$54 Mil. How Would You Spend It?

benplace

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Its clear we need a tight end, put it all on Bradley Sewell and lock him in for the year!
 

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According to OverTheCap, the Bears have $17.3 mil in cap space. With the following departures, the Bears would wind up with around with around $54.3 mil to spend.
$13.2 Floyd
$8 Amukamara
$4.5 Gabriel
$1.2 Shaheen
$1.6 Braunecker
$0.7 Saubert

The problem with what you propose is that no team cuts all their players that are cap space friendly. They might cut 1-2, but they won't cut all of them.

From a business side it makes sense, but culturally you just can't be the team you creates cap space at every turn. Otherwise players will prefer other offers and/or agents will insist on higher guarantees if signing with your team. The only teams that do this are the ones going into full rebuild before the season starts and without a change at GM/HC it just isn't going to hapen.

In short, they won't have $54.3M to spend. Actually the whole premise of creating cap space hinges on Floyd. Without Floyd they might not even create $10M in space.

Maybe the exercise would be best assuming an extra $10M and go from there. Let's say you have $27M in cap space, then remember you want to have ~$5M for the rookies and another $5M left over 'in case', then what do you do with the ~$17M?
 

jive

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You are way too optimistic on some of these numbers -

- Haha will get more than that on open market.
- Nick Williams will get more on open market
- Deon Bush will likely get more on open market
- Graham Glasgow will get paid way more.
- Zadarius got 16.5 million last year after a season with 8.5 sacks...Bud's got 11.5 and is younger...he is getting more than 12 million a year.
You're probably right on some of these.
HaHa might get more, but he might not. He's solid, but not a world beater. I didn't think he'd sign for a 1 year $3 mil deal, but he did. He seems committed to playing with Jackson, so maybe there's a hometown discount. In any case, I don't think he's going to get a huge contract after this year.
Nick Williams might get more, but he's older and been a career backup. But, he provides solid depth, so I wouldn't mind paying a little more for him.
Deon Bush has shown flashes, as well as liabilities. He's also a career backup, and I doubt he'll get starter type of money. He might get a little more, but I don't think that much.
Graham Glasgow will probably get paid more, but I find it interesting that the Lions won't extend him even though he probably won't command a huge contract.
Bud Dupree, I was being too optimistic about. I was hoping for a low cap hit the first year, with salary increasing each year, but in reality it won't happen. He's probably going to get a contract in the 4 year $60-65 mil range. Pass rushers get paid a premium. But, I do think we can upgrade Floyd without paying that much more.
 

jive

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The problem with what you propose is that no team cuts all their players that are cap space friendly. They might cut 1-2, but they won't cut all of them.

From a business side it makes sense, but culturally you just can't be the team you creates cap space at every turn. Otherwise players will prefer other offers and/or agents will insist on higher guarantees if signing with your team. The only teams that do this are the ones going into full rebuild before the season starts and without a change at GM/HC it just isn't going to hapen.

In short, they won't have $54.3M to spend. Actually the whole premise of creating cap space hinges on Floyd. Without Floyd they might not even create $10M in space.

Maybe the exercise would be best assuming an extra $10M and go from there. Let's say you have $27M in cap space, then remember you want to have ~$5M for the rookies and another $5M left over 'in case', then what do you do with the ~$17M?
I don't think all would be cut only due to cap. I think the only person that actually fits that would be Akamura, since he can still produce. Shaheen is a bust, and should be cut for at least the roster space. Braunecker is just a guy, so he's very replaceable. The TEs have underperformed all season, and I don't see a reason to keep all of them. Gabriel is OK, but can be cut with the emergence of Miller.

I think most players understand that this is a business. I agree that cutting everyone just for financial reasons isn't good for the locker room, but I don't think keeping highly paid players that are underproducing on your roster is good for your locker room either.
 

dennehy

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The problem with what you propose is that no team cuts all their players that are cap space friendly. They might cut 1-2, but they won't cut all of them.

From a business side it makes sense, but culturally you just can't be the team you creates cap space at every turn. Otherwise players will prefer other offers and/or agents will insist on higher guarantees if signing with your team. The only teams that do this are the ones going into full rebuild before the season starts and without a change at GM/HC it just isn't going to hapen.

In short, they won't have $54.3M to spend. Actually the whole premise of creating cap space hinges on Floyd. Without Floyd they might not even create $10M in space.

Maybe the exercise would be best assuming an extra $10M and go from there. Let's say you have $27M in cap space, then remember you want to have ~$5M for the rookies and another $5M left over 'in case', then what do you do with the ~$17M?
$17mil now
Cut Prince, Gabriel, Long, Braunecker, Shaheen, Saubert, Levin (all pretty easy cuts imo): $25m.

Extend Robinson, drop his cap number by $5mil.
Extend Floyd (maybe), get $6mil.

Right there is $53mil. Could easily extend Hicks (only $3mil in guaranteed $ over two years) or redo Whitehair to clear more if need be.
 

Raskolnikov

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On a real copmliment to Mack at OLB for starters. With the Fitts bust, Irving step back, Lynch typical unreliable, and Floyd never playing up to #1 pick or salary...thats a hole thats been burning all season that needs to be a free agent pick-up.

I'd cut Prince and sign HaHa. Move Tolliver up and bring in cheaper competition via FA and the draft both, although our UDFA class was so good last year I might just go Tolliver and let a couple of those guys compete for depth. Tolliver plus a second round pick...accept that Prince has lost a second step and needs to move to safety or be cut. He is big enough he probably should be Pagano's hybrid nickel if you keep him.

I'd rather go get Wade Phillips and put some real pressure on opposition.

I've been calling for a third DT/NT for a while. We sadly saw the need this year.

Trevaithon at a discount or not. Give him the Urlacher offer.

Lowball Kwiatkowski.

Promote Iggy or draft one if necessary.


We need a LT/RT/RG...

We need a viable veteran QB to compete with Trubisky.

I'd make Antonio Brown a serious offer, but with lots of stipulations, a 24/7 handler, counseling, education classes, etc.

A goddamn fucking free agent TE is the other big whole that is burning.

OLB/TE/RT/LT/best QB you can sign/CB...well fuck we are dead.

and move Massie to RG, put him in a phone booth and he is Fluker or Iapati. What the fuck is he even doing at RT?
 

Splackers

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I’d give it all to Tom Brady with one condition and it involves Gisselle.
 

DC

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I'd buy Aaron Lynch another Big Mac and tell him to GET THE FUCK OUT.
 

WindyCity

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I would spend it on Brees or Birdgewater.

Whatever QB they cannot keep would be my starter.
 

kg1187

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I would spend it on Brees or Birdgewater.

Whatever QB they cannot keep would be my starter.

Agreed. Random second tier free agents only work out about half the time anyway. Might as well swing on the QB spot.
 

WindyCity

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Agreed. Random second tier free agents only work out about half the time anyway. Might as well swing on the QB spot.

They cannot keep them both. I will happily take the cast off.
 

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I would spend it on Brees or Birdgewater.

Whatever QB they cannot keep would be my starter.
Bridgewater, yes.

Brees, no.

I think Brees is the better player right now, but IMHO unless you are in a panicked 'win now' you have to look at 2020 and beyond.

I'm thinking both are looking for 2+ year deals. Bridgewater should be cheaper, but also want a longer term. I'm thinking that's the smart way to play it. He's 27 years old. Considering how his career looked early, his injury and his comeback there's a lot of upside you'll be getting.

For Brees there is no upside. At his age there's a lot of risk that you are taking on. When a player gets too old it's not like you can put them through an dementia test and you can reasonably assess the regression. They go from one season feeling great to the next year where the ~7 days between games just isn't enough time for the body to recover from an NFL game.

I'll use Peyton Manning as the reference point. In 2013, at the age of 37, 2 years removed from his scary neck/nerve surgery, he might have had the greatest statistical season ever for a QB. 5477 yards, 55 TDs and 10 Ints. For what it's worth his QB Rating was 115.1 and his QBR was 80.9. Some of those numbers are better/worse, but that was a completely awesome season to watch.

Anyway, the following season (38 years old) he was about on par with his career averages.

In his last year at age 39 he was...... broken. The season stats were by far the worst of his career (9 starts, 224.9 y/g, 9 TDs, 17 Ints) He couldn't recover from the weekly pounding (insert porn joke here) and without a world class defense or Brock Oswieler being able to be 5-2 they wouldn't won the Superbowl. In that final game he was sub par (141 yards, 0 TDs and 1 Int).

From the end of the 2013 season to the start of the 2015 season he went from having one of the greatest QB seasons ever to being a liability. The fall off is extremely steep. You can look at many greats like Favre, Montana (last year age 38), Marino, etc... That last year either ends with an injury or ineffectiveness. Keep that in mind with all the Brees/Brady talk and remember they will be respectively 41 and 43 next season (older playing age than any QBs I mentioned above). Add in that neither guy will be jumping teams for a one year deal and that's a lot of cap space you are committing for a long shot.
 

alexbear1

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According to OverTheCap, the Bears have $17.3 mil in cap space. With the following departures, the Bears would wind up with around with around $54.3 mil to spend.
$13.2 Floyd
$8 Amukamara
$4.5 Gabriel
$1.2 Shaheen
$1.6 Braunecker
$0.7 Saubert

Here's the Bears that are now free agents.
Danny Trevathan ILB
Chase Daniel QB
Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix S
Sherrick McManis CB
Aaron Lynch OLB
Bradley Sowell TE
Ted Larsen LG
Nicholas Williams DE
Kevin Pierre-Louis OLB
Cornelius Lucas LT
Patrick Scales LS
Brent Urban DE
TJ Clemmings RT
DeAndre Houston-Carson S
Nick Kwiatkoski ILB
Deon Bush S
Devante Bond ILB
Roy Robertson-Harris DE
Rashaad Coward RT
Isaiah Irving OLB
J.P. Holtz TE

Obviously, you can't re-sign them all, nor would you want to.

So you have $54.3 mil in cap space for 2020. How would you spend it?

Does this take into account Kyle Long retiring?

I would cut Cordarrelle Patterson (who I like whilst struggling to justify $5m a year on) as well adding another $5m to the pot. K J Hamler who I'd be aiming to draft in the 2nd round would become the KR.

That would give the Bears $59.3m going on your figures.

Re-sign: -

Cornelius Lucas (OT)
J. P. Holtz (TE)
Kevin Pierre-Louis (LB)
Deon Bush (SS)
Patrick Scales (LS)

The 5 players re-signed above would likely be no more than 7m total.

Sub total: - 7m

FA: -

Mike Davis (RB) 2m
Brandon Scherff (IOL) 13m
Austin Hooper (TE) 9m

Vernon Butler (IDL) 6m
Matt Judon (EDGE) 11m
Jeremiah Attaochu (EDGE) 2m
Zach Brown (LB) 1m
Miles Killebrew (DB) 1.5m

Sub total: - 45.5m

Total: - (7+45.5) = 52.5m

This leave $6.8m for the draft class which should be enough given we don't have a 1st rounder and we only pick 6x in my mock below.

Draft: -

{2] K J Hamler (WR)
[2] Bryce Hall (CB)
[4] Zach Baun (LB)
[5] Anthony Gordon (QB)
*[5] Levonta Taylor (DB)
[7] Davon Hamilton (IDL)

I believe that the Bears are receiving a 6th from the Jordan Howard trade. I would use both 6th rounders to move up for Levonta Taylor (DB) who would compete with Deon Bush to play alongside Eddie Jackson.

Notes (on the above): -

I am not wasting money on a back up QB like Chase Daniel who isn't good enough to get us to the play offs if Trubisky goes down. Either the Bears replace Trubiksy with a serious veteran or we're rolling come what may with 10 and a draft pick.

With the additions above in FA and in the draft Trubisky now has pretty much every weapon known to man to succeed.

Scherff will improve the run game and bring serious aggression.

Hooper will be a major weapon in the passing game as will K J Hamer with his game breaking speed. If Burton actually comes back then the Bears are set at TE and we can move on from Burton in 2021.

The only deficiency is at OT but no franchise can have perfection everywhere sadly.

I am saving money at ILB to spend elsewhere by not re-signing Trevathan or Kwiatkoski.

Butler could be a steal and the heir apparent to Hicks. This could be a sneaky good move and I think our 3-4 scheme will suit him.

Judon comes in slightly cheaper than Floyd and brings a high energy motor and pass rushing ability. He should really benefit coming off the edge opposite Mack and with opposition Ds having to focus on Hicks and Butler as well!

Baun in the 4th round of the draft can not only rush the passer but is also effective in defending the pass like Floyd was before. Another high energy guy. I like him and Attaochu backing up our main guys. Baun would also get a chance at ILB as well.

Killebrew could be a surprise to some but he's a good special teams player and hits like a truck. He replaces McManis who I wouldn't be averse to bringing back but he's not getting any younger and would be coming off a season ending injury.

Get Pat Shurmer and this would be a very solid offseason I think.

Pace and Nagy's jobs are on the line so it's ALL IN TIME!
 

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