Now that the Super Bowl has been played and free agency is approaching in early March, the Last Word On Sports NFL department will be looking closely at each team’s needs. Today, in this article, the spotlight is on the top three needs of the Chicago Bears 2016 offseason.

The Bears followed up the dismal 5-11 2014 campaign with a just as disappointing 6-10 2015 season. Their offense finished 21st while the defense fared somewhat better at 14th in the NFL. Even though Jay Cutler was the team MVP and had a resurgent season under offensive coordinator (now Dolphins head coach) Adam Gase, general manager Ryan Pace and his team has much work to do on bringing playmakers to both sides of the ball. The Bears switched from a 4-3 to 3-4 defense in 2015 and although made some progress, Vic Fangio and his staff will need to lay out a strategy to get the most out of his players assuming Pace helps the team reload with the right players.

The Bears have nine picks total including the 11th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft and will lose a few of their key players. They have already cut declining offensive tackle Jermon Bushrod and have decided not to bring back running back Matt Forte. Other big names they may NOT retain include tight end Zach Miller, linebacker Shea McClellin, corner back Alan Ball, and safety Antrel Rolle. With league cap set at $155.27M, the Bears are expected to be $60-75M under the cap, which likely means they will be big spenders in March.

Chicago Bears 2016 Off-Season: Top 3 Needs

Linebacker

With Bears greats Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs having retired in recent years, the team has failed to develop elite players at this position. Expect the Bears to land one major piece through free agency and at least another through the draft. It is likely that the Broncos’ Danny Trevathan (age 26) will test free agency and with his association to head coach John Fox, be heavily courted by Pace. If they fail to get Trevathan, they could roll the dice on Zach Brown of the Titans (age 26) or the Rams James Laurinaitis (age 29) – two players who had underwhelming 2015 seasons. If Jaylon Smith of Notre Dame is on-board at number 11 at the draft, the Bears may not be able to pass up on him despite the fact that Smith will be coming off ACL and MCL injuries and will likely miss half of the 2016 season. He is THAT good (113 tackles, one sack, four passes broken up and a forced fumble). Other possible options are UCLA’s Myles Jack, Arizona’s Scooby Wright III, and Missouri’s Kentrell Brothers.

Safety

The Bears have experienced mediocre play at best and have gone through numerous players at this position since the days of a healthy Mike Brown. Expect them to look hard into free agency but target a young up-and-comer. My money will be on Tashaun Gipson of the Browns. The 25-year-old should be recovered from minor injuries and has a resume that includes being a Pro Bowler with 14 career interceptions. While the Chiefs Eric Berry would be a great get especially with the holes at the position, the Bears are likely to stay away due to high cost. Another option would be Eric Weddle of the Chargers (age 31) who has been an excellent safety and likely has three to four good years still left in him. If they don’t land one of these, then look for the team to draft one in the middle rounds where it may consider K.J. Dillon, West Virginia or Kevin Byard, Middle Tennessee.

Offensive Lineman

The Bears best offensive line athlete by far is young Kyle Long who is versatile enough to play any position but look for him to move to left tackle from right tackle. They have rising rookie Hroniss Grasu and veteran Matt Slauson to hold down the fort but the Bears need to add not one, but two quality linemen, ideally one tackle and one guard. Vadal Alexander (6’5″, 330 pounds) from LSU would be a great value pick in the third round as he is powerful, yet mobile for the guard position. Another option would be Connor McGovern (6”4’, 305 lbs.) who can bench press over 500 pounds. If the Bears went the free agent route, they will surely consider Ryan Schraeder of the Falcons (age 28), Kelvin Beachum of the Steelers (age 27, but coming off a torn ACL) and even the Raiders’ Donald Penn (age 33).