Chicago

The Chicago Bears have 20 unrestricted free agents entering the 2015 offseason, and none are more important to retain than Lance Briggs. 

What looked like a closed door has now cracked opened with a new regime in town. Briggs recently spoke with Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, expressing his willingness to return. 

"New GM, new coach, we haven't had those kinds of talks yet. Obviously the door is open until we have that conversation and I know how they feel," said Briggs.

By now, most tend to think Briggs has worn out his welcome in Chicago and has one foot out the door, but he still has some good football left in him and should spend the final years of his career with the Bears. 

After all, Briggs could end up being the next Julius Peppers. 

Peppers had a down season in his final year as a Bear. He seemed to dog it on the field and looked like age had caught up to him. Fast forward a year and Peppers looks fresher than ever in a Packers uniform. 

What caused Peppers' turnaround? He latched onto a quality organization with a respectable coach. 

Doesn't all of this sound familiar with Briggs? It's clear former head coach Marc Trestman didn't get the respect he needed from players, and the veterans on defense seemed to regress under his watch. 

If Briggs were to leave Chicago for let's say Tampa Bay, he would likely look focused and rejuvenated under a respected coach like Lovie Smith. 

Head coach John Fox and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio can get quality play out of Briggs again. Don't pay attention to scheme, Briggs can play in a 3-4 if needed. Former Bears All-Pro linebacker Brian Urlacher seems to think so as well. 

"I think Lance [Briggs] fits great in any defense," said Urlacher. "His instincts make him a great fit for any defense. The way he reads things, he reads things like a running back, which is good in a 3-4."

In a 3-4 scheme, the defensive linemen and linebackers play more two-gap technique. This requires more discipline as they are responsible for the A and B gaps.

Briggs' greatest strength in his career has been his ability to read and react to plays quickly. The Bears can line him up inside next to Jon Bostic to help the young defender read the gaps.

An underrated skill in Briggs' career is his ability to blitz. He has 15 sacks in his career and could be a menace once again from the middle or outside.

Over the past two years, Briggs has played in only 17 games due to various injuries. As long as he's healthy, it's a low-risk, high-reward move to bring Briggs back on a one-year deal.

If the Bears re-sign Briggs, it doesn't cost much money and they can still bring in a young impact player without having to throw him into the fire right away. 

The organization already fumbled when they mishandled Urlacher's situation, and Briggs likely wants to put his focus back on football, since his Double Nickel Smokehouse in California is currently averaging 2.5 stars on Yelp. 

General manager Ryan Pace is going to set a foundation based on success, hard work and pride.

Regardless of what has happened over the last few years, Briggs still embodies all of those qualities. Bring him back for a year, let him finish his career in Chicago and allow him to be a meaningful bridge to a new generation of good Bears linebackers.  

To some people, being a dedicated fan of the Chicago Cubs can seem like a struggle at times. Years—even generations—have come and gone without experiencing the long-coveted celebration of a Cubs World Series championship.

For Ernie Banks, there was never a bad moment in being a Cubs fan. It was always wonderful. He realized to the fullest that being a Cubs fan was a privilege and a joy every single day. Sure, there were difficult times, but all of those struggles would make that inevitable World Series championship that much sweeter.

Most Cubs fans have been waiting 'til next year. Ernie always believed this was the year.

Born to Eddie and Essie Banks on January 31, 1931, Banks grew up in Dallas as the second-oldest of 12 children. It was clear even from his youth that he was a talented athlete, as he was a three-letter athlete in high school—although none of those sports included baseball.

It wasn't until he was discovered in a church softball league that Banks' baseball career would finally begin. However, it didn't take long for it to really take off.

Just three years after Jackie Robinson left the Negro Leagues and took off the Kansas City Monarchs uniform to break the color barrier in baseball, Ernie began playing with the Monarchs before signing with the Chicago Cubs and breaking the color barrier on the North Side of Chicago.

Twenty years later, he broke another barrier by becoming the first black man to manage a major league game.

Ernie was an inspiration to millions of fans regardless of their race, beliefs or even who they cheered for. Perhaps no other ballplayer played the game with such appreciation and respect. Even more importantly, he showed just as much appreciation and respect to every single person he encountered.

Despite the 512 home runs, the Gold Glove and the MVP Awards, Ernie Banks saw himself as just a normal human being until the day he passed. He never gloated about his accomplishments on the field, nor did he boast about his off-the-field accomplishments.

In 2013, Ernie was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor bestowed upon an American citizen. After finding out that he would be receiving the honor, he gave us perhaps the best advice that anyone can give: "Do something with your life."

Boy, did Ernie do something with his life, and it wasn't just playing baseball. He served in the U.S. Army, played for the Harlem Globetrotters and broke color barriers. In a world and game where true heroes can seem hard to come by, Ernie never failed to be a good example of how to live one's life. 

Go ahead and Google "Ernie Banks." Take a look at the images of him. Notice anything? 

He's smiling in just about every picture—even in action shots during a game.

It's a shame that Ernie never got to see his beloved Cubs win the World Series, but he'll still be with all of us Cubs fans when they finally do win it all. He will certainly never be forgotten in the world of baseball and the world as a whole.

Many of us Cubs fans reading this never got to see Ernie play, but we all know his highlights and career. We've all heard the legendary Jack Brickhouse yelling from excitement as Ernie rounded the bases for the 500th time in his career. Most of us have walked by and admired the statue of Ernie with a bat in his hands and a smile on his face in front of Wrigley Field, a fitting tribute to Mr. Cub.

That alone is a perfect example of just how great a person is; even 45 years after his career ended, Ernie Banks was still in our daily lives. Every time we would walk into Wrigley Field or turn a Cubs game on WGN, we were reminded of just how much Ernie contributed to the team, game and our lives.

Take Ernie's advice: Do something with your life. And while you do it, make sure there is a smile on your face and a Cubs hat on your head. Take joy in being a Cubs fan and being on this earth.

No one had more joy in being alive than Ernie Banks. Though he may be gone, his No. 14 will forever fly at Wrigley Field, and his accomplishments and examples will never be forgotten. The world lost the greatest Cub on January 23 and an even greater person.

Thank you for teaching all of us how to live, play and smile every day, Ernie. Now put on those blue pinstripes; it's time to play two.

NFL free agency can be an opportunity to grab a proven impact player who can help bolster one side of the football. Given the Chicago Bears' recent defensive struggles, it's New England Patriots free safety Devin McCourty who should be their No. 1 target this offseason. 

Before addressing why McCourty is the best fit, we must look at why it's wise to pass on Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and Kansas City Chiefs outside linebacker Justin Houston. 

Both Suh and Houston are terrific defensive superstars, but they come with a hefty price. 

Suh wll be looking for a contract in the neighborhood of Bucs defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. He signed a seven-year, $95.2 million contract extension in October of last year. 

Houston's teammate Tamba Hali makes nearly $11.5 million and Houston will look for about the same.

Those figures are just too much for the Bears to take on right now for one guy. They have to look into spending money smart and not so freely. 

McCourty is not only the more economical option of the impact defenders, but he's also the most realistic to get and fits a major need. At 27 years old, he's a smart investment going forward. 

Looking at the 2015 cap hits at safety, per Spotrac, the Bears can possibly bring in McCourty at a shade under $10 million a year.  

Over The Cap projects the Bears to have $27.644 million this offseason. This allows the Bears to bring in McCourty and still allocate money to other areas of need on the roster. 

New defensive coordinator Vic Fangio likes to run an attacking 3-4 scheme specializing in relentless pressure around the line of scrimmage, looking to force turnovers and create points. 

Force turnovers and create points? Enter McCourty who has 17 career interceptions in five seasons. 

As Fangio puts together a front seven looking to disrupt the line of scrimmage, he has to trust his corners more in man coverage and have a single high safety who can provide help over the top. 

San Francisco 49ers free safety Eric Reid has seven interceptions in the last two seasons in Fangio's defense. McCourty can provide even better range than Reid in the same system. 

Free safety is a more glaring need on this roster than defensive tackle or outside linebacker. Jay Ratliff has experience playing nose tackle in a 3-4, the Bears have a group of linebackers who can step up under Fangio's tutelage and the NFL draft has a deep group of interior defensive linemen and outside pass-rushers to fill the void. 

Pairing McCourty with Ryan Mundy would give the Bears a solid veteran tandem. Outside of cornerback Tim Jennings, the Bears have a group of young corners who will greatly benefit from experienced players around them in the back end. 

In the past, former general manager Phil Emery looked to land the biggest fish on the market whether he was a team fit or not. New GM Ryan Pace is now responsible for correcting Emery's mistakes including ones of free spending. 

Instead of spending a good chunk of available money on a position that can be addressed in a smarter, more economic way, the Bears should bring in McCourty who's entering the prime of his career and build in front of him. 

This Chicago Bears roster needs to be retooled. Coming off a five-win season, the team needs an influx of talent, and one way to get it is to bring in the right pieces in free agency. 

Under former general manager Phil Emery, the Bears added hefty contracts, including Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall, Jermon Bushrod, Martellus Bennett and Jared Allen. 

What can the Bears do to clear some cap space and bring in better players? While some might point to trading Jay Cutler, the better answer is using the sit-back-and-wait approach. 

Cornerback Charles Tillman, linebacker D.J. Williams, linebacker Lance Briggs and defensive tackle Stephen Paea are coming off the books this year.

Those players alone open up more than $12.5 million. Paea is a candidate to return to the team after a solid season, but the others are likely gone. 

According Over the Cap, the Bears are committed to a little over $110 million next season. Next season's NFL salary cap is projected to go from $133 million to somewhere between $138-141 million.

If those numbers hold up, the Bears will have a little more than $29 million in cap space. That's more than enough to bring in quality players to fit the culture and scheme a new head coach will bring in. 

The Bears can save a ton of money by trading Jay Cutler. He's owed $15.5 million next season, but if they move him before March 12, they will only be on the hook for his prorated salary of $4 million. 

Moving Cutler isn't the answer, though. Given the limited options in free agency and the draft, the Bears are better off holding on to him through 2016 and finding a head coach who can optimize his talent. 

Releasing Cutler would be a nightmare, as it would cost the team nearly $20 million against cap. 

Anybody who's upset with Emery for signing Cutler clearly hasn't seen Allen's cap hit next year. The defensive end is owed $12.5 million despite having a subpar year in 2014. 

What the Bears need to do is stop the free spending. They need to let go of the days when they blindly threw money at a player just to try to fill a hole. By the way, how's that Lamarr Houston deal looking going forward? 

The key to this offseason is finding a general manager who can bring in solid talent without breaking the bank. No one free agent is going to turn this team into a contender, so there's no need for the Bears to invest all their money in a big fish. 

Kansas City Chiefs executive Chris Ballard is rumored to be the favorite for the Bears GM position, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports:

He was part of a Chiefs team that saw a great turnaround in Andy Reid's first season largely by adding midlevel veterans and drafting well. The Chiefs added 30 new players in 2013 and went from a two-win team to an 11-win team. 

When it comes to this offseason, the Bears need to spend smart and avoid trying to win the first day of free-agency headlines. It certainly didn't work for Emery, and it won't get this team back into the playoffs.