Conservative Approach Best For Cash-Strapped Bears
We'd all love the chance to try to make ends meet with $24 1/2 million dollars.
The Bears have this much under the salary cap according to Spotrac.com, as they're approaching Monday's start to the negotiating period with free agents and Wednesday's beginning of the league year.
It goes fast when there are numerous needs, like signing one of their own starting inside linebackers, finding a starting saftey, locating a cornerback who can compete for the starting spot, adding speedy wide receiver, solving the ridiculously perplexing tight end problem and adding depth.
Notice the challenger for Mitchell Trubisky hasn't even been mentioned.
Making $24 1/2 million work for all these needs will take plenty of creativity.
For those all excited about adding Andy Dalton or signing Austin Hooper, sorry.
You'll get nothing and like it.
The money is simply not available for extravagances after real needs are met. If the Bears want to begin dismantling their defense, then yes, they can afford someone like Hooper at tight end. But why dismantle the only part of the team that makes them a potential contender?
Here's one way to approach the problems facing the Bears as they try to reorganize to gain back the NFC North title they held in 2018.
Add available cash
Sign Leonard Floyd to a contract extension converting some of his salary for 2020 to guaranteed bonus that can be counted against the cap in future years and free up money needed to retain some players and sign others. Find some more cash in any of the deals being paid to Khalil Mack, Akiem Hicks, Cody Whitehair and Kyle Fuller by restructuring. They are limited in how much they can add, but it can be enough to make this plan work.
Sign Quarterback Marcus Mariota
Mariota would be competition for Mitchell Trubisky. Pace and Nagy said they wanted competition for everyone. Signing Case Keenum would be fine because he can play, but he's not going to provide competition the way another young quarterback who knows how to run an RPO offense would. Trading for Dalton costs too much this year in addition to depriving them of a needed draft pick.
Obtain a speed receivers
Trade with the Bengals, but not for Andy Dalton. They should trade for John Ross of the Bengals, who is on the last year of his rookie contract and hasn't really done anything to justify a big contract yet. He does have the speed that set the combine record of 4.22 seconds in the 40. They could use a 2021 draft pick for him depending on what the Bengals want. Cincinnati is rebuilding with a new quarterback and probably new receivers. They'll be willing to let him go for a pick or picks. Ross has been given a market value of $4.2 million by Spotrac.com, which would be easy to handle when it's contract negotiation time in 2021. He'd cost only $2.7 million this season. Trade talks are tricky and if this fails then they should sign Patriots wide receiver Phillip Dorsett, who isn't a high-level expensive wide receiver but has great speed. They have to get faster at receiver and should even consider taking a look at Tavon Austin, who would be an inexpensive free agent and still has great speed.
Sign Inside Linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski
This is their own most important free agent to retain. He's the player who they brought up through their own ranks and has become a viable sidekick to Roquan Smith. If it turns out Kwiatkoski has ascended beyond affordability, they need to see what it would take to keep Danny Trevathan in Chicago. He doesn't turn 30 until later this year. If all this fails, pursue a cheaper free agent like Ravens inside linebacker Patrick Onwuasor, who hasn't been good with handling defensive signal-calling responsibilities but can play the position well enough. The Bears have Smith to handle the defensive signals if needed, anyway. Besides, Onwuasor has only a Spotrac.com market value of $4.8 million.
Sign Saints safety Vonn Bell
This is a lower priced option, as estimated by Spotrac.com. His assigned value is an average of $4.5 million a year. He's an effective tackler who can play in the box or in back. He'd be more physical than Ha Ha Clinton-Dix was and cheaper. This would let Eddie Jackson play ballhawk more than last season.
Depth Signings
.A handful of reserve decisions need to be made. It's time to move on from Sherrick McManis because of age and expense. Deon Bush and/or DeAndre Houston-Carson are less expensive options at safety and special teams than McManis. Retaining Kevin Pierre-Louis isn't entirely important because they still have players like Devante Bond, Josh Woods and Joel Iyiegbuniwe at inside linebacker. The key decision among backups is whether to sign Aaron Lynch, the relief man for Mack and Floyd. He hasn't been very productive, but as a backup Lynch does have value because he is 280 pounds and plays the edge. The Bears don't really have another player who can be brought on the field for the edge in goal-line or short-yardage situations, but can double as an outside relief rusher. Unless they feel confident they have someone else identified in the draft for this role they need to sign Lynch again for a minimal amount like they did for 2019, about $1.5 million.
The Draft
The exact players in the plan will unfold over the next month, but what can be revealed now is the second-round picks would be spent on a guard and a cornerback and both would be given every chance to make the starting lineup on opening day. The cornerback would battle Kevin Toliver Jr. and Tre Roberson for a starting spot and the guard, or even a tackle, would go into the big offensive line mish-mash with the top five being in the starting lineup. They're going to count on Trey Burton to return but drafting a tight end in Round 4 or later can work as an insurance policy. The 49ers found George Kittle in Round 5 and the Raiders took Darren Waller in Round 6. If the draft pick doesn't work, they've got a menagerie of tight ends currently under contract as a last resort at U-tight end. They've already addressed the other tight end spot, the Y-tight end, with veteran Demetrius Harris for when Adam Shaheen struggles again.
Epilogue
It's not a splashy or glamorous approach to the offseason, but it's entirely realistic when you're living in the NFL on a shoestring budget because your star outside linebacker takes up 12.4% of your entire salary cap for 2020.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
