Top 10 NFL Free Agents the Chicago Bears Must Sign

Free agency always gives a team the chance to go from worst to first in a heartbeat. In the past few seasons, the Chicago Bears have come out trying to win Day 1 of the free-agency period, but it hasn't generated success on the field. 

This will be the first time general manager Ryan Pace gets to play on the open market. He faces the difficult task of trying to get the Bears back to respectability in 2015 while protecting the team from bad investments going forward. 

There are 10 players on the market who can help the Bears immensely, and two happen to be their own. These are the top free agents the Bears must sign, and yes, these are in order. Give us your take below in the comments section.  

As the Bears transition to their 3-4 scheme, depth and experience are going to be important. Jamari Lattimore is not a starter, but he can fill in when needed and help out on special teams. 

Lattimore has experience in Green Bay playing in a 3-4 scheme. He's started nine games over the past two years and could be a nice backup to Jon Bostic and whoever else would stand beside him. 

You can likely fill this role in the draft, but it would be nice to see the Bears spend an early-round pick on finding a starter. Lattimore won't cost much but will still be valuable to the team's needs. 

The Bears might be thinking about a Josh McCown reunion, but why go back to an aging player who struggled in Tampa Bay last year? 

For all we know, McCown reached his limit during his 2013 stretch with Marc Trestman. There's no certainty offensive coordinator Adam Gase can even remotely expect McCown to go on that kind of run again. 

McCown will also turn 36 in July. Instead of bringing an old backup in and rehashing some quarterback controversies, why not turn to former Titans signal-caller Jake Locker? 

The eighth overall pick in 2011 has had his fair share of injuries and inconsistencies but is still young enough at age 26 to salvage his career. With so much uncertainty surrounding Jay Cutler going forward, maybe Gase can allow Locker to sit for a season, get healthy and develop in his system. 

The quarterback free-agent market is thin. In no way should the Bears get into a bidding war for Locker, but if he's there at a reasonable price, then he would be the better choice than McCown. 

Lee Smith's name won't jump out at you, but he certainly fills a need. The Bears need to get back to running the football consistently, and Smith provides a ton of help in blocking up front. 

Smith's 6'6", 265-pound size is imposing, and he uses it to throw blockers off the line and open holes. Buffalo was successful running the football with Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller, and Smith's blocking had a little to do with that. 

Don't think of Smith just as a blocker, though. He can catch passes if needed and even line up in the backfield as a fullback. Instead of bringing back Dante Rosario, the Bears should target Smith. 

Every offensive line needs solid depth, and that's exactly what veteran Brian De La Puente brings to the table. He can play center or guard in a pinch and would be a good guy for the Bears to retain. 

The Bears still need a young starting center, but they can find that in the draft. Let De La Puente come back to provide insurance for an incoming draft pick and fill in just in case somebody like Matt Slauson goes down again. 

Re-signing De La Puente also means finally saying goodbye to Roberto Garza. He's been a great Bear, but it's about time he hangs it up. 

It's still unclear who will play nose tackle for the Bears. They could go after a guy like Danny Shelton in the draft or let Jay Ratliff do it. 

It wouldn't hurt to add Ahtyba Rubin into the rotation. There's nothing flashy about him, but he's a big man (6'2", 325 lbs) who can occupy space and free up the linebackers to make plays. 

Rubin started 11 games last year for a Browns defense that played well for the most part. He has 12 sacks in his career. 

The Bears' special teams were a disaster during the Joe DeCamillis era, but one bright spot was super sub Sherrick McManis. 

Not only does McManis provide outstanding coverage on special teams, but he's also a valuable backup in the secondary who isn't afraid to stick his nose into a play. 

There aren't too many players the Bears should retain from their defense or special teams, but McManis is one of them. He can make great strides under John Fox and a more disciplined regime. 

The Bears need a reliable underneath target other than Matt Forte and a trustworthy return man. Eddie Royal fills the void in both areas. 

Royal can take a ton of pressure off Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall as well as blow the top off a defense if you're not careful. 

Teams got hip to Jeffery and Marshall last year, and the Bears' passing game became one-dimensional. Adding Royal would give Jay Cutler a security blanket underneath who will often see man coverage due to Jeffery, Marshall and tight end Martellus Bennett being on the field. 

In the return game, Royal is a veteran who won't make mistakes; he'll improve field position and make an occasional big play. He's the perfect fit in every way for this team. 

Quietly, Joe Barksdale had a solid season for the Rams. Their offensive line was a question mark all year, but he was one of the few bright spots. 

Right tackle for the Bears was not a bright spot last season. Jordan Mills struggled when he was healthy, and the position was largely a mess all year. Bringing in Barksdale would solidify the right side next season. 

He just turned 27. He and Kyle Long can have a bright future on the right side and will reinforce the line. A tackle in the draft is still an option, but signing Barksdale would prevent the team from throwing a kid into the fire right away. 

We couldn't go through this list without adding a John Fox disciple. Patriots safety Devin McCourty is the best safety on the market, but Moore is not far behind and more obtainable. 

Last season, Moore started all 16 games for the Broncos and had four interceptions. He provides stability in the back end and has grown as a player since the 2013 playoff fiasco against the Ravens.

Moore would love a reunion with Fox, and the move would allow Brock Vereen to go to his natural backup position.

If the Bears sign Moore, then they can keep Ryan Mundy and find another young in-the-box safety in the draft.

When defensive coordinator Vic Fangio was in San Francisco, Aldon Smith got all the pub, but it was defensive end Justin Smith who was really the disrupting force on that team. 

The Bears need to find their Justin Smith in this defense. Ravens backup Pernell McPhee is the next man on the fast track to stardom. He had 7.5 sacks in a reserve role last year and can shine as a starter under Fangio. 

Kansas City's Justin Houston might get the franchise tag. If he doesn't, then the bidding war for him could get a little crazy on Day 1 of free agency.

Instead of pursuing Houston, the Bears should sign McPhee right away and find a rushing linebacker in the draft. McPhee opposite a returning Lamarr Houston would do wonders on the edge in this revamped defense.