The Hall of Fame is, of course, every sports highest plateau, and voting players in it can become very tricky. Often the first things we look at are numbers. We compare numbers to other players at the position that are in the Hall of Fame and see if they stack up.

Another thing we look at is the individual and team accomplishments. How many MVPs did that player win or Pro Bowls did he make? Did he win a Super Bowl? Did he increase his game when it mattered and did he play better in the bigger games? Other important thing includes, did he make his teammates better? Anybody can put up impressive statistics it’s the great players that make their teammates around them better. That’s what members of the Hall of Fame do.

When players are mentioned for the Hall of Fame, they are normally players that have had a huge impact at a certain position. They dominated that position for several years and are considered one of the greatest at that position. That's when things get a little tricky when it comes to somebody like Hester.

Hester is a wide receiver for the Bears offense, but his numbers are nowhere near being worth mentioning. In five seasons he hasn't had one year where he had over 800 receiving yards and only has 13 receiving touchdowns in his career. Even at the young age of 29, those numbers don't look to improve much at all as he's really not a sure-handed option.

This obviously means if he was to make the Hall of Fame, it would be for his accomplishments as a return man. This is where many have problems with entertaining the thought of him being in the Hall of Fame. Should somebody that contributes mainly in special teams earn the same respect as a player that contributes on every single play they're on the field? No player in the history of the game has ever reached the Hall of Fame as a return man, should Hester be the first?

If it's going to be anybody, it should be Hester. He's only been in the league for six seasons and he already holds the record with an amazing 12 punt returns for a touchdown. He averages nearly 13 yards a punt return and is also tied for the record for punt return touchdowns with four in a single season. He's also 16th all-time in punt return yards with 2,654. At 29 years old and averaging 424 punt return yards a season, he could easily push Brian Mitchell's all-time record of 4,999 punt return yards.

He's only returned 146 kicks in his career, but is tied for fourth all-time with five of those being returned for touchdowns. He's only three away from tying Josh Cribbs for the most kickoffs returned for a touchdown in NFL history.

What makes these numbers even more impressive is that often many teams refuse to even kick to Hester. Making it that much more difficult to produce and limiting his opportunities to add on to his already impressive resume.  

If Hester isn't considered for the Hall of Fame, simply because he's mainly a special teams contributor, then why should special teams remain part of the sport? Denying him a spot into the Hall of Fame as a return man would basically say that special teams isn't really an important part of the game of football, which we all know simply is not true.

So many games are won nowadays on special teams and field position. Nobody flips the field the way Hester does for the Bears. In fact, 16 of Hester's touchdowns either gave the Bears the lead or tied the game when they were trailing. That's a very valuable weapon to have on your team if you asked me.

Players that make an impact on the game and are one of the greatest at their position should be considered for the Hall of Fame. That goes for kickers, punters and long snappers as well. All of those positions should be considered.

The question is should a specialist as great as Hester actually be voted in? Well, that's where things get a little tricky.

Randy Chambers is a B/R Featured Columnist that covers College Football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or Randy.Chambers7@yahoo.com

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The Bears were going to use Hester, who came out of college as a cornerback, as their return specialist to replace Jerry Azumah and Bobby Wade. Many fans initially criticized the decision to draft Hester because they wanted the Bears to draft offensive prospects high in the draft.

I guess they didn’t know that Hester was going to help the Bears' offense exponentially without even playing snaps there.

In his first game in the NFL, Hester returned a punt for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers. This set the tone for what was a ridiculous season in 2006.

Hester returned a clutch 83-yard punt for a touchdown in a game against the Cardinals, a then-NFL-record-tying 108-yard return on a missed field goal by the New York Giants and two kickoffs for touchdowns in a game against the St. Louis Rams.

He was a big reason the Bears made it all the way to the Super Bowl in 2006, and he even scored a touchdown on the opening kickoff of said Super Bowl. After that, the Colts purposefully kicked away from Hester, and that really limited the Bears’ return opportunities throughout the rest of the contest.

After his remarkable 2006 season, Hester has continued to be the league’s best return man. Even though he had a drought in 2008 and 2009 of not returning a single touchdown, that was because the Bears were trying to incorporate him into the receiver position and they gave Daniel Manning the kickoff return duties.

Even after the 2008 and 2009 seasons, Hester has returned to form the past two years with many more return touchdowns. He is still playing receiver and isn’t always on kickoff return duties, but he is definitely still an elite punt returner in the NFL.

After re-reading the title of this article, many people are probably asking why the Bears would trade Hester. Well, that is a good question because it is very unlikely that the Bears actually trade their elite returner this offseason.

However, there are some things to think about when it comes to the discussion of letting go of Hester.

We all know that Hester is definitely the best return man in the league, and he is probably the best all time. Every time he steps back to receive a kick, one of three things usually happens.

Hester will either return the kick, which is always good news for Chicago, watch it go out of bounds or let it be a touchback. All of those things set up the Bears’ offense nicely, and it makes Hester’s value that much greater, even when he is not actually returning the kicks.  

However, a big reason Hester’s impact is so important is because the Bears' offense lacks playmakers. Too many times between now and 2006, the Bears have relied on Hester to get them in either good field position or to net them six points. That’s not necessarily the reason to trade; it’s just saying that if the Bears had weapons on offense, they wouldn’t need to rely on Hester.

This lack of offense is a big reason Hester is still playing wide receiver. The Bears have lacked a true number one receiver for a long time, and they were hoping Hester could re-create what he does on punts on offense.

So far, that experiment has been unsuccessful. Hester has shown that he is not a reliable receiver over these past few seasons, and that’s why getting an elite receiver this offseason is a top priority for Chicago.

If the Bears got that receiver, it would make their offense so much better. They should be looking to form an offense that’s centered around Jay Cutler and Matt Forte, with plenty of options across the field for Cutler to throw to. Hester cannot be one of those targets next season, for the Bears are going to want to get Vincent Jackson, Dwayne Bowe, Michael Floyd, maybe Justin Blackmon if they trade up, or…

DeSean Jackson.

This is where we get to the real reason to trade Devin Hester.

DeSean Jackson is a free agent this offseason after an inconsistent season in Philadelphia last year. He basically held out for a new contract in 2011 by not going over the middle on routes, not being as physical as he usually is, and lacking effort on some plays. Why would the Bears want to bring this guy in?

Well, he still is a great player. He is lightning fast, just like Hester. He has crazy agility and quickness, just like Hester. He also is one of the best punt returners in the league, just like Hester. He is listed as a wide receiver on the depth chart, just like Hester.

What is not just like Hester about Jackson? He can actually play wide receiver, unlike Hester.

Jackson would come in to Chicago and instantly become (not including other upgrades at WR the Bears might make) the top target for Jay Cutler. Cutler has the strongest arm in the NFL and loves to throw the deep ball. Jackson is a player that can out-run the defense and provide Chicago with a great big play threat.

He’ll simply out-run the defense and beat his man deep on multiple occasions if he comes to the Bears. This is what they thought Hester could do, but it just never materialized. The Bears could even bring in both DeSean Jackson and Vincent Jackson if they wanted to, but a more likely scenario is drafting a wide receiver instead of signing two.

But why would the Bears trade Hester after signing Jackson? They wouldn’t have to, obviously, but a big part of Jackson’s game is that he is a game-breaking punt returner. If you trade Hester and sign Jackson, Chicago isn’t losing their game-changing ability in the return game. You can argue that Hester is better than Jackson in the return game, and you are probably right, but with DeSean Jackson the Bears will still be elite.

So you can trade Hester and not see the loss of the Bears' sick return game, but what else is there to gain? Two things.

First, you obviously get whatever some team is willing to pay for Hester. Hester is in the prime of his career at the age of 29, and he is the best return man in the game. Some teams are going to jump at the opportunity to grab him. But how much are they going to pay?

Obviously, you trade him to the team with the best offer, and that is always hard to predict. There’s a chance the Bears can get a second round pick for Hester, but a more likely scenario is seeing him traded for a third-round pick (maybe a third and a sixth rounder).

Or, the Bears could see if they can trade him for a player. They can try to get a quality corner or a good lineman to add some needed depth to their team. Obviously they wouldn’t get Darelle Revis for Hester, but they could get a good player that can be a third or a fourth cornerback. This could be useful to the Bears since both Tim Jennings and Zachary Bowman are free agents.

I would rather trade Hester for the draft picks, though, and if the Bears are lucky they can get a second round pick for him.

After receiving some draft picks for Hester, the last thing this scenario would bring to Chicago is an upgrade at receiver.

I hope you realize by now that trading Hester revolves around the Bears wanting to sign DeSean Jackson. If they can do that, then the Bears would be getting the player that they thought Hester could be: an elite punt return man that has the ability to make huge plays for his quarterback as well. Jackson has proven he can do that throughout his career, while Hester has shown he lacks in the receiver department.

The opportunity to add a playmaker to the Bears' offense and have an additional second- or third-round pick in the draft this offseason is a pretty good opportunity.

The Bears would trade Hester for the draft pick, and they wouldn’t lose the ability to house every punt because they would sign DeSean Jackson. Jackson would also be the playmaker in the passing game the Bears have been waiting for.

Obviously, Jackson has holes. He dropped a lot of passes last year, and he's not a physical receiver.

However, that's only assuming the Bears have the opportunity to go out and get better receivers. I don't think anyone would actually complain about the Bears signing DeSean Jackson if Vincent Jackson and Dwayne Bowe both got signed elsewhere. And they shouldn't, for DeSean is one of the league's best playmakers.

This article was not written to say that the Bears should trade Hester this offseason for whatever they can get and then roll with it. The point of this piece was to explain a way in which the Bears could really improve this offseason without giving up a whole lot.

What Hester brings to the table in the return game is special, and what he has brought to Chicago so far in his career will never go away. I mean, we’re talking about a return specialist that may be voted into the Hall of Fame someday. That is pretty remarkable.

Yet, as great as that all is, the Bears have a lot of goals this offseason, and one of them is to improve the consistency of the offense so that they don’t need to rely on Hester. A way to do that was explained in this article, and the point of it was to promote discussion on whether it was a good idea or not.

Maybe people out there have better ideas, different views, or flat-out disagreement of the opinions in this article, and that’s okay.

However, trading Devin Hester this offseason when he’s at one of highest value levels in his career is something to consider.

As long as they can sign DeSean Jackson, the Bears will only miss what Hester did back in 2006, not what he could have done in 2012. 

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OK, technically, team president Ted Phillips picked Emery, but Phillips also said during the search process that the new GM candidate would be required to retain Smith and would have to work well with him.

In other words, Lovie gets to pick the new GM.

Hiring a new GM who is impotent regarding hiring/firing the head coach upon joining the organization is not a true GM. Rather, he is a pseudo-GM—at least until he acquires that authority over the head coach.

Some point to Green Bay Packers GM Ted Thompson being forced to ride with Mike Sherman at head coach for one year. Thompson immediately jettisoned Sherman once the coach's required one-year residency was up, and Thompson found a tremendous replacement in Mike McCarthy.

But that's exactly the point. Why force the GM to wait a year before removing a head coach? Why not let him have the authority to find a tremendous replacement now?

And don't even get me started on the so-called "Passing Game Coordinator" that the Bears are currently seeking—and unsurprisingly no one seems to want.

This kind of organizational dysfunction perhaps explains why the Bears' list of candidates contained no one who would draw fist pumps. Apparently, no truly worthy candidate wanted the Bears' lame GM job.

So Phillips' list of candidates wasn't a "Who's Who" but just "Who?"

Shrugs and raised eyebrows for everybody!

San Diego Chargers director of player personnel Jimmy Raye. Um, who?

Jerry Angelo buddy Tim Ruskell. Also known as Tim Angelo. No thanks.

New England Patriots director of player personnel Jason Licht? According to the Chicago Tribune, he was probably relied upon for "information gathering" as opposed to making actual personnel decisions.

My personal top choice, Packers director of college scouting John Dorsey, was apparently never considered.

The best candidate on Phillips' list, New York Giants director of college scouting Marc Ross, inexplicably didn't make the cut for the second round of interviews.

Instead, the second round came down to Licht and Emery.

So Phillips was choosing between a guy who was not involved in the Patriots' drafting successes and a guy in charge of the talent in AFC, ahem, powerhouse Kansas City.

Talk about deflating all the enthusiasm over Jerry Angelo's firing.

Some fans like Phillips' choice of Emery, although—surprise—no reason was given why.

Lovie Smith, who has failed to lead the team to the postseason in four of the last five years, is thrust upon Bears fans—and Emery—for one more season against their will.

I'm willing to give Emery a chance. The April draft is coming up. With an aging team and many needs, it would be stating the obvious to say this draft is critical for the Bears.

Unfortunately, Kansas City isn't exactly the model I was hoping the Bears would try to emulate.

Packers, yes.

Giants, yes.

The Chiefs? Not exactly very inspiring.

We'll see how Emery does this April.

Hopefully he can make the arrow turn back up. Because the team's arrow is so far down, it's best friends with the arrow on President Obama's approval ratings.

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Yep, my first-round pick for the Chicago Bears has changed yet again. But if you don't like my pick, don't worry, I'm sure this won't be my last one, the good Lord willin' and iff'n the creek don't rise.

Don't get me wrong—I am all for improving the offense. In fact, with a healthy Jay Cutler, good protection from the line and some weapons for him to throw to, I believe this team can seriously contend in 2012.

But if this draft has taught me one thing, it's that it is fairly deep in taller wideouts. And there is still no left tackle worth taking when the Bears draft in the first round.

So, don't "mock" me, but I am going back to upgrading the defense with the No. 19 overall selection.

Look, we need an immediate impact from our first-round pick, and while there are no guarantees with anyone, I feel that is more likely to happen on the defensive side of the ball.

Meanwhile, let's see where my journey takes us this time, into the land of future and opportunity. Or, as it's better known—the 2012 NFL draft.  

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The question, obviously, is how they can avoid that fate. To that end, they only have two options: Sign Forte to an extension, or use the franchise tag on him.

It's no secret that Forte would prefer to get a lucrative extension, but he went on "The Waddle & Silvy Show" on ESPN 1000 on Thursday and said that he would be cool with the franchise tag, but only if it were used as a means to an end.

"It depends on the motive of (the franchise tag)," Forte said, via ESPN.com. "If they are doing the franchise tag just to get more time in order to negotiate a long-term deal then I would be OK with it. But if it's just to hold me another year and just 'Let's throw some money at him right now to keep him quiet,' that's not going to solve anything."

Coincidentally, Bears president and CEO Ted Phillips said on Tuesday on the same show that the team has no intention of letting Forte become a free agent.

Forte certainly deserves an extension. He's rushed for more than 1,000 yards in two of his four seasons, and he would have shattered the 1,000-yard mark this past season if he hadn't gotten hurt at the end of the season. As it was, he racked up 1,487 total yards in just 12 games.

He was one of the best running backs in the league at the time he got hurt, if not the best.

Nevertheless, franchising Forte is the right thing to do here. Forte deserves better, but the Bears need to make a smart business decision.

Danny O'Neil of The Seattle Times pointed out on Thursday that there are two good reasons for Forte and fellow free-agents-to-be Marshawn Lynch and Ray Rice to be franchised.

The first has to do with the DeAngelo Williams contract. The Carolina Panthers inked him to a five-year deal worth $43 million last offseason, with $21 million guaranteed. That deal pretty much set the market for running backs, and it will be referenced by Forte's people.

To boot, Williams didn't exactly earn his money in 2011. It will therefore be easy for Forte to argue that he deserves more.

Secondly, O'Neil says the franchise tag for running backs is expected to be a mere $7.7 million this season. It was $9.6 million in 2011.

By using the franchise tag on Forte, the Bears can save a lot of money.

It's true the Bears would only be delaying the inevitable, but they really can't lose by franchising Forte. He's already demanding top dollar and that's not going to change no matter what he does in 2012. If the Bears want to keep him long-term, they're going to have to start cutting him huge checks either now or later.

However, if Forte underperforms or goes out and gets hurt again, the Bears can either try to drive down his price or let him walk as a free agent. 

If that's the path they choose to walk, hey, there are always more running backs. The Bears know this as well as anyone. They found Forte in the second round. They could find his replacement in the second round, too. They could even score with an undrafted free agent, like the Houston Texans did with Arian Foster.

The sad truth is that running backs are a dime a dozen in this day and age. When you realize that, $7.7 million for a year's worth of work isn't all that bad.

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Would he consider a move to Chicago, where he would team up with Jay Cutler and Matt Forte?

Ochocinco is scheduled to make $3.1 million next season, but the Patriots will probably void his contract unless he takes a big pay cut.

With that being said, he could come very cheap and could turn out to be a solid addition to any team in need of a veteran wide receiver.

In New England he hasn't gotten into the flow of the offense and has fallen behind Julian Edelman and Tiquan Underwood on the depth chart. Ochocinco didn't even suit up for the AFC Championship game against Baltimore.

In 15 games this season, he reeled in 15 passes for 276 yards and one touchdown. Obviously those stats aren't very good, but Ochocinco clearly still has talent.

At age 34, he could bring the knowledge and consistency the Bears have been lacking for a long time at the wide-receiver position.

The Bears receiving core has Earl Bennett, Johnny Knox, Devin Hester and Dane Sanzenbacher under contract for next season. All of those players stand 6-feet tall or below.

Knox might not be ready for training camp due to a major back injury he suffered against Seattle in Week 16 of the season.

Bears offensive coordinator Mike Tice has made it clear that the Bears have to add some size to the position. New general manager Phil Emery has a liking to the taller receivers.

In Atlanta Emery found a gem in Roddy White and in Kansas City he drafted Dwayne Bowe and Jonathan Baldwin.

The Bears would like to find a gem like Roddy White or Dwayne Bowe at the 19th spot in the first round of the NFL draft, but adding a veteran like Ochocinco might not be a bad idea.

Devin Hester struggled to stay healthy this season with an ankle problem and was better being able to focus on the return game. Bennett and Knox are solid when healthy, but the Bears don't have anybody that scares defenses or even causes double teams.

At 6'3", Michael Floyd, who enjoyed two-straight 1000-yard seasons at Notre Dame, would be a steal at the 19th pick. He has dealt with alcohol issues, including a DUI, but claims that he is past all of that nonsense.

Would the Bears be willing to take Floyd at 19, even with all of his troubled history?

Another option would be 6'3" Marvin Jones from Cal. He isn't in the same paragraph as Justin Blackmon from Oklahoma State, who is a sure top-10 pick or even Michael Floyd from Notre Dame, but he is a solid receiver.

The Bears could wait to pick him in the second round, unless the receivers start to get drafted early on.

Jones enjoyed two-straight seasons of 700 yards or more at Cal.

Adding a tall, young promising receiver in the draft would be the first step to the Bears' improving on offense.

But would adding Ochocinco to the mix help even more? He's proven he isn't a big distraction anymore and would likely benefit from a full offseason learning the playbook.

Let's say the Bears select Floyd at 19 and sign Ochocinco. The receiving core for 2012-2013 would look like this: Bennett, Floyd, Knox, Ochocinco, Hester and Sanzenbacher.

That would be an improvement over what the Bears had this past season, right?

The Bears might decide to spend more money on the position, which more fans would be pleased to see, but if they can get a solid No. 1 in the draft and Ochocinco on a discount, then why not pull the trigger?

Don't be surprised to see the Bears go this route because free agents like Vincent Jackson, Dwayne Bowe and Pierre Garcon will be costly this offseason.

Jake Perper is the owner and head writer for Bearsbacker.com. He is also the Chicago Bears writer for NFLTouchdown.com. Follow him on Twitter, @Bearsbacker and on Facebook for up to the minute news about the Bears.

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Many Bears fans, who have been screaming for Chicago to take a wideout with their first-round pick, should be happy if the Bears are truly considering drafting Floyd. After all, he is tall (6'3") and fast, with good hands.

Draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. has the Bears taking Floyd in his first mock draft. And don't think that Floyd hasn't been thinking about the possibility, as ESPN's Jeff Dickerson reports.

"It's a great feeling just knowing that all the fans you have in Chicago, of course Notre Dame is so close and has so many fans in Chicago, it's a great feeling," Floyd said. "But you never know with mock drafts. I'm looking forward to this upcoming month and just showing everybody my talent and what I have to bring to an NFL team."

If the Bears do select Floyd with their first pick, how will he feel about catching passes from QB Jay Cutler?

"Jay Cutler is a great quarterback. He knows everything, and what I like the most, he's a leader on that team. He knows where to get the ball at times. He's a good judgment guy. I really like him for that."

Well, he certainly says all the right things. And that is important because for all of his talent, Floyd has been encumbered with some off-the-field issues.

He was arrested in the spring of 2011 for drunken driving. But, how quickly he falls in the draft will have more to do with how he performs at the NFL combine, especially since he missed the Senior Bowl with a rib injury.

Personally, I struggle with the idea of taking Floyd with the Bears' first-round pick. That is not due to the off-field stuff, or any lack of talent, however. He had more than 1000 yards receiving in each of his final two seasons in South Bend. 

Floyd caught 100 balls last season, good for 1147 receiving yards. He finished his career with a school-record 37 touchdown receptions.

Wide receiver is definitely an area of need for the Bears, but they have so many other needs. Meanwhile, there are other tall wideouts who should be available in the later rounds for the Bears to choose.

The main reason I balk at Chicago taking Floyd, though, is that I am afraid they will then refrain from signing a free agent such as Vincent Jackson.

I would much rather the Bears sign a veteran wideout like V-Jax and then draft a WR in Round 2 or 3. As much as I respect Floyd's talent, we need to win now, and a veteran would be a more immediate upgrade.

If the Bears sign a player like Jackson, or even Dwayne Bowe—new GM Phil Emery should be very familiar with the Kansas City free agent—they could then draft Wisconsin's Nick Toon, LSU's Rueben Randle or Appalachian State's Brian Quick in Round 2 or 3.

That way, they could draft a pass-rusher like South Carolina's Melvin Ingram or the top 4-3 OLB, North Carolina's Zach Brown, with their 19th pick.

Don't get me wrong—I would be thrilled for the Bears to have a potential No. 1 receiver for a change. And that could very well be Floyd.

But I have other plans, that's all.

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When the Chicago Bears began their general manager search, the one thing written in stone was that Lovie Smith would be their coach in 2012. That meant anyone who agreed to take the position could not make a coaching change until after the year played out.

All through the process, it was said that whoever was hired as the GM would have complete authority over the football operation, including firing Lovie Smith after the one-year moratorium.

But listening to Bears president Ted Phillips on Waddle and Silvy on ESPN 1000 in Chicago Tuesday morning, I'm starting to think Lovie has a lifetime job, and that the new GM is just a figurehead.

During the interview, Phillips was asked why the Bears insisted on keeping Lovie. He made the usual rhetoric, that he thought Lovie was a good coach. That didn't surprise me, but what he followed up with did.

What Phillips said seemed to contradict the autonomy the new GM supposedly has. "What we want to have is that Lovie gets a contract extension after this because he has a successful season."

On the Tribune Live Show on Comcast Sportsnet Chicago Tuesday, he again flexed his muscle when talking about running back Matt Forte's contract.

When asked about it, he said, "Where I see it headed is Matt Forte is going to be a Chicago Bear, at least for 2012. We'll sit down before we have to make that decision on the franchise tag, and talk about what we should do, how we should go about it, and how we should approach Matt."

There's a lot of we's in there. I thought Phil Emery was hired to run the football part of the operation, but it looks like Phillips is going to be more involved than we thought.

I understand the question was addressed to him, but shouldn't he have said, "Phil Emery will be making those decisions. If he decides to keep him, he will come to me to discuss the financial arrangements of the deal."

As for Smith, it seems anytime he has success with the Bears, he is rewarded. Anytime he fails, he gets a pass.

After the 2006 Super Bowl appearance in which the Bears lost, Smith was rewarded with a four-year extension paying him over $20 million dollars.

What followed were three years of failure. The Bears never reached the playoffs during that time, but Lovie was never on the hot seat.

After the 2009 season, it finally appeared people would be held accountable, including Lovie, if they didn't make the playoffs in 2010.

Fortunately for him and Jerry Angelo, everything went right for the Bears and they went to the NFC Championship Game.

As usual, the Bears extended Lovie an additional two years even though he still had a year left on his contract.

After the expected failure following his extension, Angelo took the hit, while Lovie, as always, came out smelling like a Rose.

Not only was he still the coach, but the new GM had to embrace him and understand Lovie's philosophy.

Based on Phillips comments, it sounds like any success by the Bears gets Lovie another extension, and not making the playoffs gets him another year because that is what's left on his contract.  

So he gets a two-year window to make the playoffs before the Bears possibly decide to part ways with him.

Until that happens, expect to see Lovie's smug smile for at least a few more years.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

As for the new guy in "charge," it sounds like he'll be able to relate to an oldie but goodie by James and Bobby Purify called, "I'm Your Puppet."

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Admit it, Bears fans: Some players we put on a pedestal even though their stats didn't match up to the hype. Or, perhaps, they were part of a great team and got more than their fair share of accolades.

But regardless of why, even a staunch, die-hard Bears supporter such as myself has a difficult time being totally objective when talking about my favorite Chicago sports teams.

Now, there is little doubt that when you talk about the Chicago Bears, you are talking about one of the most storied franchises in all of sports.

Sometimes players are known for having been on television a lot, or having been associated with winning teams. Alternatively, they were tough and played the game the way many fans like their Bears to play.

So, as a result, we tend to overvalue those players. Heck, even the so-called experts can be fooled. One of the players on this list is in the Hall of Fame.

Recognizing that, I am asking you to leave your fandom at the door, and enter my world of the most overrated Bears of all time. Be sure to let me know what you think.

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Luckily for them, All-Pro DE Julius Peppers from Carolina was a free agent. Jerry Angelo decided to make a huge splash by signing the free agent to a lucrative contract.

Two years later, the Bears have decided to part ways with Jerry Angelo.

However, new general manager Phil Emery, who used to be the Chief’s director of college scouting, may want to start off his tenure with the Bears by continuing to dip into the free agent pool.

While the Bears hired Emery to help out in the scouting department and the draft in April, it’s not like he won’t be asked to know what to look for this March.

The Bears have a few positions this offseason that they are going to want to upgrade, whether it be through free agency, trades or the draft.

This article will evaluate different options for Chicago in free agency that could fill team needs.

Just so there aren’t any surprises, the team needs that I have listed for Chicago are OL, backup QB, WR, DE and CB.

To find out who may be able to fill those needs for the Bears in free agency, read on. 

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