Pre-Free Agency Salary-Cap Update for the Chicago Bears
Published by Ross Read on March 6, 2015
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
Teams can start negotiating with free agents March 7 but can’t officially sign them until March 10. As it currently stands, the Chicago Bears have $28.6 million in cap space, according to OverTheCap.com.
Having nearly $30 million in cap space allows first-year general manager Ryan Pace to add some necessary pieces to a mediocre defense, but he could look to clear more space.
The Chicago Tribune‘s Brad Biggs reported the team is currently shopping wide receiver Brandon Marshall.
Trading Marshall would free up $3.95 million in cap space but would carry $5.625 million in dead money before coming off the books in 2016.
Marshall is not the only hot-button topic. Quarterback Jay Cutler‘s $15.5 million 2015 base salary is fully guaranteed, and $10 million of his $16 million 2016 base salary is guaranteed if he’s on the roster March 12.
Cutler’s reputation around the league may be at an all-time low, so it might be tough for the Bears to move him and his contract. They are likely stuck with him through 2016.
One realistic potential cap casualty is kicker Robbie Gould. His $3.6 million cap hit is high for a guy coming off a down season. Worst of all, Gould has two more years left on his deal with a $4.1 million cap hit in each season. Cutting him would create $1.8 million in cap savings but carry $1.8 million in dead money.
Even if the Bears decide to go into the 2015 free-agency market with Cutler, Marshall and Gould on their team, they can make a big splash and still have money left over to fill some holes on the roster.
New England Patriots free safety Devin McCourty should be a high priority. Signing McCourty will likely cost anywhere from $8-9 million a year based on the contract years and guaranteed money.
Another potential big-splash signing could be Baltimore Ravens pass-rusher Pernell McPhee. He could command upward of $11 million a year against the cap on the open market.
The Bears will likely look to add one big free agent and supplement their holes with mid-level free agents and the NFL draft. This might also be a good time to lock up wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, who is heading into the last year of his rookie deal.
Ryan Pace has money to play with but will look to spend wisely. This football team needs to get younger and more athletic. Don’t look for him to try and win Day 1 of free agency. He will try to spread the dollars around and build for the future.
All salary-cap information via OverTheCap.com unless otherwise noted.
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