Right Tackle's Departure Leaves Hole in Lineup
The Bears will need tackle help in the draft, if not in free agency.
They've decided to part ways with right tackle Bobby Massie in a move which allows them to be under the salary cap again, according to a report Monday by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
What the Bears have actually done here is decline an option to pick up Massie's contract for this season. His four-year, $32 million deal included a team option each season. Cutting Massie saves the Bears $5.4 million against the salary cap for 2021.
Prior to the move, the Bears were $2.8 million over the cap according to Spotrac.com.
Teams must be at or under the cap by the time the new league year begins with free agency on March 17.
Massie had been a solid performer at right tackle, with Pro Football Focus grades ranging between 63.2 and a best of 72.6 last season. He came over in 2016 from the Arizona Cardinals in free agency.
Massie's performance wasn't the issue as much as his lack of availability. He missed the final five games of 2019 with an ankle injury and another game with an illness, then in 2020 missed half the season with a knee injury.
The Bears need to get their salary cap in order if they are to tag wide receiver Allen Robinson to either keep him or trade him, with franchise tag cost of $18 million for his position. The deadline for Robinson to be tagged is Tuesday at 3 p.m. but the Bears have more than another week to have their cap in line.
Without Massie last year, the Bears turned to Germain Ifedi to close the season and he performed well at a position where he struggled while with Seattle. He actually had been acquired to play guard.
The trouble is, Ifedi is an unrestricted free agent. So, the Bears may need to turn to the draft for help or find another right tackle if they don't plan on re-signing Ifedi.
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