Henry Melton, considered one of the top free agents the Bears wanted to re-sign, has now been tagged by Chicago for this season. The tag means that he will make almost 8 and a half million dollars this season, unless a longer-term deal is agreed upon. Right now, the Bears have him tagged in order to avoid negotiations, as they have other fish to fry this coming off season. First and foremost, they have to figure out what to do with Brian Urlacher, and whether or not they can afford him, among others.

The tag means that the Bears currently have $12 million to spend on their other free agents or possibly free agents from other teams. Along with Urlacher, the Bears want to re-sign Israel Idonije, Nate Collins, and possibly the most important one, Nick Roach. Roach has been tabbed as Urlacher’s replacement in Chicago, but the Bears do not know if they have enough cap space to afford bringing him back. Roach has stated he wants to come back at the right price, and that might not be possible. Melton’s deal means that while the Bears can avoid negotiations, they took a heavy cap hit by giving him almost 40% of their available space. Bears fans, is this a good move? Leave your thoughts below in the comments section on the current Chicago Bears situation.

With Brian Urlacher set to hit free agency and questions abounding in the Bears organization about the future of the team, we look to the upcoming NFL Draft to see where the Bears will go. Many people have suggested Manti Te’o, but that has been disputed for both the questions surrounding his unusual situation last month and how he would fit in their defensive scheme. There are certain questions about his ability to cover the middle of the field in passing situations, a must in the Tampa 2 defense.

Other suggestions have been Georgia’s Alec Ogletree and LSU’s Kevin Minter, but other issues have arisen with both of them. Minter is not seen as being able to consistently cover the middle either. Ogletree has all of the physical tools but has many character questions for issues off the field. Ogletree was arrested for a DUI just last week, and was suspended for the first four games last year because of things that happened off the field. Other options are available at #20, and we want to know what you think the Bears should do. Post your suggestions below to let us know what you would do.

Photo by: Icon SMI

One of the more disappointing stories in the NFL has finally come to a close this week, as former Chicago Bears wide receiver and returner Johnny Knox decided to hang up his cleats and retire from the game. At only 26, the Bears and Knox both hoped for a long career that would provide big plays and excitement. However, Knox’s career was cut short in 2011 after he suffered a devastating back injury against Seattle. In that game, he fractured a vertebra and was forced to have surgery and rehab.

While ultimately he hoped to return, Knox soon realized that all the therapy in the world would not get him to his original form in enough time to rejoin the NFL and keep his career alive. Knox walks away from the game way too early, and now the Bears are left looking for another wide receiver and playmaker to fill the void he leaves. Knox also suffered nerve damage, and decided that now would be as good a time as any to call it quits, with enough time and physical strength left to determine for himself what the next chapter holds in store. The Bears and fans are disappointed, but ultimately it’s refreshing to see a player that decides his safety comes first, and that is an important lesson from this story.

Despite missing the playoffs for a second straight season, the Chicago Bears have raised their ticket prices once again. This time, the prices were raised by an average of 4.2%, after being raised by 9.2% leading into this year. This means that since 2009, the ticket prices have gone up by 30%, and are now among the most expensive for season tickets in the NFL. Even though the Bears have not put out a playoff caliber product for the last couple of seasons, and all but once in the last 5, the prices go up regardless.

How do you feel about this, Bears fans? Although Chicago has been a mainstay in NFL history, and is among the most storied franchises for its championships and the legendary Soldier Field itself, the Bears have not performed up to expectations in recent memory. Should the Bears compensate for this and appease the disgruntled fans by lowering prices or at least keeping them the same? Leave your thoughts below on how you feel, especially if you have been to a game recently and have had to pay these exorbitant prices.

Hall of Fame quarterback Steve Young spoke out recently in support of newly hired Bears head coach Marc Trestman. Trestman, who was the offensive coordinator for Young in San Francisco in 1995 and 1996, was hired to replace Lovie Smith, after coaching in the CFL and winning back to back championships there. Young believes Trestman is ready for the pressure of being a coach, and that he will elevate the level of execution and quality on offense that the Bears have not had in a while.

Young also hopes that Jay Cutler will flourish under Trestman. He believes that if Cutler puts in the work and does the “boring” stuff for the next few months Cutler can emerge as a great quarterback, now more than ever. This is a ringing endorsement from one of the best quarterbacks of all time, and a 4 time Super Bowl champion to boot. Hopefully Cutler can heed his words, and the Bears will benefit from his success. Stay tuned for more Bears news, and enjoy the Super Bowl!

The Bears offseason opens with some serious free agency questions, mostly regarding the defensive side of the ball. Several Chicago mainstays are up for free agency and may be looking to score a big deal with another team. The Bears do not have a lot of cap space to pay market value for all of their free agents, so some big decisions and potentially letting go of players might be in order.

Several of these free agents have been with Chicago for a long time. The most notable is Brian Urlacher, a member of the Bears for 13 years. His backup Nick Roach, who filled in for him at the end of the year when Urlacher was hurt, is also a free agent and may be headed elsewhere. Meanwhile, two mainstays of the defensive line are also free agents, as Israel Idonije and and Henry Melton could be heading elsewhere. Melton had the best season of the two, but if Idonije comes at a low price the Bears could bring him back as well. There are a couple of offensive free agents as well, including guard Lance Louis, wide receiver Johnny Knox, and running back Kahlil Bell, but above all the defensive free agents are more important. Stay tuned for more Bears news, including free agent moves and additions to the coaching staff as well.

After a long and thorough search for a new head coach, the Chicago Bears gave the position to former CFL head coach of the Montreal Alouettes Marc Trestman. Trestman has led the Alouettes to back to back Grey Cup titles, or the CFL’s equivalent of the Super Bowl. Before that, Trestman was an offensive coordinator for North Carolina State, and was an assistant coach for several NFL teams for 20 years before that. Trestman has the necessary experience to lead the Bears back to the playoffs, and many Bears fans and players have been satisfied by the decision.

Along with Trestman comes more coordinator and assistant coach news. The Bears also hired two of Trestman’s assistants in Montreal to be the tight ends and assistant defensive line coach: Andy Bischoff and Michael Sinclair, respectively. In addition, the defensive coordinator vacancy was filled by former Jacksonville Jaguars coordinator Mel Tucker. Tucker turned the 28th ranked Jaguars defense in 2010 to make them the 6th ranked defense in 2011, and inherits a group of veterans and talented defensive players. The coaching changes should make this offseason interesting for the Bears, so stay tuned for more Chicago Bears news as the offseason rolls around.

Once again, Bears fans, it is time to voice your opinion on a crucial Chicago Bears question: who should be the Bears’ next head coach? With Lovie Smith now out of the equation, Chicago now has to look in a different direction and potentially learn a new system yet again. Unless they promote a coach from within the organization, there will be another system to be learned. The range of coaching options extends from current positions coaches to coordinators to head coaches and even retired head coaches. The list is extensive and we want to know about which coach you feel is right for the position. So like last time, in the comments section post who you think is the best fit for Jay Cutler, the defense and dealing with the expectations that come with coaching one of the most storied franchises in NFL history.

Should it be Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy? Cutler seemed to enjoy playing for him in Denver. Cutler also has expressed his admiration for current Houston Texans offensive coordinator Rick Dennison. Dennison could fit in well bringing in his heavy running style to Matt Forte and Michael Bush. Cutler is better equipped than Matt Schaub has been showing lately, so this selection seems to be a popular one among fans. They could go with other coordinators, or possibly current CFL head coach Marc Trestman of the Montreal Alouettes. Or perhaps they will reach out to former head coaches such as Bears legend Mike Singletary, or Super Bowl winning coaches like Jon Gruden or Bill Cowher. Again, let us know what you think and how you want the Bears to move into a new era.

Hey guys and gals, it’s your turn to voice your opinions on what should happen to the Bears roster, ownership, and coaching staffs this offseason. The Bears have already taken action to correct their recent slump and lack of postseason appearances in firing coach Lovie Smith. Now the Bears have to look to a new coach and coaching staff, and get acquainted with his system. What else should happen with the roster? Should the Bears keep Jay Cutler around? How about Devin Hester? All of these questions and more must be addressed going forward if the Bears want to find themselves back in the postseason in 2013.

Hester has hinted towards retirement, and the future of Brian Urlacher remains in question. What should the Bears look forward to at the NFL Draft? Leave your opinions in the comments section underneath this post, and let us know what changes need to be made, what improvements you saw, and how you feel about 2013. Thanks again for reading bears360.com, and as always, enjoy your week and happy New Year!