The Chicago Bears did what they had to do on Tuesday. GM Ryan Pace secured wide receiver Allen Robinson with the franchise tag, ensuring the 27-year old remains with the team for at least one more year. The goal remains to lock their star up long-term and this affords them more time to do so. However, that doesn’t mean their business is done. Much remains on the agenda just with their in-house free agents.

It is likely Robinson won’t be the only player they try to retain before free agency begins on March 17th. The question is who will they prioritize. More than 20 players remain without news deals. There is no way the Bears have enough money to keep all of them. It will come down to who they want to keep and who they have little choice but to let walk.

So who do they need to focus on? Here are the names in order of importance.

Chicago Bears should try to keep these guys if possible

#1 – Cairo Santos

There is nobody even close to him with Robinson take care of now. Santos was one of the best players on the roster in 2021. The Bears were plagued by kicking problems for years since Robbie Gould left in 2016. Then this 29-year old kid steps in as an emergency option for an injured Eddy Pineiro and just casually goes 30-of-32 on field goal attempts last season. The best single-season kicking performance in franchise history. Do the Bears really want to go back to search for another guy right when they found their solution? Probably not.

#2 – Germain Ifedi

He was never the star of the show, but Ifedi deserves mad respect for what he did last season. Started the year at right guard and held his own just fine. Then is forced to move out to right tackle because of injuries and didn’t miss a beat. His versatility was a huge part of the offensive turnaround that got Chicago to the playoff. Now with Bobby Massie being cut and Jason Spriggs a free agent, it might be in their best interests to keep Ifedi around. A lot of that will come down to whether he’s willing to stay at tackle or wants to go back to guard.

#3 – Tashaun Gipson

Probably one of the better signings Pace made in the past couple of years from a value-to-dollar standpoint. Chicago got Gipson for the veteran minimum and he ended up starting all year and was their best safety. He finished with two interceptions and was a constant presence against the run as well. A smart and reliable player who was around the ball a lot. Indications are he’d like to return. If he is willing to do it on the cheap, then the Chicago Bears have every reason to make it happen. Why go away from what works if the price isn’t prohibitive?

Cordarrelle Patterson with the HIT of the season!

This should not get flagged, it's a great hit, leading with the shoulder.

OBLITERATED the return man.

Great work as a gunner pic.twitter.com/BS7sCXtEEU

— Sam Monson (@PFF_Sam) December 15, 2019

#4 – Cordarrelle Patterson

This one is going to be challenging. Patterson wants to stay in Chicago. He’s made that clear. It won’t be easy though. He is still the best kick returner in the game and All-Pro once again. He can maintain the same price tag from two years ago without blinking. The problem is the Bears are in no position to afford it anymore. They can’t be throwing $5 million per year at somebody like him. Not because they don’t want to. Now if he were willing to bring it down? That might make it more plausible. This is a situation Patterson and his agent control.

#5 – Roy Robertson-Harris

The general belief here is Robertson-Harris will be leaving. He’s young, talented, and was playing well before his unfortunate injury last season. Expectations are he’ll have a pretty decent market. That shouldn’t stop the Chicago Bears from at least trying to retain him. Robertson-Harris is a good player and has value to their defensive front. With Akiem Hicks getting older, they should try to keep their younger guys whenever possible. He may get priced out of their range, but the pursuit should still be made.