Business up front and a party in the back: A hearty welcome to Jared Allen and his magnificent mullet

The signing of Jared Allen makes the Bears a better team. And along with the signings of Lamarr Houston, Willie Young, and Ryan Mundy—and the re-signings of Peanut Tillman, Tim Jennings, and D.J. Williams—it makes me believe the Bears can win the NFC North.

That defense still needs some playmakers. We need another starting safety and another starting tackle. We need young depth at corner and linebacker where everyone that matters for the Bears is too old and everyone behind them too untalented. But if you can stop the run and get consistent pressure on the quarterback it can make all those problems seem like less of a problem. A defensive line that features Allen (Right End) Jerimiah Ratliff (Nose Tackle) Houston (Left End) with Willie Young coming in off the bench looks pretty good.

You take Pitt's Aaron Donald or even Florida State's Timmy Jernigan at #14 in the draft to play the other tackle spot and that line looks scary. That's a line that can bring it.

I don't hate Nate Collins at tackle. I just like him better coming off the bench.

A lot of people will want to take one of the safeties in the draft at 14. I could live with that. But I would rather have the lineman. If you're able to take care of your business upfront it almost doesn't matter what's going on back there.

Right, Jared Allen?

free agency 2014

Goodbye Julius Peppers, Devin Hester, Henry Melton, Earl Bennett, Michael Bush, Major Wright, Corey Wootton, Adam Podlesh, Eric Weems, Blake Costanzo, and Josh McCown.

Hello Lammar Houston, Ryan Mundy, Willie Young, M.D. Jennings, Jorden Senn, Domenick Hixon, Trevor Scott, Danny McCray, Derricus Purdy, Austen Lane.

Welcome back Charles Tillman, Matt Slauson, Tim Jennings, Roberto Garza, D.J. Williams, Israel Idonije, Nate Collins, Jordan Palmer, Kelvin Hayden, Taylor Boggs, and Sherrick McManis.

And all this after signing Jay Cutler to a seven-year contract extension. It certainly has been a busy offseason at Halas Hall.

Are the Bears better or worse than they were last season?

Right now it's hard to say. I like the additions of Houston, Young, and Mundy. It was tough to see Peppers go but I understand the implications of that type of salary cap number.

The one move I really don't understand is why the team prefers Israel Idonije to Corey Wooton, especially after GM Phil Emery's stated goal of getting younger on defense. Are they that concerned about the offseason hip surgery? Vikings didn't seem to be too concerned. Wooton had seven sacks in 2012 … or one more than new high-priced free agent Lammar Houston has ever had. I guess they didn't feel too good about what Corey did moving inside at tackle last season, and they like Idonije's flexibility there a little more. But I think Wooton could go on to have a very productive career at DE.