With March 14th rapidly approaching, Ryan Pace has several options in front of him to continue elevating the Chicago Bears defense.

Quietly, the Chicago Bears have greatly improved their defense over the course of the last two years. Much of the improvement has come due to the success of Vic Fangio’s scheme coming into effect.

The Bears finished 2017 as the 10th overall defense in points allowed, statistically speaking. Most average NFL fans would find that hard to believe, but Chicago has something special brewing on that side of the ball.

With the unit improving and Fangio staying in Chicago, it will be imperative that the Bears are big players in free agency come March.

First and foremost, the Kyle Fuller situation needs to get under control. Whether it be via the franchise tag or a long-term deal, Ryan Pace needs to keep him — period.

Secondly, Pace is going to need to strengthen the depth of this unit. With or without Fuller, cornerback is going to be a big position that will need at least another guy added. Alongside Fuller, the Chicago Bears have a handful of guys they need to make sure they bring back as well.

With the release of Jerrell Freeman a couple of days ago, inside linebacker will also be a spot that needs to be addressed either via the draft or free agency. Staying in the same conversation, the Bears may want to add another player to pair up with Leonard Floyd on the outside.

March 14th begins the new league year. With teams making decisions on franchise tags and cap casualty cuts, the Bears’ future decisions are coming into view little by little. What will Pace decide to attack first? That’s the big question.

Here are five defensive free agent targets that Pace and his front office should heavily consider extending offers toward.