FanHouse JoshBullocks

While those truly following the Bears' every move this offseason know the defensive backfield is a much greater concern than wide receiver, the masses are left trying to figure out who newly acquired quarterback Jay Cutler will be throwing to (the sheep can now insert, "no one!" and feel good about themselves).

After all, the leading receivers -- in terms of catches -- last season were running back Matt Forte and tight end Greg Olsen. Devin Hester was the top wideout, with 51 catches and 665 yards. Rashied Davis caught 35 balls, but no other wide receiver in training camp caught a single NFL pass in 2008.

With the departure of Mike Brown from the Bears, a hole was left in the Windy City secondary. Adding Josh Bullocks via free agency and drafting Al Afalava in the sixth round of the draft don't appear to be answers. With the roster seemingly set for the 2009 season, the Bears will have to find a free safety starter in-house. They have many cornerbacks, so moving one to safety could work well.

After wrapping up the first rookie mini-camp, Lovie Smith discussed some of the options.

Who moved to the head of the NFL class during the draft? Find out with FanHouse's team-by-team 2009 Draft Grades.

When the Bears made one of the biggest offseason splashes by trading for Jay Cutler, they were left without a first-round pick. Many Bears fans would argue this was a blessing in disguise, considering general manager Jerry Angelo's rocky history with first-round picks (David Terrell, Cedric Benson, Rex Grossman, Michael Haynes).

Still, there were more needs than just quarterback on this team for the near future. Would Angelo be able to fill all those holes with a bunch of second-day draft picks?

As he heads into his 13th season, Darren Sharper knows that he doesn't have many years left in his NFL career. He's not as much of a playmaker as he used to be, and the Vikings were OK with letting him go. But he probably has enough left to give the Saints secondary a big boost in 2009.

The Saints offense was one of the best in the league in 2008, thanks to Drew Brees. The defense was one of the worst in the league thanks in part to safeties Kevin Kaesviharn and Josh Bullocks. Even in the twilight of his career, Sharper should give the Saints a much steadier center fielder who has always had a knack for making big plays--he leads all active players with 54 interceptions.

A week ago I took the Bears, specifically general manager Jerry Angelo, to task for their utter lack of activity this offseason. Wednesday, they actually signed a free agent. The problem is that he's an outcast from one of the worst secondaries in the league. Welcome to Chicago, Josh Bullocks. I direct you to the comments section of the Sun Times' announcement of this transaction to see how disgruntled the fan base is with the front office.

In reality, Bullocks has likely been signed as a backup or part-timer. He's now the only free safety on the roster. Whether an additional signing is made, or a free safety is drafted, he won't be alone at the position in 2009.

Because the NFL season never ends, we present our 2009 Offseason Roadmaps for front offices to navigate through the summer.

Gregg Williams hasn't informed a free agent decision for New Orleans yet, hasn't hand-picked the inevitable defensive playmaker the Saints choose with their 14th-overall selection this year, hasn't installed a single scheme in a minicamp. Yet Williams' reputation has preceded him to the Crescent City, and his hiring as defensive coordinator is already considered one of the most important moves in team history.

After almost two decades of guaranteed defensive putridity, the last three of which have revolved around Gary Gibbs' lack of talent identification and bland scheming, the idea of Williams and his history of intelligent, hard-working, active, complex defenses coming to the Superdome is music to the ears. It also might finally push the Saints over the top.

Franchise tags and salary-cap concerns play a very important role in real-world wheelings and dealings, but what if the biggest-named free agents were matched with the teams that gave them the best chance to make a Super Bowl run? What would that list look like? Glad you asked.

Yes, this is a strictly fictional account, one that requires you to suspend reality for the next few minutes. But, hey, it's the NFL offseason, which means that there won't be any meaningful football for another seven months. What else do you have to do?

Don Banks says the Saints' defense might be the most improved unit in the league in 2008. He obviously wrote that before the team's loss to the Texans on Saturday night, a game in which the Saints' defense looked exactly like the one that took the field last year. And that's not a compliment.

The team's pass defense was ripped apart, with both the front and back four failing to hold up their ends of the bargain. The impression was so accurate that it came right down to the biggest victim, Jason David, who gained the bad kind of notoriety last year for his atrocious play. Though it should be noted that rookie second-rounder Tracy Porter was similarly abused.

There are, of course, the typical caveats -- it's just the preseason, the team was missing starters in defensive tackle Brian Young, corner Mike McKenzie, and safety Josh Bullocks, and it was Porter's first NFL game action after injuring his hamstring earlier in training camp. And yes, those should be considered. But they're not good enough excuses, especially since this isn't a new set of problems. It's the same problems that have plagued the team for the last two years.

The Saints are considered NFC contenders for the second year in a row. If they want to live up to that billing, unlike last year, they're going to have to figure out a way to stop the pass.

NFL Offseason Roadmap is a series focused on the needs of NFL teams as they begin the offseason.

1. Defensive Tackle/Linebacker/Cornerback. I know this reeks of a cop-out, and I guess you're right. But every time I think that the Saints need one of these positions over the others, I change my mind. On one hand you've got defensive tackle, where Hollis Thomas, the only true nose tackle, is 34 and playing year-to-year. He's consistent against the run and pass, but can't play a full game anymore. The rest of the tackles are just adequate, and starting 3-tech Brian Young's a free agent who probably won't be back. Then there's linebacker, which features just two players, because middle linebacker Mark Simoneau has no impact whatsoever. Scott Shanle ain't no prize, neither. Finally, there's cornerback. The crew, outside of Mike McKenzie, is terrible (admittedly, with faint hints of promise). And McKenzie's torn ACL should keep him out until October at earliest. So you decide which is worse off.

I don't expect the Saints to go after any of the marquee free agents at these positions, but I wouldn't be surprised to see under-the-radar signings like Corey Williams or Drayton Florence. Most of the improvement will come in the draft. I'm all for Sedrick Ellis in the first, even if the Saints have to move up a few spots from 10 to get him. This is a deep draft for linebackers, which is helpful, and good young corners like Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie will be available after the first round.