00:00The Chicago Bears have been making serious moves this offseason, but with every big contract they
00:05hand out, their salary cap takes a hit. Just a week ago, this team had nearly $80 million
00:11in cap space, one of the highest figures in the league. Now, after signing key players,
00:16that number has dropped to around $40 million. But do not let that number fool you. The Bears
00:22are still in a strong financial position, heading into free agency. The journey to cap health.
00:29General Manager Ryan Poles has done a great job managing this team's money. When he took over,
00:35the Bears had one of the worst cap situations in the National Football League.
00:40Years of mismanagement left them with dead money tied to players who were not even on
00:44the roster anymore. That is not a sustainable way to build a winning team. So, Poles made
00:48the tough decision to clean house, move on from expensive contracts, and start fresh.
00:54It was a painful process, but now the Bears have one of the healthiest cap
00:57situations in the league. Poles had to make difficult decisions, cutting ties with beloved
01:03veterans and avoiding flashy signings that could have hurt the team long term. Instead of handing
01:09out massive contracts to players past their prime, he focused on building a young competitive roster
01:14with flexibility. This strategy has allowed the Bears to maneuver freely in the market,
01:20while still keeping the core of their team intact. However, after making aggressive moves in free
01:25agency, including signing top-tier offensive linemen Joe Thune and Jonah Jackson, the team
01:31has less flexibility than before. Protecting the quarterback is always a smart investment,
01:37and the Bears knew they needed to improve the offensive line. But with less money to work with,
01:41they have to be strategic about their next moves. They cannot afford to make careless decisions,
01:46especially with critical areas still needing improvement. The question now is simple. Can
01:52the Bears still afford to chase a big name free agent? Or will they need to restructure contracts,
01:57or even trade some players to create more space? Let's break down their options in detail.
02:04The art of creating cap space. One way to create more salary cap room is by restructuring contracts.
02:11This is a common practice in the National Football League, where teams take a portion of a player's
02:15salary and convert it into a signing bonus. That money is then spread out over the remaining years
02:20of the contract, reducing the immediate cap hit. The Bears have several players whose contracts
02:26could be restructured to free up space, but each move has consequences. The first and most obvious
02:31candidate is Montez Sweat. His base salary for this season is nearly 21 million dollars. If the
02:37Bears convert some of that into a signing bonus, they could free up between 10 and 15 million
02:42dollars right away. That would give them immediate flexibility without having to cut anyone. Another
02:48option is DJ Moore. He has a similar contract structure, but since he just signed an extension,
02:53restructuring his deal could send the wrong message to the locker room. Teams need to be careful when
02:58restructuring recently extended contracts, as it can create distrust among players. Then there are
03:04players like Jalon Johnson, Tremaine Edmonds, Cole Kmet, and DeAndre Swift. All of them have
03:10sizable salaries with room to restructure, but the team has to be careful. The more they push money
03:16into the future, the more they risk putting themselves in a bad cap situation down the road.
03:22That is exactly what they are trying to avoid after the mistakes of the past regime. The last
03:27thing the Bears want is to return to the days of heavy dead cap penalties. Exploring trade
03:35possibilities. Now let's talk about trades. This is where things get interesting. Some contracts are
03:41easier to move than others. If the Bears want to clear space while adding draft capital,
03:46there are a few players who stand out as the most tradable assets on the roster. The most
03:53valuable trade piece they have is Montez Sweat, but there is a catch. If they trade him before
03:59June 1st, they would take a massive dead cap hit. But if they wait until after June 1st, they would
04:06free up 21 million dollars in cap space while only taking a 4 million dollar dead cap hit.
04:12That is a huge difference and could be a deciding factor in whether or not they move him. EJ Moore
04:19is in a similar situation. If he is traded after June 1st, the Bears would clear nearly 21 million
04:24dollars in cap space, but losing their top wide receiver would make things much harder on whoever
04:30is playing quarterback next season. With a new offensive system potentially in place, keeping
04:35key playmakers is essential. Jalon Johnson is another name to watch. If traded after June 1st,
04:42the Bears would free up 16 million dollars in cap space while only taking a 5 million dollar
04:47dead cap hit. That is a move they could consider if they decide to rework the secondary. While
04:55Johnson is a top-tier cornerback, the Bears could explore drafting a younger, cheaper alternative
05:00to fill his spot. Then there are players like Cole Komet and DeAndre Swift. If the Bears move
05:06Komet after June 1st, they save 10 million dollars while only taking a 1.6 million dollar dead cap
05:12hit. Swift would save them 8 million dollars while only creating a 1.3 million dollar dead cap hit.
05:19Those are numbers worth paying attention to. Both players are key contributors, but their
05:24contracts could become expendable depending on how the roster shapes up. The value of expiring
05:30contracts. Finally, let's talk about players in the final year of their contract. These are often
05:36the easiest to move because their remaining salary is low and there is little to no long-term financial
05:42impact. Kevin Bayard is one example. Trading him would clear 7 million dollars in cap space while
05:48only creating a 1.5 million dollar dead cap hit. Ryan Bates, who barely played last year,
05:54would free up 4 million dollars with no dead cap hit at all. Braxton Jones, the team starting left
06:01tackle, would clear 3.6 million dollars if moved. But finding a replacement would not be easy.
06:08Jaquan Brisker could also be a trade piece. Moving him would clear 3.4 million dollars with only a
06:15600,000 dollar dead cap hit. And then there is TJ Edwards. Trading him would save the Bears 5.5
06:22million dollars while only costing them 1.5 million in dead money. The strategy moving forward.
06:29The bottom line is this. The Bears still have enough cap space to be active in free agency,
06:33but they have to be smart. Maybe they go after a pass rusher. Maybe they target a starting center
06:39like Drew Dallman, who is expected to command around 14 million dollars per year. Or maybe they
06:46hold on to their money and focus on the draft, where they still have multiple premium picks to
06:51work with. Every decision they make now will impact their ability to compete in the upcoming season
06:58and beyond. Ryan Poles has options, and as Bears fans, we have seen what happens when a front
07:04office mismanages the cap. The last thing we want is to go back to the days of dead money and wasted
07:11contracts. This is a new era. Smart spending, smart moves, and hopefully a winning season ahead.
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