Bears Brain Trust will go over each position and see how the Bears did. We’ll look at how the Bears finished in 2009, what they tried to do during the offseason, and how well they executed -- and if they should have done anything differently.

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The top free agent tackles were quickly franchised by their own teams; the Bears didn't have a draft pick until the third round; plus, they had more than a few holes outside of DT to fill. On top of limited chances to get better on the inside of the defensive line, the Bears have already invested a lot of money in the position, mainly in Tommie Harris.

Hoping that Harris is a top DT again, probably isn't the most reliable plan; the Bears didn't have a lot of choices, though. Let's breakdown the Bears offseason at defensive tackle.

Still here:
Tommie Harris, 19 tackles and 2.5 sacks in 15 games
Jarron Gilbert, top draft pick of '09 played in only four games
Anthony Adams, 36 tackles and 2.0 sacks in 16 games
Marcus Harrison, 16 tackles and 1.0 sack in 16 games
Matt Toeaina, played in two games

Out:
Israel Idonije, Lovie Smith says he’d like to lock Idonije in more at DE than DT

In:
Jimmy Saddler-McQueen, undrafted free agent
Averell Spicer, undrafted free agent

It’s going to be the same cast in 2010. If Tommie Harris is healthy, can he be effective? Or, is he simply not that good anymore?

2009 review: Real bad

Perhaps more disappointing than the Bears’ defensive ends were the defensive tackles. Tommie Harris’ play continued to fall, and as whole, the unit failed to make a difference.

Most, if not all of the blame could be placed on Harris, who according to ProFootballFocus.com, graded out as one of the worst defensive tackles in football last season. According to their grading system, Harris ranked 75th among the 87 DTs that played at least 25% of their team’s snaps. Teammate Marcus Harrison was one of the 12 players worse than him.

Based on those grades, the one bright spot for the Bears’ defensive tackles was Israel Idonije; however, Lovie Smith would like to lock in at defensive end (a more natural position for Idonije) more than previous seasons.

2010 offseason plan: No way out

There’s too much money invested in Harris and too many other problems that prevented the Bears from doing anything crazy in free agency about the deficiency at defensive tackle.

Hopefully, because Harris didn’t need offseason surgery for the first time in a long time, he’ll be a little closer to the old, difference-making Harris. Otherwise, the “overpaid” tag will stick with him. And again, him being overpaid will have hindered the Bears from looking for outside help.

Even if they wanted to look outside for help, there was no one on the market better than Harris ... if a healthier Harris means a more productive Harris. The top DTs were quickly franchised by their old teams and after that, the list of available tackles were of little interest to me. 

Here's a list of the top free agent defensive tackles.

• Vince Wilfork, franchised by the Patriots
• Aubrayo Franklin, franchised by the 49ers
• Ryan Pickett, franchised by the Packers
• Dwan Edwards, signed by the Bills; four years, $18 million
  
• Jason Ferguson, re-signed by the Dolphins; one year, $1.65 million
  

Execution: It’s pretty easy to do nothing

The Bears executed the sit-and-hope plan perfectly. The Bears took care of Harris in mini camp, hoping to preserve his health even more; and didn’t make the slightest move in free agency at this position. The only additions are two cheap, undrafted free agents.

Whether the execution works or not depends on Harris. Was Harris ineffective the last two seasons because he needed to undergo surgery before the season? Or is the fact that he’s had all of these injuries, which required surgery, done enough damage?