If you caught our final Sunday of Bears Pre- and Postgame Live on Comcast SportsNet, you may have seen the graphics that included some of the potential free agents hitting the open market this off-season. Dan Jiggetts, Jim Miller, Lance Briggs and I didn't get a chance to dive into those options too deeply, so if you missed it, here's a list of some of the defensive players we showed. We'll do a separate post later this weekend for offensive players. We narrowed these lists of players to those 30 years old or younger, with the linemen and linebackers having played on teams using a 3-4 base.
| DEFENSIVE ENDS | TEAM | 2015 SALARY (MILLION $) |
| Muhammad Wilkerson | Jets | 7.0 |
| Letroy Guion | Packers | 2.5 |
| Cedric Thornton | Eagles | 2.4 |
| Andre Branch | Jaguars | 1.6 |
| Jared Crick | Texans | 1.6 |
| Malik Jackson | Broncos | 1.6 |
| Derek Wolfe | Broncos | 1.4 |
Wolfe and Jackson are second- and fifth-round picks from Fox's 2012 draft class in Denver, collecting 5.5 and 5.0 sacks, respectively this season, showing they can get to the quarterback on top of their assignments to free things up in the trenches for their linebackers to make plays (more on that below). Wilkerson had another monstrous 12-sack season, but broke his leg in the season finale. Branch (4.0 sacks this season) is a former Clemson teammate of Jarvis Jenkins.
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| DEFENSIVE/NOSE TACKLES | TEAM | 2015 SALARY (MILLION $) |
| Terrance Knighton | Redskins | 4.0 |
| Damon Harrison | Jets | 2.4 |
| Ian Williams | 49ers | 1.5 |
| Jaye Howard | Chiefs | 0.66 |
Knighton played for Fox in Denver, as well, before signing a one-year deal in Washington. His impact should never be diminished, but he's 29 going on 30. The Jets (who drafted Leonard Williams last April) have to choose either Wilkerson or Harrison, whose stats don't do justice to how the 6'4, 350-lb. undrafted free agent shuts down the run. Ex-Notre Damer Williams has a history with Vic Fangio, but has struggled with injuries, while Hroniss Grasu can tell you all about Howard, who had 5.5 sacks. Eddie Goldman is almost certain to be the future at this position, but should the Bears feel he's capable of moving to end to make room for one of the above, these are outstanding options.
NFL
| OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS | TEAM | 2015 SALARY (MILLION $) |
| Von Miller | Broncos | 9.7 |
| Mike Neal | Packers | 4.25 |
| Nick Perry | Packers | 2.4 |
| Courtney Upshaw | Ravens | 1.7 |
Pretty slim pickings here, since Miller's almost certain to get at least franchise-tagged, while Neal and Perry have never lived up to hopes and expectations in Green Bay. Upshaw's not the type to keep heads of opposing quarterbacks on a swivel (2.0 sacks this season). If Willie Young and Lamarr Houston aren't seen as long-term options, this might have to be addressed through the draft, or pursue 32-year-old Tamba Hali of the Chiefs on a shorter-term deal, as Kansas City hopes to make room for Dee Ford while dealing with money issues on this side of the ball (further below).
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| INSIDE LINEBACKERS | TEAM | 2015 SALARY (MILLION $) |
| Sean Witherspoon | Cardinals | 3.9 |
| Demario Davis | Jets | 1.7 |
| Danny Trevathan | Broncos | 1.6 |
| Keenan Robinson | Redskins | 0.765 |
| Michael Wilhoite | 49ers | 0.660 |
| Brandon Marshall | Broncos | 0.585 |
Fox's two inside `backers in Denver led the Broncos with 109 and 102 tackles. Trevathan added two interceptions and six passes defensed. Marshall is a restricted free agent. Both guys do exactly what the Bears desperately need at the position. The Jets also must decide how rich to make Davis amidst all their other decisions, and Fangio threw Wilhoite into the fire in 2014 and he responded as the Niners linebackers were ravaged by injuries.
| SAFETIES | TEAM | 2015 SALARY (MILLION $) |
| Eric Weddle | Chargers | 10.0 |
| Eric Berry | Chiefs | 8.4 |
| Tashaun Gipson | Browns | 2.4 |
| Rashad Johnson | Cardinals | 2.1 |
| George Iloka | Bengals | 1.6 |
| Ricardo Allen | Falcons | 0.435 |
Weddle and Berry provide the track record, albeit with concerns. Weddle is 30 but is a leader and will have a huge chip on his shoulder to prove San Diego erred in not even trying to negotiate with him. Berry's amazing return from Hodgkin's lymphoma this season to return to Pro Bowl status has been unfortunately somewhat overlooked. Gipson combined for 11 interceptions in 2013 and `14, but slipped to just two this season. Johnson really emerged in Arizona, highlighted by five picks.
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| CORNERBACKS | TEAM | 2015 SALARY (MILLION $) |
| Sean Smith | Chiefs | 7.0 |
| Prince Amukamara | Giants | 6.9 |
| Jerraud Powers | Cardinals | 5.4 |
| Trumaine Johnson | Rams | 1.7 |
| William Gay | Steelers | 1.7 |
| Josh Norman | Panthers | 1.6 |
| Janoris Jenkins | Rams | 1.6 |
| Jeremy Lane | Seahawks | 0.700 |
Norman? No. A big payday looms either via a long-term deal with Carolina, or a franchise tag. The 6'3 Smith was instrumental in rookie Marcus Peters' outstanding rookie season at the opposite corner. The 6'2 Johnson has the size and has been a playmaker: seven interceptions this year, and 15 in his four years. He came into the league in the same Rams draft as the smaller Jenkins, who has ten career picks, three in 2015.