The Bears got under the projected 2021 salary cap when they released cornerback Buster Skrine earlier in the week. But that move was just the beginning, especially for a team that needs to create ample cap space in order to make the types of moves to improve at quarterback.
This is where the fun begins:
Bears are looking at multiple potential contract restructures for cap purposes, with center Cody Whitehair and safety Eddie Jackson among candidates, per source. Would be simple restructures simply to create space before new league year.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) March 4, 2021
It’s a tradition unlike any other.
GM Ryan Pace essentially borrows from the respective banks of players he has signed to sizable extensions, kicks some money down the road, and creates cap wiggle room for the present day. To do this, teams convert a player’s base salary and roster bonus into a signing bonus. Therefore, a player still gets their money, but also the team gets some short-term help in re-assessing where cap space goes. And while no restructuring is officially official, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler circles center Cody Whitehair and safety Eddie Jackson as possibilities to make things happen.
We recently offered Jackson and Whitehair as candidates for restructuring. Using Spotrac’s Roster Management tool, basic restructuring of those deals could create more than $10 million in cap space. That’s not inconsequential. Doing so now would be helpful, but I figure it would be just the start of something more. For instance, clearing cap room to bring on a sizable quarterback’s salary. Otherwise, what’s the point of doing it in the first place?
Chicago could create more than $30 million with restructuring some of the team’s biggest deals. So, stay tuned. There could be more cap manipulation on the horizon.