jose m. osorio / chicago tribune

With free agency starting today at 3 p.m., the rumors are already flying about who will sign (and not re-sign) with the Bears this season. 

On the signing front,  the Sun-Times said the Bears are pursuing Dolphins tackle Jake Long, while FOX Sports says the team is after Saints tackle Jermon Bushrod. Now the Tribune is reporting that the Bears are interested in Vikings tackle Phil Loadholt. It's not too hard to spot the pattern.

The extreme interest in offensive tackles follows with what new head coach Marc Trestman has said in the past: Jay Cutler and wide receiver Brandon Marshall form the "nucleus of a very good football team," or so Trestman said to the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Beefing up the offensive line is just one part of Trestman's overall focus on Cutler.

And it needs it, too. The word porous may be the most overused adjective to describe the Bears' offensive line, but the pathetic pass protection has been an issue for the team for years.

Cutler may be the least popular quarterback in the NFL, but at least Trestman believes in him.

Now, the one piece of news you might want to really watch regarding the whole re-signing thing? The fact that Brian Urlacher and Nick Roach are about to be unrestricted free agents.

We'll find out this afternoon about the team's future for the 2013 season.