver while Fox was the frontman.

In an interview with ESPN Chicago's Carmen and Jurko show, Williams had nothing but glowing things to say about his former head coach, via ESPNChicago.com's Jeff Dickerson: 

"

Fox makes coming to work fun. I would say he's an easy-going guy, but he's still old-school football. It's very hard to find a blend of that, somebody who's like real hard-nosed, but laid-back at the same time. I find you don't demand respect, you earn it.

Being around John Fox for two years, how he approaches guys in the locker room, he'll chat you up and talk to you ... when you do that you get respect from the guys.

"

Seeing how the roster isn’t currently constructed to run new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s 3-4 scheme, the Bears could bring back Williams to play in 4-3 base packages to primarily stop the run.

Basically, Williams could serve as a bridge guy until the roster shapes up to run consistently out of a 3-4 scheme. Because he’s been unable to stay healthy, at 32 years of age, Williams won’t command anything more than the veteran minimum. Williams seems to know exactly where he's at right now in his career:

"

I'm late in my career and I do want to go to a place where I'm comfortable. I feel like if I do talk to John Fox he would shoot me straight and tell me what my position would be on the team. I'm feeling pretty good. I had a neck injury earlier this year. It's one of those injuries that you just needed time for it to heal. Now I'm feeling good and ready to go.

"

Contract offer: One-year, $855,000 with no signing bonus or guaranteed money

TE Dante Rosario

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

2014 base salary + bonuses: $855,000—cap hit: $570,000

The Bears will be running the football on a more frequent basis in 2015. Why? Because new head coach John Fox says so.

"Running the ball and stopping the run—that's the essence of football to me," Fox said.

The former of which applies here. A commitment to the run will require a commitment to finding the right personnel. Dante Rosario is a low-priced tight end who the Bears should not let go.

Rosario is an above-average pass-catcher who can line up and block with effectiveness from multiple field positions. He caught 16 passes for 116 yards while playing nearly 30 percent of the snaps last season, according to PFF.

He’s a reliable backup whom the Bears can count on to do his job on the field. Another thing Rosario has going for him is he was only called for one penalty in his 323 snaps in 2014, per PFF.

Contract offer: One-year deal, 1.1 million, $75,000 signing bonus

QB Jimmy Clausen

USA TODAY Sports

2014 base salary $645,000 (no bonuses)—cap hit: $645,000

Before signing a one-year deal with the Bears before the start of the 2014 season, Jimmy Clausen had spent the previous two years out of football.

Most thought he was done as a football player. Signed to compete to be the No. 3 quarterback on the roster, Clausen played well enough in training camp to enter the season as Jay Cutler’s backup.  

Clausen received one start last season, Week 16 against the Detroit Lions, who were the league’s top-rated defense going into the game. The quarterback connected on 23 of 39 passes for 181 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

He showed enough to deserve another contract from the Bears, with or without Cutler on the roster.  If the Bears let Cutler go and end up taking a quarterback in the 2015 draft, Clausen, a second-round pick in 2010, should be given the chance to “compete” for the starting job until learned the pro game while on the job.

Contract offer: Two years, $2 million, $500,000 guaranteed money

Salary information courtesy of OverTheCap.com and Spotrac. All quotes obtained firsthand.