The Bears made the surprising move of re-signing Lance Briggs, but let Bernard Berrian go to Minnesota and Muhsin Muhammed go to Carolina.  Brendon Ayanbadejo is now a Baltimore Raven, and reports indicate that several teams are asking about Rashied Davis.  Fred Miller and Ruben Brown are both gone and John Gilmore is a Tampa Bay Buc.  The Bears replaced the wide receiver vacancy with veteran Marty Booker and Brandon Lloyd. 

That leaves a gapping void at right tackle, right guard, running back, safety, and a long-term need to upgrade at wide receiver and quarterback.  Whew, that’s all?  There is little doubt the Bears are going to make a priority of drafting one of the talented offensive tackles available in this years draft.  As much as the Bears need help shoring up safety, there isn’t much help in free agency or the draft for improvement.  You really never know what Jerry Angelo will do about the quarterback situation so that remains to be seen. 

The remaining priorities are right guard and running, with a need for a long-term solution at wide receiver.  When I say a long term solution I mean that the Bears have players for the next couple years, so they should look into developing a young receiver that could make a huge impact.  The guard and running back positions require forcing a free agent or rookie to make an immediate impact. 

I’m still not done considering the Bears could sign a free agent running back, based solely on the fact that Jerry Angelo has shown no ability to weight talent at the position when drafting.  They are better off taking an established running back from another team that can get to work, much the same way Thomas Jones made such a big impact.  I was disappointed to see his brother, Julius Jones, get signed by the Seahawks for a 4 year deal.  I figured if the Bears didn’t grab Michael Turner, who signed a big deal witht he Falcons, the Bears could grab Jones.  Neither happened and I’m becoming increasingly concerned abou the Bears running game.

Marion Barber is a restricted free agent in Dallas, but the cost to tear him away could be too big for a team that has been trying to pinch salary cap pennies.  Michael Pittman is available out of Tampa Bay but his best years are far behind him.  Ron Dayne is available out of Houston and if I ever hear his name mentioned again I may puke in my mouth.  There were reports the Bears were interested in Titan running back Chris Brown, but just as quickly he signed with Houston.  You know what’s after that?  Not a damn thing. 

The running back situation came and went for the Bears, with no attempt to grab one of the impact players.  Signing any of the players still on the market would only cause more trouble and create a bigger distraction of the Bears running game.  As a result, drafting a running back suddenly becomes a big priority.  The idea itself is scary given our recent track record of drafting running backs.  The Bears should just go with the old proven method of drafting the best player availabe at your pick.  For the first pick, it will most likely be offensive tackle.  For the remaining three picks in the first three rounds, the Bears should grab any running back, wide receiver, or guard that has shown signs of talent and th eability to make an impact. 

Any attempts by Jerry Angelo to survey the talent pool will only result in another disaster pick.  The scary part is in order the win, the Bears are relying on this to be one of the most successful drafts in franchise history.  Just the idea that the Bears are going to use as many as three starting spots on an already struggling offense with rookies could be ugly.  The next few months will make or break Jerry Angelo’s future with the Bears organization, let’s hope he can get it right this time.

According to my handy Bears Media Guide, here are the list of players with expiring contracts:

Brandon Ayanbadejo

Obagemi Ayanbadejo

Bernard Berrian

Lance Briggs

Ruben Brown

Rashied Davis

Antonio Garay

John Gilmore

Rex Grossman

Leon Joe

Dante Wesley

Brandon McGowan

I’m completely amazed that all the attention has gone to Rex and Lance and people have forgotten all about Bernard Berrian. He has consistently proved himself to be the number 1 receiver on this team, even though he lines up next to Mushin Muhammed. Moose may be the more seasoned veteran, but Bernard has become one of the prime deep threats in the league. It would be foolish to let him go. The Bears have the opportunity to let Briggs go and use Jamar Williams in his place and see how well he can hold up. There is no receiver on this roster who can come close to replacing Berrian’s ability. Devin Hester may have more blazing speed but has a long way to go to learn the offensive playbook and show the solid hands we have in Berrian.

I initially felt the Bears should make Briggs a priority, but if it comes down to money, which it always does, I’d rather have Berrian. I love Briggs, but the reality is that he doesn’t make many big, flashy plays. He has become a Pro Bowler because of his solid tackling skills combined with a defense designed to flush the ball towards the linebackers. When Briggs was picked up in the 3rd round of the 2003 draft with the 68th overall pick, he was not highly regarded. It was because he flourished in the Bears defense that he became so popular. Nothing says that Briggs can flourish in another defensive scheme or that another drafted linebacker couldn’t replace him. I worry that because Briggs does not make many flashy plays that he may become a bust in his next destination. Only time will tell if I’m right, but unless he ends up with a great opportunity to play in New England or San Diego, I think he might be exposed and asked to do too much.

I will expose myself a little more and make the argument for Rex Grossman’s return. The thought of Kyle Orton and Brian Griese battling for the starting job next year is troubling. Neither quarterback gives you the hope of making the playoffs that Grossman can. He may make bonehead plays but he also makes spectacular plays that propel his team to victory. Orton or Griese could get the Bears to 8 or 9 wins, but I think with Grossman at the healm they could reach 11 or 12 wins. He is a risk taker and exactly what the teams needs to get back at the top.

As for all the rest, hopefully the Ayanbadejo boys will give the Bears a discount for signing the brothers and giving Obagemi a chance after his early season troubles. Leon Joe has been nothing short of a bust and a big disappointment. Ruben Brown will have to decide if he wants to retire or let his arm heal for another go around for a run at a Super Bowl. I don’t think anyone will really notice if Rashied Davis leaves after a houdini act of playing a big role last year and disappearing this year. Antonio Garay doesn’t even deserve me finishing his sentence. John Gilmore is a good player and contributor but is odd man out at tight end where the Bears have a deep pool of talent. Dante Wesley is cornerback and that’s about all anyone knows about him. Brandon McGowan will likely disappear and become a die hard Bears fan trivia question and joke when referencing back to the secondary on 2007 team. He’ll represent for defense what Bobby Wade represents for inept offenses of previous years.

So it comes down to only a few names. Berrian, Grossman, and Ayanbadejo. Briggs would be a welcome sight back next year but I doubt the Bears will make the investment. Jamar Williams looks too good and the Bears have too many needs in other spots on the field. Whether Briggs plays on Sunday or if he allows Williams to put on another great audition for a starting spot could be the spotlight for their game against the Saints.