Previewing Chicago Bears’ 2015 Salary-Cap Situation
Published by Matt Eurich on January 2, 2015
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
Even though the Chicago Bears are currently in the middle of a general manager and head coach search, it is never too early to take a look at the salary-cap situation as the team enters 2015.
While it may be too soon to determine how aggressive the Bears will be in free agency this offseason, it is safe to assume they will need to spend some money to bolster a roster that largely underperformed in 2014.
After finishing second in the league in scoring last season on offense, Chicago averaged just 19.9 points per game and finished 23rd in 2014. On the other side of the football, Chicago’s defense struggled mightily for the second year in a row.
According to Joel Corry of CBSSports.com, NFL teams were notified in early December that the NFL’s salary cap is projected to jump from the current $133 million to between $138.6 million and $141.8 million.
Corry wrote:
The actual salary cap this year is 5.3 percent higher than the preliminary projections this time last year. When the 2015 salary cap is set in late February or early March, the expectation is for it to once again exceed initial projections.
Per Over the Cap, the Bears are currently $1,681,391 under the 2014 salary cap. Some of the biggest salaries set to come off the books in 2015 are linebackers Lance Briggs and D.J. Williams, cornerback Charles Tillman and defensive tackle Stephen Paea.
If the salary cap were to jump to $140 million in 2015, Over the Cap projects the Bears to have $29,800,313 in cap space. They currently have $110,199,687 committed to their roster for next season.
The player with the highest cap number and most guaranteed money next season is quarterback Jay Cutler. He was paid $22.5 million in the first year of his seven-year, $126 million deal in 2014 and is set to make $15.5 million in guaranteed money in 2015 with a $16.5 million cap hit. Only the first three years of Cutler’s contract are guaranteed. After a poor showing in the first year of his deal, the Bears may try to part ways with the much-maligned quarterback.
Jason Fitzgerald of SportingNews.com explained the ramifications of releasing Cutler before March 12, writing:
Cutler’s salary cap charge in 2015 is $16.5 million. If the Bears release him before March 12, his new salary cap charge will be $19.5 million, a loss of $3 million in cap room. The reason for the increase in cap charge is due to $3 million in bonus acceleration and his $15.5 million salary guarantee. Though teams often do not release a player whose cap charge when cut would be so high, it could be the only way to avoid an additional $10 million guarantee.
The Bears could alternatively look to trade him, and they would only be on the hook for $4 million in prorated money that has already been paid to him, according to Fitzgerald. The biggest issue with trying to trade Cutler will be finding a willing trade partner.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported in early December the Tennessee Titans could be players for Cutler if the Bears opt to trade him, via Conor Orr of NFL.com. In addition to having to find a trade partner who is willing to take on Cutler’s remaining $25.5 million in guaranteed money, ESPN’s Adam Schefter believes the Bears might have to give up a draft pick in order to move him.
Considering how much money the team would have to eat to cut him, and the possibility of having to give up a draft pick to trade him, Cutler will likely remain on the roster in 2015.
While Cutler sits atop the roster in terms of guaranteed money in 2015, defensive end Jared Allen is not far behind. The soon-to-be 33-year-old struggled in his first season in Chicago and registered just 5.5 sacks. Despite the poor showing, he is set to make $12.5 million in 2015. He only has a base salary of $1 million but has a roster bonus of $11.5 million.
Even with the money that is owed to Cutler and Allen in 2015, the Bears are still in relatively good shape if they want to re-sign some of their own players before addressing other needs in free agency.
After a couple of injury-riddled seasons, Stephen Paea burst onto the scene in 2014. In three previous seasons, he registered just six total sacks before racking up six last season. He finished with career highs in tackles (33) and forced fumbles (two). He was not selected to the Pro Bowl despite his solid numbers and took to Twitter to voice his displeasure:
Even though the Bears drafted defensive tackles Ego Ferguson and Will Sutton last May, re-signing Paea should still be a priority. While it is tough to know what the market will be for a 26-year-old defensive tackle who has struggled with injuries, Paea will likely demand a contract similar to the one Ziggy Hood signed last offseason with Jacksonville. Hood was a former first-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2009 and signed a four-year, $16 million deal with the Jaguars after racking up 11.5 sacks in five seasons.
One under-the-radar player the team should look to re-sign is backup center Brian de la Puente. Although the team signed veteran Roberto Garza to a one-year extension last week, De la Puente could be brought back to compete with the 14-year veteran.
In six starts this season split between center and guard, De la Puente finished with a plus-4.3 grade from Pro Football Focus (subscription required). In comparison, Garza finished with a minus-1.3 grade. Aside from Pro Football Focus’ rankings, De la Puente simply looked like the better center in his 320 snaps at the position. He was placed on injured reserve in late November, meaning the market for his services may be a little lean this offseason. If nothing else, re-signing De la Puente would give the team much-needed depth at center and guard in 2015.
In addition to possibly re-signing guys like Paea and De la Puente, the team could look to give wide receiver Alshon Jeffery an extension. The third-year receiver out of South Carolina hauled in 85 catches for 1,133 yards in 2014 with a career-high 10 touchdowns.
Fellow receiver Brandon Marshall signed a three-year, $30 million extension this past March, and it would be safe to assume that Jeffery will likely be looking for something similar. The team could try to lock Jeffery up with an extension before the season begins, or it could wait until 2016 when the contracts for guys like Matt Forte, Shea McClellin and Jeremiah Ratliff are set to come off the books. A good measuring stick for Jeffery’s future contract will be the upcoming deals San Francisco‘s Michael Crabtree, Green Bay‘s Randall Cobb and Baltimore‘s Torrey Smith receive this offseason.
While the guaranteed money for Cutler and Allen in 2015 may keep the Bears from going after top-level talent, they should still have enough salary-cap space to be able to re-sign some of their own players and sign some young talent to improve the roster as a whole in free agency this offseason.
Record/statistical information provided via email from the Chicago Bears unless otherwise noted.
Matt Eurich is an NFL/Chicago Bears Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.
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