In the hype of free agency and the draft, many fans forget that you have to first, reward your own — something that Bears general manager Jerry Angelo feels very adamant about. With that said, the Bears are currently already in, or seeking to get in, contract negotiations with at least five significant players.

First on their list is defensive tackle Tommie Harris. The five-year veteran is in the final year of his rookie contract and, thanks to Raiders owner Al Davis’ complete lack of sanity, must garner more than Raiders defensive tackle Tommy Kelly did in his record-breaking contract. In case you forgot, Kelly got $50.5 million over seven years with $18 million guaranteed. Yeah, I know.

After they have locked up Harris, the Bears will then turn their attention to both middle linebacker Brian Urlacher and return specialist/wide receiver Devin Hester. Urlacher is said to be unhappy with the nine-year extension he signed with the team in 2002. He has four years left on that contract. Hester has two years remaining on his rookie contract and currently receives about $500,000 annually with no real significant bonuses. The Bears might be smart to work out a new deal before he becomes acclimated with the wide receiver position, something that would drive Hester’s value up even further and give credence to him seeking an even larger contract. If anything, at least, his contract would have to better Buffalo Bills’ wide receiver/return specialist Roscoe Parrish’s. Last December, the Bills gave Parrish an extension that included a $1.1 million signing bonus and base salaries of $1 million in 2009, $1.25 million in 2010 and 2011 and roster bonuses of $3.25 million in 2008 and $1.5 million in 2009.

An often forgotten or overlooked piece of the team puzzle is the kicker. The Bears feel like they have one of the league’s best in Robbie Gould. He is in the last year of his contract so expect the Bears to make a reasonable offer to him relatively soon. Continuing their “extension spree”, the Bears could consider giving defensive end Mark Anderson a pay raise. Anderson has far outplayed his rookie contract’s worth.

I would anticipate Bears management to get these deals done by no later than opening day. With $16 million in cap space – money made possible by not ridiculously over-paying to keep wideout Bernard Berrian – the Bears have the resources to make it happen. The biggest news this off season might not have anything to do with what new players join the team, but instead and maybe more importantly, what veterans commit to staying.