Fishbain: Salary cap analysis

[Aesopian]

Bears salary cap analysis: Allen Robinson, Kyle Fuller, more

Ryan Pace has a lot of work to do this offseason.

theathletic.com

Article proposes:

1. Hicks: Three-year, $40 million extension (modeled off Cam Heyward). $6.825M 2021 cap savings
2. Fuller: Three-year, $35 million extension (modeled off Joe Haden). $10.825M 2021 savings
3. Cut Graham: $7M 2021 savings
4. Cut Massie: $5.4M 2021 savings
5. Cut Skrine: $2.8M 2021 savings

Total: $32.8M 2021 cap savings

 

[WindyCity]

We would be extending a 350lbs DT until he was 35 years old.

Pace is going to leave us totally cap fucked when he is done.

 

[Luke]

cut hicks, sign a younger healthier DT at half the cap hit.

 

[fx1718]

We would be extending a 350lbs DT until he was 35 years old.

Pace is going to leave us totally cap fucked when he is done.

I dont think Pace writes for the Athletic.

 

[Pegger]

When Haden originally signed with the Steelers he was 27 years old, but coming off a lot of injuries. Since being in Pitt he's been good. Not great, but good. His recent extension was that of a 30 year who also missed time in both of his first two seasons with the Steelers and missed the probowl his last 4 seasons.

Just to compare, Fuller will be 29 next year, has played in ever game of his 6 seasons and despite not making the probowl this year (yet), he's been pretty awesome leading up to this moment.

Pretending Haden's 2 year old contract and hoping it will get it done is laughable.

He'll demand top 5 corner money (~$17M/year) and nothing less.

 

[circusboy666]

I agree with the article actually. We do not cut or trade Hicks. It’s stupid. There’s other ways to create cap space.

 

[Rob219_CBMB]

cut hicks, sign a younger healthier DT at half the cap hit.

fck no. trade Fuller?, cut JG, Massie and Buster.

 

[dennehy]

Fuller has been making $16m average for four years, why would he drop that down to less than $12 without testing the open market? He's only 29.

That would be a ridiculous extension for Hicks.

The cuts are no brainers.

 

[D.J. Moore]

Teams who cut players like hicks are not teams that get very far, hicks is still playing good and should not be cut.

 

[vabearsfan15]

Teams who cut players like hicks are not teams that get very far, hicks is still playing good and should not be cut.

Ummmmm.....he had one of his worst years as a pro this past season. Hicks has been a great player for us, no doubt,, but I think its reasonable to question whether or not he is worth 12 mil. We could save 10 mil by cutting him and you have to consider it.

Was it Pagano? Was it years of mounting injuries? Was it age? Was it the absence of Eddie Goldman? What was the reason for the decline?

 

[nc0gnet0]

Bears salary cap analysis: Allen Robinson, Kyle Fuller, more

Ryan Pace has a lot of work to do this offseason.

theathletic.com

Article proposes:

1. Hicks: Three-year, $40 million extension (modeled off Cam Heyward). $6.825M 2021 cap savings
2. Fuller: Three-year, $35 million extension (modeled off Joe Haden). $10.825M 2021 savings
3. Cut Graham: $7M 2021 savings
4. Cut Massie: $5.4M 2021 savings
5. Cut Skrine: $2.8M 2021 savings

Total: $32.8M 2021 cap savings

And how many players do the Bears have on the roster after these moves in this article?
Bears have an "effective" cap space of (-$11,337,883)

Effective Cap Space represents the maximum cap space a team will have when it signs at least 51 players to its roster for that season. That's assuming that the three players you just cut are replaced by players signed to league minimum deals (as well as any other player not currently on the roster).

it's hard to imagine a scenario where Replacing Massie, Skrine, and Graham don't cost the Bears at least 8-10 mil in cap for 2021. And that is getting pretty creative.

So subtract 20 mil from the 32.8M in "cap savings" and it leaves you roughly 12.5 mil.
Subtract another 1.5 mil to factor in money needed for the rookie pool (1.5 mil is the approximate value of players above league minimum).

You now hovering around 11.0 mil cap space.

 

[knoxville7]

Ummmmm.....he had one of his worst years as a pro this past season. Hicks has been a great player for us, no doubt,, but I think its reasonable to question whether or not he is worth 12 mil. We could save 10 mil by cutting him and you have to consider it.

Was it Pagano? Was it years of mounting injuries? Was it age? Was it the absence of Eddie Goldman? What was the reason for the decline?

ehh hicks had a solid year imo. That said, I do think it’s fair to question giving him an extension that pays that much going thru his age 35 season.

 

[Montucky]

Sometimes defensive linemen stay good into old age. Certainly more so than all but the most elite cornerbacks.

I love what Kyle Fuller has done since the Bears shrugged off the Packers attempt at a poison pill but I am wary of paying for him into his thirties. Jaylon Johnson can be a real stud if the Bears can keep him healthy and Kindle Vildor looked awfully good. Its really a case where one more year of Kyle Fuller sounds great, but much beyond that seems not worth the investment.

 

[dennehy]

Sometimes defensive linemen stay good into old age. Certainly more so than all but the most elite cornerbacks.

I love what Kyle Fuller has done since the Bears shrugged off the Packers attempt at a poison pill but I am wary of paying for him into his thirties. Jaylon Johnson can be a real stud if the Bears can keep him healthy and Kindle Vildor looked awfully good. Its really a case where one more year of Kyle Fuller sounds great, but much beyond that seems not worth the investment.

Fuller is two and a half years younger than Hicks.

Lots of corners are fine until they are 32, which for Fuller would be after four more seasons.

Hicks has already begun to deteriorate and his snap count is going to have to decrease to maintain effectiveness over the next couple years.

 

[Leomaz]

We would be extending a 350lbs DT until he was 35 years old.

Pace is going to leave us totally cap fucked when he is done.

Ted Washington was here at age 33/34 then went to New England and won a super bowl.
Played until he was 39.
Keith Traylor was here at 32/33/34 played until he was 38

 

[D.J. Moore]

Ummmmm.....he had one of his worst years as a pro this past season. Hicks has been a great player for us, no doubt,, but I think its reasonable to question whether or not he is worth 12 mil. We could save 10 mil by cutting him and you have to consider it.

Was it Pagano? Was it years of mounting injuries? Was it age? Was it the absence of Eddie Goldman? What was the reason for the decline?

No i agree that you have to consider it but whats not looked at here is the impact cutting a player like that would have on the locker room. There is a history of these types of cuts hurting much more then helping, and regardless of what people say signs point to them having a good locker room right now, or at least the defense and this could change that.

 

[Spitta Andretti]

Ummmmm.....he had one of his worst years as a pro this past season. Hicks has been a great player for us, no doubt,, but I think its reasonable to question whether or not he is worth 12 mil. We could save 10 mil by cutting him and you have to consider it.

Was it Pagano? Was it years of mounting injuries? Was it age? Was it the absence of Eddie Goldman? What was the reason for the decline?

We do know that we're worse without Hicks

 

[Spitta Andretti]

Ted Washington was here at age 33/34 then went to New England and won a super bowl.
Played until he was 39.
Keith Traylor was here at 32/33/34 played until he was 38

Hicks is a different kind of player

Washington was someone you just don't move. He didn't need to move like Hicks does

 

[doctorbear]

Loser Bears fans still desperate to keep together a shitty team. The team is not built to “re-tool.” It needs an overhaul

 

[vabearsfan15]

We do know that we're worse without Hicks

Of course, but the reality is that Cap space is getting really tight. Do you keep Hicks at the expense of not having enough cap space to sign ARob?

I dont think Hicks should be at the top of the list for the cutting block, but I have a hard time believing his contract will look the same going into next year. He needs to take a paycut or restructure+extend his contract to make room. But him getting 12 mil this year is a bit steep