Bears biggest needs being dictated by their own free agents

INDIANAPOLIS - The Bears' greatest needs for 2019, right now, are special teams, safety, cornerback, tight end and running back, in that order, and with the operative phrase being right now.

While there may be as much or more talk about running back or tight end as the other spots, that the Bears do not currently have starters at strong safety, nickel corner, placekicker, punter or long snapper under contract has to dictate those needs, and the first adjustment to the list will come when we know what Chicago's plans are for its own free agents.

Should the Bears choose to re-sign Adrian Amos and/or Bryce Callahan, two of their main needs will fall off the list, but we've learned very little from talking with Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy here at the combine as to what they might be thinking about those two.

It is well documented that mitigating factors here for the Bears are a lack of salary-cap room with which to maneuver and no draft picks in the first two rounds, but Pace said he isn't worried.

"Yeah, we're good," Pace said Wednesday. "We knew going into this that the cap space was going to be a little bit more limited than it has been in years past.

"But we can still accomplish our offseason goals, and we have a plan in action for that."

The Bears' general manager then threw in a caveat that should cause us to pause and take notice.

"I think we're always being mindful, too, of potential extensions down the road as well."

Should the Bears determine that extending or keeping players like Cody Whitehair, Jordan Howard, Roy Robertson-Harris, Danny Trevathan or Aaron Lynch is important, it becomes extremely difficult to retain either Amos or Callahan.

Nagy did talk about the ever-growing significance of nickel corners, saying: "It's such an important position with so much being played right now and these four-down fronts.

"You've got to be able to have a guy that can play in that slot, that can cover a wide receiver that's a good route runner, that can do things underneath, but he's got to be a tackler coming off the edge to be able to blitz and make different tackles.

"The market is going up for those type of guys. It's a hybrid position."

It's an excellent analysis by the Bears' head coach, but what do we make of the fact he never mentioned Callahan?

Is it also a meaningful tell that the Bears were aggressive in re-signing Bobby Massie.

We know Nagy is an "offense guy" and he's very pleased with Pace for getting that done.

"Credit goes to Ryan and his guys for building that unit there now," Nagy said. "And then also for Mitchell, it's that trust factor for him, that confidence in knowing all the communication that goes on with that front line of how to do things. So I'm looking forward to it."

We have to note, too, that even after the Massie signing, the Bears' cap is still heavily skewed to the defensive side of the ball, and after this season - while still having minimal cap room - they'll have to start thinking about what to do about Mitch Trubisky.

Pace acknowledges Callahan's injury history is also a factor.

"That's part of the task and challenge that we have.

"I think there are so many things that factor into a player's contract. Those are all factors in Bryce's contract and we're working through that."

What should happen next?

Between Callahan and Amos, the former is the better and more valuable player, and there is reason to think that playing next to first-team All Pro Eddie Jackson, either Deon Bush or Deandre Houston-Carson can fill Amos' spot.

The Bears will bring in inexpensive competition for first-year kicker Redford Jones, and Patrick O'Donnell and Patrick Scales won't be that expensive to re-sign or replace.

Depth and competition at running back and tight end will be easier to find in the draft than free agency.

It seems most likely right now that the Bears' plan is to keep an open dialogue with Callahan, while addressing all their other needs through the draft and with young free agents in the vein of an Akiem Hicks or Massie.

• Hub Arkush, the executive editor of Pro Football Weekly, can be reached at harkush@profootballweekly.com or on Twitter @Hub_Arkush.