Chicago Bears: 2018 NFL free agency preview, predictions
Salary cap situation
According to OverTheCap.com, the Chicago Bears currently have just over $52.56 million in available cap space. Also, the NFL will make an announcement as to how much the league raises the cap. Some reports have the cap at between $174-178 million. That’s an extra $7-11 million over last year’s number.
In addition, there are cuts the Bears need to make to add even more space. These may be popular players, but these moves must be made.
Mike Glennon, QB: Cap savings = $11.5 million
The Bears signed Mike Glennon to a three-year, $45 million contract. That caused an uproar since Glennon was a career backup. It became even more baffling when the Bears drafted Trubisky. Many felt it was a waste of a lot of money.
The truth of the matter, however, is that the deal ends up being a one year, $18.5 million deal, which ranks him 18th, just below Ryan Tannehill. Of course, when that one year involves just four games, that doesn’t look good.
With Trubisky squarely the new face of the franchise, having Glennon on the roster makes no sense. The team cannot have that expensive of a backup.
Pernell McPhee, OLB: Cap savings = $7.075 million
When Pernell McPhee is on the field he is a very good player. The problem is having him on the field for an extended period of time. Since he signed with the Bears in 2015, he missed 12 games. Having him opposite Floyd helps in the young player’s development, but it’s time to look elsewhere for a player who can stay on the field.
Dion Sims, TE: Cap savings = $5.7 million
In 14 games last season, Dion Sims made 15 receptions for 180 yards and a touchdown. Yes, he was primarily used as a blocking tight end, but with Zach Miller going down, he couldn’t step up and do better, even with rookie Adam Shaheen getting severely handcuffed by the coaching staff. There are cheaper options to go after who can do the same.
Markus Wheaton, WR: Cap savings = $5 million
Markus Wheaton collected $5.25 million in 2017. He made just 3 receptions all season. That ended up being $1.75 million per catch. Wide receiver is a huge priority so Wheaton should have his goodbyes ready.
Marcus Cooper, CB: Cap savings = $4.5 million
Marcus Cooper never seemed to recover from the boneheaded mistake he made in Week 3 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He’s a laughingstock now and with Kyle Fuller and Prince Amukamara coming off good seasons Cooper is expendable.
WIth the above cuts, that saves the Bears over $33.77 million. That’s more than double what they have now. Add to it the salary cap increase and that gives them with between $93.33-97.33 million to spend. That’s plenty of money to make a drastic change on the roster.