NEWSLETTER
Today, the NFL Players Association offered a little elbow nudge to the 32 teams around the league, noting how much unused salary cap dollars they have elected to carryover to the 2017 league year:
Wondering which teams will have the most ? to spend this offseason? ? pic.twitter.com/uDNgOZfn6O
— NFLPA (@NFLPA) January 18, 2017
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The $8.1 million figure for the Bears is below the overall per-team average, but is the 8th highest team total, and the highest in the NFC North.
The 2017 NFL Salary Cap is expected to be around $168 million, and the $8.1 million in carryover would give the Bears just north of $176 million in salary cap room for next season. The Bears currently have almost $122 million in commitments for 2017, per Over the Cap. That figure includes $16 million for Jay Cutler, however – if the Bears decide to let him go, it would result in a mere $2 million cap hit, giving them an additional $14 million in wiggle room.
Suffice it to say, the Bears will have among the most spending power in football this offseason, comfortably within the top ten in football. Although the team will still have to figure out what it wants to do with top wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, which could eat up a healthy chunk of the available dollars, there should still be flexibility to address a number of holes in free agency – holes the Bears might not otherwise be able to immediately improve via the draft.
As Luis laid out in his dates and deadlines chronology, teams may begin negotiating with free agents on March 7.
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