After five straight seasons with no playoff appearances, a notion of urgency might be making its way towards Halas Hall. Winning just 11 games in the last two seasons, the Bears obviously need retooling, and general manager Ryan Pace may be the right person to do so. The Bears will be entering their second season under coach John Fox, however, quarterback Jay Cutler will no longer have his trusted coordinator Adam Gase, who left the Windy City to coach the Miami Dolphins. Gase was heralded greatly for helping Cutler this season, as he was adjusting his play calling to the quarterback’s strengths. Much of their offseason will be dictated by their approach. They’re a team that needs to get younger and add depth. Armed with ample cap space, however, they could take more of an immediate approach and try to get as much out of the final years of Cutler’s prime as they can, and attack free agency aggressively. The team undoubtedly has many holes to fill and it’s likely that everyone will be more aware of the path this franchise is headed down once this offseason concludes. The big question is to rebuild, or not to rebuild? Let’s find out by taking a look at what the Bears might do this offseason.

Assess the Grizzled Bears

It’s well known that Chicago will have a large amount of cap space in the Spring of 2016 and the main reason for that is because of how many impending free agents are on the roster. Many of their free agents are starters, some of which they’ll wish to keep, others not so much. There will certainly be some tough decisions to make this offseason, as players who have contributed immensely to past success will need to be evaluated. There’s no question the offseason starts with making decisions on Matt Forte and Alshon Jeffery. In the case of Forte, he’s an aging running back, whose production has diminished and injuries have begun to settle in. Likely no longer a superstar, they could consider bringing him back on a reasonable deal, as there is certainly the chance he could be productive in a more limited role. With Jeffrey, he’s a player who’s shown he is capable of showing star-like ability, and at just 26, has many years to improve. His injury this season could cost him some money this offseason, but likely won’t. With Kevin White waiting in the wings, it’s possible Jeffrey’s asking price goes too high and the Bears let him walk, but that also seems unlikely. A tandem of Jeffrey and White would afford them two dynamic playmakers with size, making for great red-zone targets for Jay Cutler or whoever the future QB is. The most likely scenario is that they resign Jeffrey, because players with that much talent and upside are just too hard to let go. Bears fans ought to be pleased if that is indeed the outcome, because barring continuous injuries, there’s no reason to expect his play to diminish. The remaining free agents on the roster are mostly fringe starters and replacement-level players of which they could certainly part with. Given the lack of success experienced with the majority of them, it’s probable that Pace, the GM who wasn’t making many of those moves himself, will find players of his own to take their place.

Return to Form

Given all the disappointment that goes along with finishing a season 6-10, it’s usually because of the struggles the team has offensively and more particularly, the quarterback. While Cutler wasn’t lighting the world on fire this season, his play was not representative of a 6-10 team, and the offense still finished the season in the top-10 in efficiency, despite Cutler missing a game and a half. Where Chicago experienced most of their problems, was on the defensive side of the ball, where they continually underperformed and couldn’t keep the opposing offense contained, as they only held opponents to less than 300 yards of total offense four times last season. Vic Fangio will have his work cut out for him in his 2nd season, and will likely be hoping his talent level experiences a significant increase when the season begins. Looking to grasp talent wherever they can, they’ll likely add players in every area of the defense. Their defensive front has young, cheap players like Eddie Goldman and Ego Ferguson along it, but they could try to add an athletic end, opposite them, to boost the talent level of that unit. Muhammad Wilkerson, Letroy Guion, and Cedric Thornton are all players that will be available and also have experience in a 3-4. The linebacker situation is similarly bleak, as high-draft picks that never panned out, like Jon Bostic, Shea McClellin, Khaseem Greene, continue to burden them. With the draft as an additional arsenal of talent, there are other ways to address the linebacker problems, but possible targets at the position that are available in free agency are Von Miller, Tamba Hali, Mike Neal, Jerrell Freeman, and Danny Trevathan. Each player offers scheme specific qualities at their respective positions and could help them both inside and out.

Trade Back, Trade Back, Trade Back.

The Bears already have ten draft picks in 2016, and would be wise to continue to stockpile them for future drafts. Currently selecting 11th, it’s possible their trading back begins in the first round. Acquiring young, inexpensive talent is the best way to build a complete team and their financial flexibility puts them in an excellent spot heading forward. If they can continue to replenish their roster in future drafts, success will come sooner than later. Trading back also offers them the ability to address as many positions as need be, which is a must. With 2016 being an interesting, talented draft class, it’s possible the Bears strategy could be simply to select their highest graded player if he’s available, and if not, shop the pick. Fans and coaches never want to hear the words “trade back,” because next year’s pick can’t tackle, throw a pass, or score a touchdown, but next year’s pick can, however, tackle, throw a pass, and score touchdowns next year and possibly many more after.