Hub Arkush: Wide receiver is obvious, but Bears have number of pressing needs

INDIANAPOLIS – Any successful NFL general manager or personnel director will tell you the NFL draft is where you go to search for the best talent available, while free agency is where you’re still focused on talent but you go to fill needs.

Failing to always draft the best player available when you’re on the clock is a recipe for disaster. With that being said, when you’re on the clock and you have multiple players with the same grades, but one matches a greater need, he can be your guy.

Evaluating the players under contract and then figuring out and prioritizing their needs has been an overriding theme of general manager Ryan Poles’ and head coach Matt Eberflus’ five weeks with the Bears.

With Allen Robinson, Marquise Goodwin, James Daniels, Jason Peters, Germain Ifedi, Akiem Hicks, Bilal Nichols, Alec Ogletree and Tashaun Gipson all free agents, it leaves them with nine of their 24 starting spots [third receiver and slot corner included] open.

When you factor in the switch from the 3-4 to the 4-3 defense, which means moving Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn from outside linebacker to defensive end, it creates an opening for another starting linebacker, making it 10 spots to fill before they can even think about depth and talent upgrades.

Throw in punter Patrick O’Donnell and return specialist Jakeem Grant also being free agents and upgrading the talent at cornerback and tight end almost becomes an afterthought.

Poles addressed the heavy lifting ahead Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

“It’s a big deal,” Poles said. “I mean we have, what is it, 26-27 free agents? So there’s a lot of spots we’ve got to fill, so that volume piece is important and it really comes down to our evaluation, to make sure that we’re right on there.”

The sheer volume of needs also complicates the evaluation process even with some of the most important building blocks for the future.

Asked whether linebacker Roquan Smith will stay inside or switch to the weak side Eberflus told us the team has not decided yet.

Then you have these important questions to answer. Is Nichols a natural three-technique? Is Daniels value greater at center or guard?

It is a safe assumption Peters and Ifedi won’t be back, but we know the hope is Teven Jenkins and Larry Borom will fill two of the three holes on the offensive line, but can they?

If Hicks is determined to move on, while a step down in class, the Bears can at least fill his spot with some combination of Angelo Blackson, Eddie Goldman and Khyiris Tonga, but there are currently no proven answers on the roster for the spots occupied by Robinson, Goodwin, Grant, Daniels, Nichols, Ogletree, Gipson and a third starting linebacker.

Poles was intriguing on the subject of Robinson, saying he thinks the lines of communication can be repaired.

“It’s communication, it’s establishing that things are going to be a little bit different. That’s a tough one to answer specifically,” Poles said. “I think it’s more of a fresh start for everyone.”

And when asked if we should assume A-Rob is gone, Poles said, “I’m not there right now, so we’re just going to keep working through that.”

Eberflus explained what he’s looking for at the three technique.

“You’ve got to be disruptive,” Eberflus said. “No. 1, you’ve got to win your one on one matchup, OK? And when they run zone away from you, you’ve got to be able to stay in the B gap. It’s that simple. But explosive athletic ability is the No. 1 trait.”

A number of scouts believe Nichols is a natural three-technique who has been hidden at times at the five technique in the 3-4.

Daniels is coming off his best season at guard. If you want to upgrade the center spot, his ceiling is even higher there.

It appears the minimum the Bears should do with their own people is re-sign Daniels and Nichols, try to mend fences with Robinson and see if they can get Ogletree and Gipson back on incentive-laden one-year deals.

Even if they can get all that done their greatest needs would still be one more starting wideout, one more starting linebacker, a punter and a return specialist. Then they could address upgrades at cornerback, on the offensive line [depending on where they line up Daniels], defensive tackle and much needed depth at tight end, safety, receiver and linebacker.