Free Agency

Not even an hour into NFL free agency, ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting that big fish defensive end Julius Peppers and highly touted running back Chester Taylor will both visit the Chicago Bears on Friday. Brad Biggs is also reporting that tight end Brandon Manumaleuna will also pay a visit.

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With NFL free agency kicking off at midnight on Thursday, the Chicago Bears need to make a huge splash. They have no first or second-round draft picks to spend money on and a salary cap-less year on the horizon, priming them to be major players in free agency for the first time I can remember. I'll take a look at a few positions and players the Bears should be targeting in free agency.

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    So let me get this straight. The Redskins sign Albert Haynesworth to an outrageous 100 million dollar deal. Then they go out and resign Free Agent DeAngelo Hall, and then release DE Jason Taylor. And why, because he didn't want to spend his off season sitting at the Redskins stadium. Why should he spend eight of his thirteen weeks off working? I don't know. But the Skins sure thought he should. The man has three kids and a wife in Florida. As a professional football player I'm sure he doesn't get a lot of time with his family any ways. I just would've thought Jason Taylor would be an asset to that team. He'll find a new home with out a problem though I'm sure.

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       So free agency just started and already it's going crazy. I heard that they are even talking about a non-capped year in 2010. But I guess, with the economy being as bad as it is, even owners might have trouble coming up with enough money to shell out to these athletes. Who, in my opinion, should just be glad that they get to play. I can barely find a job, these guys complain about not getting enough millions!!! 

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After a disappointing 2008 season where the Chicago Bears were apparently a few plays away from 11-5 (also a few away from 7-9 in that same ideology), fans are growing restless with the Jerry Angelo / Lovie Smith regime. With NFL free agency starting tonight at 12:01 am and around twenty million in cap space, the Bears have the opportunity to fill holes and bolster their biggest roster weaknesses. I’ll shoot you through some of their trouble spots and whose services they should be pursuing.

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So the prodigal son has returned without ever having left. Lance Briggs agreed to a six-year contract with the Bears today worth about $36 million with $13 million in guaranteed bonuses. After all the fuss and drama of last season, it’s good to see Briggs finally get the huge contract he deserves. Briggs played like a possessed man in ’07, ranking second on the team in tackles with 140, including ten tackles-for-loss. He also added two sacks, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. If you watched any game last year, you know this guy was always leaving it all on the field every game, holding down the weak side position and providing a great complement to Urlacher. And now that he’s coming back, we can be certain Lovie will keep Urlacher in the middle instead of experimenting with him on the weak side (He’s also incredibly smart. Remember when he crashed his Lamborghini on the Edens at 4 AM the night before practice and inexplicably left the scene? I mean, come oooonnnnn, talk about intangibles). More importantly, with a healthy Harris and Dvoracek holding down the interior of the D-Line, Urlacher and Briggs will be able to move more effectively throughout the second level instead of constantly having to inch up and provide run support. Come to think of it, this should come as no surprise. Briggs had stated a desire to remain in Chicago towards the end of the season, and the front office is famous for its loyalty and inclination to re-sign players rather than explore options through free agency. You had Tillman and Vasher re-signed during the regular season and now Briggs, in addition to Grossman, Orton, Clark, and Brown over the past few weeks. Clearly, they’re viewing consistency as the best course of direction for the immediate future and I think it will serve us well (That is, except with Benson, who as one enlightened colleague notes should just be flat-out dropped, like a bad habit).

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