I’m not getting greedy, believe me.  I’m still basking in the glow of the greatest day in the history of Chicago Bears free agency.  But the club still has two distinct needs that must be addressed by the start of the 2010 season: interior offensive line and safety.  Guards can be found in the later rounds of the draft.  Impact safeties cannot. 

O.J. Atogwe, currently under contract with the Rams, is a restricted free agent and the best option available.  Dan Pompei breaks down effectively what the Bears would need to do to acquire him:

…if another team signs him, the Rams would not be due compensation
because of the low tender they used. But the Rams can match any offer
to Atogwe until June 1. After that they have to pay him approximately
$7 million for one season or lose their right to match.

The Bears probably need to offer a creative deal with a poison pill and a big paycheck.

The Bears might not have a paycheck big enough to give after Friday. But he could be the player who makes the difference.

The Bears don’t need to stack the back line.  They can make due with a combination of Al Afalava, Craig Steltz and Kevin Payne at one of the safety spots.  They need a center fielder.  Someone to stop the ten yard gain from going the distance.  Atogwe would be ideal.

Darren Sharper also makes a ton of sense for an organization operating with a “Win Now” attitude.  Sharper’s contract talks have been slow-developing with the Saints and with the Giants now out of the race, the price tag may be dropping significantly. 

Then there’s my wildcard: Donte Whitner.  I had planned to write a full column dedicated to both Whitner and ex-Jet Kerry Rhodes – two players with maximum potential and inconsistent performance.  My Bills fan friends (and I have a few) claim Whitner’s benching was more the product of an absent-minded Dick Jauron than poor safety play.  Now Whitner’s future in Buffalo seems bleak and his acquisition may only cost the Bears a late-round draft pick.  The Bears have spent their money on sure-things.  This might be the time to take a shot.       

And today I’m writing to encourage optimism.  For those of you who are incapable of optimism, how about restrained pessimism?  If you haven’t watched the press conferences, I recommend you give them a shot.  I did.

Julius Peppers believes, even if incorrectly, that he’s stepped on the main stage.  The North Carolina born and raised phenom seemed in awe of Chicago – its history and heritage.  He looked wide-eyed when talking about Soldier Field and playing with “Lach”.  Any thoughts that Peppers would appear me-first or above-the-team exited my mind immediately.  Peppers doesn’t have Tommie Harris’ ocean-sized chip on his shoulders.  And that’s refreshing.

Chester Taylor looked angry.  Angry that after a 1,200 yard season in Minnesota he was replaced as the starting running back.  He also looked like he is going to spend the next six months wrestling the starting running back job away from Matt Forte.  He had a lot of Thomas Jones in him. 

Brandon Manumaleuna is gigantic.  (He’s a blocking tight end.  What do you want from me?)

Bourbonnais just got exciting again.  September just got exciting.  Somehow they did it.  And I don’t have any problem admitting this: I’m really, really glad.    

From PFT:

Chester Taylor will stay in the NFC North.

The former Viking agreed to a four-year, $12.5 million contract with Chicago, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.  $7 million is guaranteed in the first year.

The Bears are just getting their checkbook warmed up, with a deal for Julius Peppers on the way shortly.  

Taylor’s contract, like the one for Kyle Vanden Bosch, includes a lot of front-loaded money in the uncapped year.  

Look for Taylor and Matt Forte to split up the workload in Chicago next season.  Both excel on passing downs; now the Bears just need to find someone that can block for them.

Somewhere, LaDainian Tomlinson is wondering why he can’t get any love.

Read the full story on PFT.

Neil Hayes of the Chicago Sun-Times reports that Peppers is taking a physical in Chicago and a signing is imminent.

The only question left is how much money Peppers will earn.  Hayes hears that Peppers will earn $12-14 million-per-year over six years, which is actually less than we imagined.

It’s all about the structure.  We’d be surprised if Peppers doesn’t get the most guaranteed money for a defender in league history.

Julius Peppers

From the “Too Good to Be True” department comes news that Julius Peppers’ agent has proclaimed a Bears’ deal with his Pepper something of a foregone conclusion.

Jerry Angelo has a history of getting the guy he wants right at the start of free agency and it seems Peppers will be no exception.  We may have an announcement as early as the morning.

Players are free to sign with teams as of 12:01 AM ET.  I’ll stay out of the way and let you guys discuss the goings on, joining in up here should the Bears make a big splash. 

3/4 9:00 pm
The Bears are rumored to be negotiating with Antrel Rolle’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus.

3/5 12:15 am
The Bears are reportedly coming out swinging for Julius Peppers.  The Seahawks and Eagles have withdrawn from the derby.

3/5 12:25 am
Bears out of Antrel Rolle race.

3/5 12:47 am
The Bears are now the leader in the clubhouse for Julius Peppers.  I’m a bit surprised.

It’s a journalistic trick, you see?  Something New York baseball writers have been doing to the Mets for a decade.

The New York Jets are cutting Thomas Jones – the finest Bears offensive player since Neal Anderson – and the move is not sitting well in their locker room.  Jones is coming off the best year of his terrific career and will certainly earn one more lucrative contract in the 2-3 year range.  (He’s 32 and organizations take that over 30 running back thing very seriously.)

The Bears have missed him desperately.  Jones was the leadership on the offensive side of the ball, vocal in the huddle and passionate on every play.  He carried a team with a stable-at-best quarterback to an unlikely Super Bowl appearance.  It is no coincidence that Jones’ arrival in New Jersey marked a much-needed turnaround in the organization’s offensive philosophy and physicality.  Overnight they went from a struggling unit to the best running team in the league. 

Will the Bears want him back?  If they are as committed to the run as they claim to be the answer is a shouted-from-the-rooftops “Yes!”  TJ, in tandem with Matt Forte the way he was with Shonn Greene, would give the Bears a toughness and versatility they sorely lacked in 2009.  It would also allow Mike Martz to line Forte up out wide, creating yet another mismatch with his excellent pass-catching skills, and still force defenses to respect the run.

But more than that, Jones would provide another voice in the huddle.  A leader’s voice.  Someone to give Jay Cutler the business should he throw a couple untimely interceptions.  If there is an intangible knock on #6 that I agree with it’s that his laid-back demeanor can often give the fans an impression of lethargy from the entire unit.  With TJ back in the huddle, that becomes an impossibility.  Jones won’t let Cutler shrug his shoulders and lower his head.  He won’t let players leave anything on the field.

Dueling personalities and the Chicago Bears have worked in the past, most notably on the sideline of a certain mid-80s group.  Jerry and Lovie might want to give it another shot.