Ken Lucas to the Bears a Good Idea

The news that Orlando Pace paid a visit got most of the headlines, but the other free agent who visited the Chicago Bears on Monday, cornerback Ken Lucas, is the one who strikes me as exactly the type of player the Bears need to sign.

Like Pace, Lucas has some downsides: He's a veteran on the wrong side of 30 who was released by his former team in a salary-cap move. But I believe Lucas would be a better signing for the Bears because he's younger (he just turned 30 in January) and less prone to injury (he started all 16 games for the Panthers in each of the last two seasons).

Lucas would also likely cost significantly less money than Pace -- which is good, because the Bears haven't shown any interest in breaking the bank on free agents.

As it stands right now, the Bears' starting cornerbacks heading into the 2009 season are Nathan Vasher and Charles Tillman. But Lucas would have to be considered an upgrade over Vasher, who has been plagued by injuries the last two years and often ineffective even when healthy.

Lucas isn't a dominant shutdown cornerback, but he is a big, physical defender who would be a good fit in Lovie Smith's defense. This is a signing the Bears should make.