5 Biggest Changes the Chicago Bears Must Still Make This Offseason

It's been a productive offseason for the Chicago Bears so far. They found their new general manager, and the coaching staff is starting to round into form. Even after checking off some key tasks, major moves and decisions remain. 

Taking a strong stance on Jay Cutler and finding the team's next defensive superstar in the draft are just a few of the major changes the Bears need to make. 

Click ahead to find out the five major changes left this offseason and don't forget to share your thoughts below. 

Adding former Denver Broncos head coach John Fox and former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio to the same respective positions were solid moves. The Bears must now move diligently to add an offensive coordinator. 

The market is starting to dry up. Of the candidates left, current Indianapolis Colts assistant and former Cleveland Browns head coach Rob Chudzinski seems to be the best choice. 

Chudzinski did wonders in 2011 with the Carolina Panthers. He took over one of the worst offenses from the year before and turned it into a top attack with a rookie quarterback in Cam Newton. 

Other options are former Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase, who worked with Fox, and former New England Patriots offensive coordinator Charlie Weis. 

According to Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times (h/t Pro Football Talk), the Bears have already asked to interview Chudzinski, while Weis and Gase are rumored candidates right now, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN (h/t Pro Football Talk).

Expect the Bears to make this move fairly soon as Fox looks to finalize his staff. 

It's the elephant in the room. What is this team going to do with Jay Cutler? 

By now, we have to assume new general manager Ryan Pace and John Fox have had a conversation or two about Cutler. Technically, the Bears don't have to decide his fate until early March, but why wait until then? 

Come March 12, $10 million of Cutler's 2016 contract becomes guaranteed, and he already comes with a $16.5 million cap hit for this season. 

It's going to be difficult to find any decent trade value for a guy who is owed that much money, and there aren't too many solid options in free agency to replace him. 

Instead of entertaining the idea of moving Cutler, the Bears should do to the exact opposite and commit to him privately and publicly. 

With the proper coaching staff, quality players around him and a good system in place, the Bears can win with Cutler at quarterback. It's important for the new offensive coordinator to have a solid plan around using Cutler to the best of his abilities. 

Instead of allowing him to twist in the wind of public perception, Chicago should kill the noise once and for all and do it early enough to move on to more important tasks. 

Long gone are the Lovie Smith days in Chicago. Under John Fox, it's time for the Bears to go all in with a 3-4 defense. 

While new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio has experience running multiple defenses, his bread and butter is the 3-4 scheme. 

Some might argue the Bears don't have the players right now to run a 3-4. Considering the way they have played defense over the last few years, they don't have the players to play a 4-3 either. 

Fox and Fangio should just rip the Band-Aid off now. Make the change right away and trust Ryan Pace to identify the talent needed on the roster. Some players from last year will survive, and the team will need to bring in a ton of new talent, but that's the nature of the game. 

In the past, former general manager Phil Emery tried his best to win Day 1 of free agency. He nabbed some big names, but ultimately his style didn't pay off. 

Going forward, Ryan Pace has to go about free agency with a more strategic style. He can't chase big names just for the sake of winning the headlines on Day 1. 

Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh might be the best free agent available, but does he fit this team's style going forward? Kansas City Chiefs outside linebacker Justin Houston certainly can help, but at what cost? 

How about Patriots free safety Devin McCourty? He's a solid veteran who can play in a hybrid style defense and help younger players due to his ability to play single-high safety very well. 

McCourty will command a decent contract but not compared to the aforementioned free agents. Of all the options on the market, he fits the Bears' needs right now and going forward. 

The only big splash the Bears should make in free agency is with McCourty. From there, they can sign a host of complementary players who fit the system and then use the draft to find quality young talent. 

As it currently sits, the Bears have the seventh overall pick in the NFL draft. That's the perfect place to find the next young defensive cornerstone of the team. 

In 2000, the Bears drafted linebacker Brian Urlacher ninth overall, and that seemed to work out. Ryan Pace and John Fox have to put together their big board with the idea of grabbing a superstar on defense in mind. 

Missouri pass-rusher Shane Ray would fit perfectly in Vic Fangio's system. He's a speed-rusher off the edge in the mold of Aldon Smith, Cornelius Bennett and Kevin Greene, who all worked with Fangio as well.

Transitioning to a 3-4 scheme goes a lot smoother with a speed pass-rusher wreaking havoc off the edge.

Christian Jones and Jon Bostic can play inside together, and maybe the Bears even find some magic in Shea McClellin with a scheme that suits his style more. 

This move kicks Lamarr Houston inside at defensive end where he belongs and gives the Bears a young pass-rusher they can build around, given the question marks surrounding Willie Young and his health as he returns from a torn Achilles.