Bear Digest

Cap Analysis Shows Bears Spend More Than Most on Skill Positions

The Bears have spent much higher than the rest of the NFL at receiver, tight end, running back and a few defensive positions in their rebuild.
Gene Chamberlain|
DJ Moore is among the reasons the Bears are fourth in the league in spending this year at the wide receiver position, according to Spotrac.com.
DJ Moore is among the reasons the Bears are fourth in the league in spending this year at the wide receiver position, according to Spotrac.com. | Daniel Bartel-USA TODAY Sports

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Chicago Bears

After all the spending, the Bears rank 20th in available cap space in the NFL at $8.5 million available according to figures at Spotrac.com

The Bears are spending the fourth most in the league on wide receivers $38.05 million and for tight ends at $19.06 million, and sixth most for running backs at $10.1 million, as they sought to surround quarterback Caleb Williams with the most possible talent. The amount spent on wide receivers and tight ends is understandable considering they signed DJ Moore to a contract extension, that Keenan Allen counts for their second-highest cap hit this year at $23.1 million, tight end Cole Kmet received a contract extension and they signed free agent tight end Gerald Everett.

Because their two quarterbacks are a rookie and second-year player Tyson Bagent, they are only 29th at spending on quarterbacks even though they are paying the No. 1 pick in last year's draft. They're spending $10.1 million against this year's cap at QB. The 49ers spend the least at QB at $4.79 million.

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At the other end of things, the Bears are spending the least amount of money on offensive line positions at $31.3 million. Only Green Bay ($27.6 million) is paying less for the offensive line within the NFC North. Curiously, Carolina is paying the most in the league for its offensive linemen at $67.8 million.

Even though the highest paid Bears player for this year against the cap is defensive end Montez Sweat at $25.08 million, they are only seventh at spending on their defensive line at $43.9 million. Green Bay is spending the most in the league on the defensive line at $66.3 million.

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Last year the Bears paid out a big contract to Tremaine Edmunds and a free agent deal to T.J. Edwards and still rank sixth in the league in spending on linebackers at $37.1 million, the most in their division.

Even after paying cornerback Jaylon Johnson a $76 million deal over four years, the Bears for this season rank only 16th in cap cash paid out to players in the secondary at $31.5 million. The Packers are second most at $46.7 million, just behind Baltimore ($57.9 million).

This season the Bears are committed to pay out $225.53 million in salary cap space toward active players contracts on the roster, the fourth most in the league. The average is $198.7 million. The reason they rank so high is the commitment made two years ago to cleaning up their cap rolls. they have only $14 million in dead cap space, which ranks 28th in the league. Denver is No. 1 in dead cap at $40.8 million, or essentially money being paid against the cap for players who are not on the team.

By comparison, the Bears were No. 1 for 2022 in dead cap when Ryan Poles first took over as GM at $36. 07 million.

Fans concerned about the players on the practice squad will be glad to know those players will receive $225,000 this year, but there are exceptions. Veterans Tarvarius Moore, Byron Cowart, Stephen Carlson, Collin Johnson and Jake Curhan all are getting $383,400. Two players signed for $302,400, defensive tackle Sam Roberts and long snapper Scott Daly, are expected to be making more soon as they are expected to be promoted to the 53-man roster. At least Daly is coming up this week for certain because long snapper Patrick Scales is on injured reserve.

Twitter: BearsOnSI

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.