In this upcoming offseason, the Chicago Bears will have a lot of major decisions to make regarding their roster for 2016. Some of those big decisions have a lot to do with re-signing their free agents. The Bears have a total of 22 free agents (18 unrestricted and four restricted). Of all of these players, several stand head and shoulders above the crowd.

Jarvis Jenkins, Shea McClellin, and Tracy Porter all were starters on defense. On the offensive side of the ball, Zach Miller proved to be worth keeping due to his big plays. And Matt Forte showed that he can still produce at the age of 30. However, the one player that Chicago can’t afford to lose the most is Alshon Jeffery.

Despite playing only nine games in 2015, Jeffery finished the season with 807 receiving yards and four touchdowns. In addition, his average of 89.7 receiving yards per game was eighth in the NFL. Jeffery’s output this year as the Bears’ No. 1 receiver in a limited role should give Chicago’s coaches and fans a reason to be optimistic.

Doing whatever is needed to keep Jeffery in the Windy City should be top priority for general manager Ryan Pace. Let’s not forget that Pace invested a seventh overall pick on wide receiver Kevin White in last year’s draft just so that Jeffery would have a dynamic pass catcher to complement him in the passing game. Not re-signing Jeffery would only defeat the purpose of why Pace drafted White in the first place.

Furthermore, the possibility of losing other weapons in the Bears’ offensive arsenal should give Pace more of a reason why Jeffery should continue to don a Bears uniform. There is still speculation that tight end Martellus Bennett could get traded in the offseason, and there’s a strong chance that Forte will be playing elsewhere in 2016.

Not only would keeping Jeffery sustain some of the Bears’ firepower on offense in the event that Bennett and Forte depart, but it will also help quarterback Jay Cutler build on what was arguably his best season as a pro. Next year will bring the sixth offensive coordinator Cutler will have played under in eight years in Chicago. Keeping Jeffery, his go-to receiver, would give Cutler some much-needed familiarity in the passing game.

With over $55 million of salary cap space to play with in the upcoming offseason, it would appear that the Bears shouldn’t have a problem offering Jeffery enough money to persuade him stay in Chicago. I really don’t think that Pace will be foolish enough to let him slip through his grasp. All in all, expect Jeffery to be with the Bears for the next several years.