The Chicago Bears weren’t expected to be the only team in the market for Kansas City Chiefs offensive guard Trey Smith. The 2024 Pro Bowl athlete and two-time Super Bowl champion was bound to have several suitors if the Chiefs let him test the market.
The Bears announced two cap cuts on Friday, freeing up $10.75 million to help them bid on elite talent like Smith. They might have to use that cash to outbid a NFC North rival for Smith.
Chicago Bears rival linked to Trey Smith
During a recent episode of “The Mina Kimes Show,” Kimes suggested that the Minnesota Vikings would also make sense as a landing spot for Smith in free agency.
“If you’re the Vikings who have, the Bears have $62 million, I mean, this is all going to change, but they both have a lot,” Kimes said. “They’re both comfortable right now. If you’re the Vikings, do you rather go on to JJ McCarthy, but improve the interior of the offensive line is the problem, or do you rather pay Sam Darnold?
“Because we’re going to talk about Sam Darnold later, but he’s in a class way more than Trey Smith, which is hilarious because one player is obviously near the top of the position, one is not. I’m pretty sure if I’m the Vikings, I’d rather pay Trey Smith.”
The Bears have more cap space but a lot of holes
Per Over The Cap, the Bears currently have the fourth-most cap space with $79.7 million. The Vikings have the seventh-most cap space with $63.3 million, more than enough to pay Smith $21-22 million per year.
The Bears have more cap space, but they have one significant disadvantage this offseason. The Bears need to find at least three starters on the offensive line and 2-3 starters on the defensive line. The Bears’ need for pass-rushing help changed significantly when they cut DeMarcus Walker on Friday.
That’s going to cost a lot of money.
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