adam

Darrynton Evans, nice pickup, low risk, high reward.

Oh I agree, I was just stating any other guy with cap savings.

Blackson and Attaochu are the only others to consider with cap savings over $1M.

Quinn, Foles, and Trevathan are the last 3 major players with significant cap hits/savings to either trade or cut. Trevathan looks like a post June 1, Quinn looks more like a trade and Foles can go either trade or cut.

Bears now have the 5th most cap space in 2022 as well. I can see them using a post-June 1st on Trevathan to free up $3.28 this year and $4M next year. Pace screwed his contract and he has 3 void years that will automatically carry some dead money out to 2025. Pace is an idiot.

Cohen saves $2,250,000 this year and more importantly $5,750,000 next year. Goldman saves $6,660,000 this year and a whopping $9,190,000 next year. So between these two moves, the Bears have an additional $14,940,000 in new cap for 2023. They now have $136.3M cap space in 2023, the 4th highest in the NFL.

Here is what Poles has as options with his first 3 picks: With 39, he can trade back for a 2nd and a 3rd: 54 / 85 (NE) 55 / 87 (ARZ) 56 / 88 (DAL) 57 / 89 (BUF) For #39, for a 2nd and a 4th: 44 / 117 (CLE) 45 / 118 (BAL) 47 / 121 (IND) For #48, for a 2nd and a 3rd: 61 / 93 (SF) 62 / 94 (KC) 63 / 120 / 208 (CIN) For #48, for a 2nd and a 4th: 53 / 125 (LV) 54 / 126 (NE) Then for 71, they could do something this to pick up a 4th: 80/136 (HOU) 82/121 (IND) 83/123 (PHI) So Poles has a ton of options with his first 3 picks. My guess is he pulls off at least one of these.

It would be nice to have at least one vet tackle, someone like Armstead, who would be a top quality LT for the remainder of Fields rookie deal (next 4 years). We need to have a good mix of guys at different points in their careers, otherwise, they all pop at the same time and you lose 2-3 guys.

Also, the Broncos paid something like $9M more to move Miller while the Chargers took on all the future dead money ($20.6M), so almost a $30M difference. Another thing to consider on the draft picks. There is a different value for picks in the current year vs the future year. I believe they account for it with one round for each year in the future. The Broncos got 2 picks in the 2022 draft in 2021. So even though it wasn't a full year, they still could not use the draft picks the same year as they lost Miller. The Bears get to use the 2nd rounder this year, so that has a lot of value. Lastly, this actually allows the Bears to sign a blue-chipper this year with a slightly backloaded contract if they want to. They can do a low base salary this year and up it next year with all that extra cap.

Quinn would net $4.4M in cap savings this year, with dead cap of $12.7M this year. The Bears would take on dead cap of $11.6M in 2023 and $6M in 2024. However, if it is similar to Mack's, that team would pay the $17.6M so the Bears would be free after this year. Cap savings for Quinn in 2023 would be $9.7M and $13M without another team picking up any additional salary.

Ok, this is good: Chargers taking it all on. Bears have will have no dead cap in any year but this year ($24M). Otherwise, even with a trade, the Bears would've had dead cap of $11.6M in 2023, $6M in 2024, and $3M in 2025 ($20.6M). So this makes it soooo much better. So this ends up being a 2nd rounder, 6th rounder, and a total of $26.7M in cap space savings over the next 4 years. Broncos got a 2nd and 3rd for Miller but paid $9M. Essentially, the Chargers paid the Bears $20.6M, almost a $30M difference. That is not insignificant.

Here we go. I don't like the compensation, getting back really only a 2nd when Broncos got a 2nd and 3rd for Miller for half a season, but this all makes sense if you are planning to start the run in 2023 and beyond. Unless there is a rework in the contract, the Bears take a $24M dead cap hit this year, but Mack comes off the books 2023 and beyond. $28M off the books for 2023 and $26M off the books for 2024 with this move. I am hoping there was some rework in the contract because essentially the Chargers would only own Mack $6M this year and he would have no more guarantees beyond this year. For them, this is an insanely good deal. They would only have to pay him $6M, $17M, $17M the next 3 years.

Yeah, I forgot they were ERFAs, those are vet minimum one-year deals, so there is zero risk bringing them back as their salary may not even make it into the top-51. Since they didn't sign Mustipher to an actual extension means he is coming back as a backup.

Ballard took over in 2017, Luck retired in August of 2019. It's now 2022 and he has no QB. I don't know how much better Jimmy G is than Wentz, but I guess we will see.

Wentz now traded to WAS? Everyone loves Ballard but the guy now doesn't have a 1st Round pick, and the guy he traded it for is no longer on the roster, and they don't have a starting QB. Why does this guy get so much love? The Colts are 42-42 with him as GM. He inherited a team that had 1 losing record in the last 15 years, and now has had 2 of those season under Ballard.

It will be interesting to see what type of deal Mustipher got. That will be telling on the direction at Center. I am good with Horsted, and if you use him properly, he might develop into a sneaky weapon with a real offense. Simmons provides some young depth on the O-Line.

If anything, Lockett is probably available with his age, but what would you be willing to give them for Lockett?

Compared to Seattle, right now, for sure. However, depending on how Seattle drafts, that will look completely different in 2-3 years.

They are going to add several void years to Rodgers deal, so I am sure this year's hit could go as low as the mid-30s which will put them closer to $30M over. Preston Smith would save $12M, Cobb would save $6.7M, Lowry $4M, and Jenkins $4M, that's $26.7M right there. Then they will restructure a few more to free enough for a few min FA vets and the rookie pool, but that's it. They will definitely be going into this season with a worse team unless they somehow strike gold with a few of their draft picks.

The Seahawks/Broncos trade is interesting. If the Bears/Seahawks pulled the trigger last year with the same picks and player positions, it would've looked something like this: Bears get: Wilson and 2021 4th Seahawks get: Fields, Jenkins, Borom, 2022 1st, 2022 2nd, Kmet, Nichols, and Foles I know everyone is talking about how Denver got a steal, but if Seattle drafts a QB at #9 like say Malik Willis, then an OL at #40, then has 2x 1sts and 2x 2nds next year, they can pretty much reset their entire team with 8-10 young players as their new core like they did with Wilson and Wagner's year group. Obviously, it makes sense for both teams at this time, but for the long term, it seems like Seattle has a better shot. Both teams finished 7-10 last year. If Seattle couldn't make it work with Wilson in Seattle, what is going to change in Denver? Chubb is due for a huge extension and the expectation is for Wilson to sign a huge long-term deal in Denver. So is that enough to pass KC, LAC, TEN, and BUF because they won't have any first or second-rounders for the next two years. For the Broncos, they not only have the most difficult path to a SB in the AFC West, they now have a new coaching staff and a new starting QB. So there is zero continuity, and who knows what the defense will look like without Fangio and Von Miller.

Man if we got Zion AND Bell, that would be sweet.

It feels like this has become a really deep draft. If Olave or Johnson are not available at 39, I would love to see Poles trade down. To get back a late 2nd and a 3rd, Poles would need to trade back to between 54-57 (NE, ARZ, DAL, and BUF) who all still have their 3rd rounder in the same range. It would be 39 for 54 & 85 (NE), 55 & 87 (ARZ), 56 & 88 (DAL), or 57 & 89 (BUF). 15-18 slots seems a little steep but it would give the Bears 3 picks in the top 90. For a 2nd and a 4th, Poles can go with CLE at 44/117, BAL 45/118, IND 47/121, or LAC 48/122. Without a 4th, it almost makes more sense to see if you can move down in one of the second group scenarios (say BAL who has 3x 4th rounders) to end up with 45, 71, 118, 148, and 150 in the first 5 rounds. Another scenario is keeping 39, then moving down from 71 in the 3rd to recoup a 4th. If you move down in the 2nd, it's about 5-8 slots for a 4th. In the 3rd, it's about 9-11 slots which seems like a slightly better value. The Bears could slide back to HOU 80/136, IND 82/121, or PHI 83/123. Philly looks like a great candidate as they have a ton of picks. The best scenario would be trading back with 39 AND 71. That could yield something like this: 45, 83, 118, 123, 148, 150 in the first 5 rounds. Very few teams get 6 players in the top 150. If some trades went thru, I would also not be opposed to moving back from 123 or 150 and picking up another late 5th or 6th rounder since the Bears don't have a 7th rounder.

Noteboom, Whitehair, Johnson, Borom, Jenkins? Another possibility is bringing back Daniels to play Center, then going with something like: Noteboom, Whitehair, Daniels, Johnson, Jenkins with Borom as the swing tackle.

Good catch yourself with Gallup. I totally missed him due to the production drop off with the injury. So yeah, Wilson looks even better coming in as a WR3/4 with those numbers. I am not seeing him as a WR1, but as an upgrade at WR3/4 compared to Byrd or Goodwin.