The Chicago Bears begin and end their planning for the next season with their defense, but it seems that even this far into the off-season, they’re a little bit thin when the interior of their defensive line is concerned, which means they might take a look at the remaining free agents and try and make a grab for either Richard Seymour or Casey Hampton.

Seymour has played for the Raiders over the last four seasons, quite successfully until last year he was held back by an injury that kept him out for 8 games. He was due to make around $13 million in 2013 if the Raiders wouldn’t have cut him, but with his dropping production and climbing age (33), there was no reason to pay him that much. Casey Hampton has hardly missed any games for quite a while, but he’s even older than Seymour (will be 36 when the season begins), and isn’t getting any signs that the Pittsburgh Steelers still want him.

The Bears do have their starters in place – Henry Melton and Stephen Paea. They’re got backups: Nate Collins and Corvey Irvin, while undrafted rookies Brent Russell, Zach Minter and Christian Tupou fight for another backup position. This reality brings plenty to assume the Bears might add a veteran to the mix in hope of solidifying the position.

It depends what the Bears are looking for. Seymour is the younger and more versatile player, but the Bears are loaded at defensive end, probably not bringing back Israel Idonije despite being still young enough to contribute, as his numbers have shown.

Hampton, at 36, will do what he’s done all through his 12 year career with the Steelers, winning two Super Bowls and winning another one. Clog the middle, which earned him five trips to the Pro Bowl. Seymour does provide the potentially more explosive option, but he will also be more expensive, and a lot of money is the last thing any team wants to spend this close to the beginning of training camps.