Bears open their wallets to sign marquee free agents

As I tweeted during the opening hour of NFL free agency: "I'm not sure who's in the Bears front office right now, but I like him." A day and a half later, I stand by that statement. My Chicago Bears ended up going "hog wild" in free agency after all, signing defensive end Julius Peppers, running back Chester Taylor and tight end Brandon Manumaleuna on Friday.

It was a complete departure from the norm for a Bears front office that is very particular about spending money on players it doesn't know. Anyone who says the Bears are cheap hasn't been paying attention. They shell out the money, but only for players they already have under contract. This year it was different. With no first or second round draft picks, Jerry Angelo and Lovie Smith had to swing for the fences in free agency or they'd be on the chopping block for sure after the 2010 season. After a fantastic Friday, it's time to examine the moves the Bears made and how they improve the team going forward.

From left, Taylor, Peppers, Manumaleuna 

Julius Peppers: 6 years $91.5 million, $42 million guaranteed

As the best defensive end on the market, Peppers comes in and gives Chicago's defensive line instant pass rush, something they have lacked in recent years. What will really be evident is how his presence will affect the rest of the defensive line. No longer will the oft-injured Tommie Harris face constant double teams. If Peppers doesn't instantly command a double team, then he'll be on top of the opposing quarterback without question. Freeing up the likes of Harris, Alex Brown and Mark Anderson will be the trickle-down effect of Peppers' dominance off the edge. 

He'll also make things easier on a weak defensive secondary. Last year quarterbacks could relax in the pocket for 3-5 seconds easily, which becomes too long for a corner or safety to cover effectively. That won't happen this year. If it's a pass play, Julius won't stop until he has a quarterback in his mitts. His ability to created sack-fumbles (30 in his career) will fit wonderfully in Smith's turnover-based strategy.

Chester Taylor: 4 years, $12.5 million, $7 million guaranteed

I love this signing. Not only have they brought in an experienced back that can catch passes out of the backfield and pick up the blitz as well as anyone, but they also prevented division-rival Minnesota from signing him. Taylor should pair well with Matt Forte and be able to produce if he becomes the official "starter" or not. He won't have the best offensive line in front of him as of right now, but that's where our next signing comes in.

Brandon Manumaleuna: 5 years, $17 million, $6 million guaranteed

Don't let his official position fool you. This guy is an offensive tackle in an offensive tackle's body. Every once in a while he can break out in a route and catch a pass, but Manu's here to help out with the run game and protect Jay Cutler at all costs. However, the move leaves the Bears with four tight ends on their roster and provides plenty of questions as to the future of Greg Olsen. With such a weak offensive line free agent market, Manumaleuna was the next best thing.

The Bears were all smiles in their Friday press conference, none bigger than the one on Julius Peppers. They've made big strides, but they can't be done yet. I can't possibly in good conscience rate them ahead of the Vikings or Packers in our division. A safety, a veteran wide receiver and offensive line help are still desperately needed if this team can be expected to make a deep playoff push.

Still-needed improvements aside, if you're a Bears fan you should be all smiles too.