The Bears Can Create Nearly $34 Million in Available Cap Space with a Sprinkle of Creativity

The Chicago Bears are in salary-cap hell. Surely, they’re not alone … but this isn’t a place they want to be.

ESPN lists the Bears, Saints, Vikings, Jaguars, and Eagles as the teams with the worst salary-cap situations entering the 2019 season.

Bottom-Five Cap Space by Team:

  1. Eagles: -$22,923,806
  2. Jaguars: -$7,817,558
  3. Vikings: $7,175,517
  4. Bears: $7,271,312
  5. Saints: $7,656,953

While things look dicey for the Bears right now (re: salary cap space), at least they’re not over the cap like the Jaguars and Eagles. For more on the NFL teams in salary-cap hell, head over to ESPN.

Fortunately, you’ll be excited to learn that the Bears don’t have to take this lying down. Spotrac.com has an NFL team roster and salary cap manager tool that allows us to figure out cap implications with potential moves. Follow along as we use this as our guide toward creating some much-needed (theoretically possible) breathing room for the Bears.

The First Cut

Parting ways with Dion Sims was the first step in the process. His release will put the Bears’ available cap space at $11,118,601, according to spotrac.com. Not a bad jumping-off point, eh? But what’s next?

Surprise Cuts

  • Quarterback Chase Daniel ($3 million)
  • Outside linebacker Sam Acho ($2.125 million)
  • Inside linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski ($2.045 million)
  • The Bears brought Daniel in to mentor Mitch Trubisky and serve as a pinch-hitter in case of an emergency. Daniel did a bang-up job on both ends, but the training wheels have to come off at some point and the Bears will need to look for a younger backup quarterback. The NFL can be a cold world and releasing Daniel to free up cap room would represent the latest reminder.

    Cutting Kwiatkoski would come as a surprise because the 2016 fourth-round pick hasn’t done anything wrong to merit an outright release. But after hitting an escalator clause in his contract that bumped his salary from $720,000 to north of $2 million, it would be understandable if the Bears cut ties with a reserve inside linebacker on the final year of his rookie deal.

    Acho would be somewhat of a surprise cut because he has a strong locker-room presence, is viewed as a glue-guy, and is a highly-respected member of the Bears community. It’s more likely that restructuring his contract would be a solution both sides agree on. But for the sake of this exercise, we have waived goodbye to one of the Bears’ reserve edge defenders.

    Cap savings: $7.170 million
    Total available cap space: $18,288,601

    Surprise Trade Candidate

    Running back Jordan Howard ($2.045 million)

    To be clear, trading Howard isn’t a high on the list of offseason priorities. But in a hypothetical offseason where the Bears acquire free agent Le’Veon Bell (whom they’ve been loosely connected to on the rumor mill) and place him at the top of the depth chart, there wouldn’t be room for a reserve on the final year of his rookie deal. Since the Bears probably wouldn’t release him outright, a trade elsewhere (perhaps to a team that loses out in the Bell sweepstakes) would make sense.

    Cap savings: $2.045 million
    Total available cap space: $20,333,601

    $20 Million Isn’t Enough? Here’s How the Bears Can Create More!

    Even though we have nearly doubled the Bears’ available cap space, more can be done. In fact, more room can be made simply by tearing a page out of the New England Patriots’ playbook.

    Scott Davis and Cork Gaines of BusinessInsider.com estimate Patriots star quarterback Tom Brady has given up $60 million as part of restructured contracts or leaving money at the negotiating table. By doing this, New England has signed (and in some cases, re-signed) players who were instrumental in recent championship runs. It’s a win-now move that comes with risks, but what’s a small risk for a big, shiny reward such as the Lombardi trophy?

    Here’s how it works: A team takes the player’s salary that would count against the cap and convert it to a signing bonus. The move is a win for the player, who gets cash right away, as well as the team, which gets some short-term flexibility by spreading the cap hit across the remaining years of said player’s contract.

    Let’s not forget about the unavoidable downside that the money will eventually catch up to the Bears because they’ll have to eventually pay the freight on these deals. Chicago last did this with Julius Peppers back in 2011 and 2013, but that was a different front office operating in a different competitive window. Still, Peppers’ second restructuring was most notable because it led his cap number to be $18.183 million in 2014 and $20.683 million in 2015. Peppers was long gone by the time the original contract he signed with the Bears ended, but the cap ramifications lingered until the early stages of the Ryan Pace era.

    For the sake of this exercise, we’ll use the Spotrac cap manager tool to restructure the Khalil Mack and Allen Robinson deals. By doing so, the Bears could save an estimated $12.9435 million in cap space. That’s a serious chunk of change.

    Cap savings: $12.9345 million
    Available cap space: $33,268,101

    OK, But What About Cody Parkey?

    I get it. You’ve wanted Cody Parkey off the Bears since his Wild-Card-ending double-doink put Chicago’s Super Bowl dreams to bed. And while that’s understandable, cutting Parkey right now would be financially irresponsible, as it would cause the Bears to lose $1.125 million in cap space and come with $5.1875 million in dead money. Not quite what a front office working with a tight budget has in mind when it comes to this offseason’s transactions.

    HOWEVER, if the Bears designate Parkey as a post-June 1 cut, it would trim the dead money number to $4.0625 million and spread it over multiple years. To be clear, the Bears wouldn’t have to wait until after June 1 to make the move. They can do it in March with the designation without having to wait it out. Post-June 1 cuts aren’t designed to create spending opportunities for this upcoming offseason, but that’s a small price to pay for a fresh start at the kicking position.

    In the End …

    A year ago at this time, the Bears were moving toward clearing more than $50 million in salary cap space by parting ways with big-money, short-term contracts crafted to be snipped at the right time. Those contracts are few and far between now, but the Bears are still positioned to create some wiggle room and pounce on a championship-caliber move if it presents itself. And obviously, not all of these moves would (or should) be done in concert with each other. But each is at least theoretically possible to create a little more space.

    written by

    Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.

    more bears news

    Dan Campbell is Happy To See Justin Fields Leave the NFC North

    There was no escaping the mixed emotions from Chicago Bears fans when the Justin Fields trade went down earlier this month. But there were none of that from Detroit Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell. Heck, I'd argue there was just...

    Another Pass Rusher Signs Elsewhere: Jadeveon Clowney Lands With the Panthers

    Another day. Another pass rusher signing. And another defensive lineman going to a team that isn't the Chicago Bears. NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport was the first with the news of Jadeveon Clowney signing with the Carolina Panthers. Meanwhile, ESPN's...

    Malik Nabers Might’ve Run His Way Out of the Chicago Bears Draft Spot

    Today was LSU's Pro Day and Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles was scheduled to be in attendance, per The Athletic's Adam Jahns. Assuming Poles made his flight, he got a good look at the likes of quarterback Jayden Daniels, as...

    Goodell on Bears Stadium Deal, No to Hard Knocks? More Old Friends Go to Steelers, and Other Bears Bullets

    I keep forgetting that I have a Starbucks gift card from Christmas that has gone unused to this point. Maybe I'll remember it next time I go out for coffee. A big shout out to PFF Brad, who made the...

    Ryan Poles Was Pissed Off By RGIII’s Comments About Caleb Williams Situation

    When I saw them pop up, RGIII's comments suggesting Caleb Williams pull an Eli Manning and refuse to play for the Chicago Bears were met with an eye-roll, audible groan, and immediate dismissal before moving onto more pertinent topics. But...

    Bears Stadium Update: Kevin Warren Reiterates Plans to Build in Downtown Chicago

    It sure is starting to sound like Arlington Heights fumbled the bag when it comes to locking in Arlington Park as the future home of a Chicago Bears stadium. While meeting with the media at the NFL owners meetings in...

    The NFL is Playing a Christmas Day Doubleheader in 2024

    Christmastime is generally full of cheer. And in 2024, it will be full of cheering. In fact, we're talking double the cheer. ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reports the league will play not one, but *TWO* Christmas Day games. It's...

    2024 NFL Mock Draft: How High Can J.J. McCarthy’s Stock Rise?

    Hard to believe we're less than a month away from the 1st Round of the 2024 NFL Draft! With just weeks remaining until the NFL's most noteworthy offseason event, there are plenty of rumors floating. As we work through all...

    NFL Rules Shakeup, Tomlin on Fields, Trubisky’s Linsanity Run, and Other Bears Bullets

    The Bachelor's season-finale had a couple of jaw-dropping moments. Once the group chat catches up, it is going to be lit. What better way to start Bears Bullets than with breakfast anecdotes? I think I'm going to enjoy D'Andre Swift's...

    Around the NFL: New Kickoff Rules Explained, NFL Trade Deadline Extended, More

    NFL owners ratified a sweeping overhaul of the kickoff play on Tuesday, embracing a format inspired by the XFL following three days of deliberations at the league’s yearly gathering. Essentially, the new format relocates the bulk of both kicking and return teams...

    Latest News

    WAKE UP, BASEBALL IS BACK

    The day has arrived. Opening Day. The most glorious day on the baseball calendar, save for the day of each Chicago Cubs World Series win, of course. See, I get to say things like that on Opening Day. Maybe the...

    Pac-12 Basketball Predictions, Computer Picks and Best Bets | March 28

    There is one game featuring a Pac-12 teams on the Thursday postseason college basketball schedule, the Clemson Tigers versus the Arizona Wildcats. Make sure you check out below for today's best bets!How to Bet on Pac-12 Games[lasso rel="draftkings-promo-1" id="299003"]Best Pac-12...

    Rays vs. Blue Jays Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    The Tampa Bay Rays look to start their season with a win as home favorites (-135) in a season-opening matchup with the Toronto Blue Jays. First pitch is on Thursday at 4:10 PM ET on MLB Network, live from Tropicana...

    Astros vs. Yankees Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    The Houston Astros look to start their season with a win as home favorites (-156) in a season-opening matchup with the New York Yankees. First pitch is on Thursday at 4:10 PM ET on YES, live from Minute Maid Park.Houston's...

    Tigers vs. White Sox Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    The Detroit Tigers begin their season as -181 favorites in a road tilt against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday at 4:10 PM ET, live on BSDET.Tarik Skubal starts for Detroit while Garrett Crochet is Chicago's starter for the contest.Tigers...

    Reds vs. Nationals Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    The Cincinnati Reds begin their season as -154 favorites in a home tilt against the Washington Nationals on Thursday at 4:10 PM ET, live on MASN2.Cincinnati's Frankie Montas gets the start, and he'll go against Washington's Josiah Gray.Reds vs. Nationals...

    Dodgers vs. Cardinals Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    The Los Angeles Dodgers (1-1) will look to Will Smith, red hot after a four-hit game, to lead them in a matchup with the St. Louis Cardinals (0-0) on Thursday at 4:10 PM ET on BSMW. The Dodgers are -232...

    Marlins vs. Pirates Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    The Miami Marlins look to start their season with a win as home favorites (-133) in a season-opening matchup with the Pittsburgh Pirates. First pitch is on Thursday at 4:10 PM ET on Sportsnet PT, live from LoanDepot park.Miami's Jesus...

    Padres vs. Giants Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    The San Francisco Giants (0-0) are the underdogs on the moneyline (-106) in Thursday's contest against the San Diego Padres (1-1). Game time is set for 4:10 PM ET on NBCS-BA. The Giants are favored against the spread in this...

    Twins vs. Royals Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    The Minnesota Twins look to start their season with a win as road favorites (-122) in a season-opening matchup with the Kansas City Royals. First pitch is on Thursday at 4:10 PM ET on BSN, live from Kauffman Stadium.Pablo Lopez...

    more bears news