Former Jets, Bears RB Matt Forte Retires
Matt Forte is moving on to the next chapter. On Wednesday, the Jets running back announced his retirement from football. 
“For the past ten years, I’ve been blessed to play professionally a game that I’ve loved since I was 6 years old,” Forte wrote. “But, after much prayer and reflection, I’ve decided to retire from the NFL. Like so many others before me, this game has enhanced my life in numerous ways. My career in the league has been nothing short of a miracle granted by God and put on display for His glory.”
Forte had one more year to go on his contract with the Jets, but it was widely anticipated that the team would release him this offseason in order to save $3MM with just $1MM in dead money. In theory, Forte could have sought employment as an RB2, but the 32-year-old is opting to leave the game altogether.
Forte spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Bears where he built a reputation as a workhorse running back who could also contribute heavily in the passing game. When the Bears informed Forte that he would not be retained, he signed a three-year, $12MM free agent deal with the Jets.
Unfortunately, his second act in New York was not as productive. Forte averaged 3.7 yards per carry in each of his two seasons in green and was lost one-quarter of his final campaign to injury.
Since entering the NFL in 2008, Forte has led the league in total yards from scrimmage in that span with 14,468.
Bears To Cut LB Willie Young
Mike Glennon isn’t the only Bears player getting his pink slip today. Bears GM Ryan Pace also announced that linebacker Willie Young will be released. 
Young, 33 in September, was a key cog in Chicago’s defense since joining the team in 2014. He has made 50 appearances for the Bears and he was an absolute sack machine for the most part with 26 over that span.
Unfortunately, Young suffered a torn triceps muscle in October which landed him on IR. Between the injury and the $4.5MM that could be saved by cutting him, it wasn’t a tough decision for Pace. The Bears will give themselves additional flexibility heading into free agency with just $900K in dead money left on the cap.
If Young chooses to continue playing, he should find healthy interest from teams in need of a 3-4 edge rusher. This past season was a trying one, but he has bounced back from injury before. Young tore one of his Achilles’ tendons late in the 2014 season and bounced back to play a complete and successful campaign in 2015. In that 2015 season, Young had 6.5 sacks and 30 tackles.
Bears To Cut QB Mike Glennon
The Bears will release Mike Glennon this offseason, GM Ryan Pace told reporters on Wednesday morning. By cutting Glennon, the Bears will save $11.5MM against the cap with $4.5MM in dead money remaining. 
The Bears were widely criticized last offseason when they signed Glennon to a three-year, $45MM contract. Despite entering the league in 2013, Glennon had limited on-field experience. As a rookie, Glennon started 13 games for the Bucs, completing 59.4% of his passes for 2,608 yards, 19 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. But, between 2015 and 2016, Glennon threw just eleven passes as Jameis Winston’s understudy. Glennon got his big money deal with a 5-13 record as a starting QB.
Glennon’s second run as a starting QB did not last long either. Six weeks after signing Glennon, the Bears shocked the world by trading up to draft UNC signal caller Mitch Trubisky. One month into the season, Glennon got the hook in favor of the No. 2 overall pick. Glennon will once again be a free agent, this time with a 6-16 career record as a starter.
Glennon, 28, earned $18.5MM for his four starts in Chicago. The deal was a bust in retrospect, but to the Bears’ credit, they did structure the deal to give themselves an easy out after one season.
Salary Cap Rollover For All 32 NFL Teams
This week, the NFLPA updated its salary cap report to include the rollover amounts for all 32 teams in the NFL. The Browns, as expected, lead the league in $58.9MM in cap space rolled over from the previous season. Here is the full rundown of each team’s rollover amounts:
After the Browns, the 49ers ($56MM), Titans ($30.3MM), Jaguars ($27.8MM), and Jets ($17.3MM) boast the highest rollover amounts in the league. The Dolphins ($69K), Saints ($287K), Giants ($365K), Eagles ($514K), and the Seahawks ($547K) have the least amount of rollover. In total, teams carried over nearly $340MM from last season, good for an average of $10.6MM per club.
Bears Cut Pernell McPhee, Quintin Demps
The Bears cut ties with two veteran defenders on Monday, releasing linebacker Pernell McPhee and safety Quintin Demps.
Demps played merely a few games with the Bears, while McPhee suffered through an injury-plagued three-season stretch in Chicago. The Bears will save $7.1MM by cutting McPhee, who had two years remaining on his five-year deal, and will create $3.26MM in space by jettisoning Demps.
Knee problems limited McPhee during his time in Chicago, but the former Ravens defender was one of the most sought-after free agents in 2015. He did not live up to the contract he signed with the Bears, missing 12 games over the past three seasons and starting just five over the past two.
The 29-year-old defender came off the PUP list in September and finished last season on IR. McPhee registered 14 sacks for the Bears but will not play with the team outside of the John Fox era.
Demps started just three games before going on IR last season. He joined the Bears after some solid seasons with the Texans, including a six-interception contract year in 2016. The 10-year veteran will turn 33 before next season.
The Bears’ cap space will balloon north of $50MM because of these transactions.
Bears Notes: McPhee, Fuller
Pernell McPhee is unlikely to be back with the Bears unless he accepts a pay cut, ESPN.com’s Jeff Dickerson writes. The outside linebacker has been plagued by knee problems since joining Chicago in 2015 and the team can save $7.075MM by cutting him with just $1MM in dead money. A revised deal makes more sense, Dickerson argues, since the team needs him for keeping the locker room in check.
- There is much debate about whether the Bears should use the franchise tag on cornerback Kyle Fuller, but the transition tag might make more sense in this instance, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune writes. The franchise tag value at cornerback is projected to cost roughly $15MM, while the transition tag will be closer to $13MM. The transition tag means that the Bears would not receive draft compensation if another team inked Fuller to an offer sheet, but they would have the right of first refusal and they have enough cap space to match any reasonable proposal.
- On Tuesday, we learned that the Bears will decline Josh Sitton‘s option for 2018.
Bears To Decline Option For Josh Sitton
The Bears will decline their 2018 option on guard Josh Sitton, meaning he’ll become a free agent next month, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link).
Sitton had been scheduled to collect $8MM cash in 2018: $7.4MM in base salary, $500K in roster bonus, and $100K in workout bonus. All told, Sitton would have counted for roughly $8.573MM on the Bears’ 2018 salary cap. By declining Sitton’s option, Chicago will create nearly $8MM in additional cap space.
The 31-year-old Sitton originally joined the Bears in 2016 after surprisingly being released by the division rival Packers. Although minor health issues have been a concern, Sitton has been outstanding in the Windy City. Just last season, Sitton ranked as the the fifth-best guard in the league, per Pro Football Focus, and his marks have remained steady throughout the duration of his career.
Going forward, the Bears will have a hole to fill at left guard without Sitton in tow. Chicago has the option of moving 2015 third-round pick Hroniss Grasu to guard, or shifting 2016 second-rounder Cody Whitehair back to guard and allowing Grasu to play the pivot. Alternatively, the Bears might look to replace Sitton with another free agent, or a draft pick who is not yet on the roster.
Although Sitton is over the age of 30, it’s hard to argue he’s not one of the best guards available on the open market. He likely won’t command the sort of years or dollars that Andrew Norwell will, but Sitton could make for a sensible veteran option for a number of clubs with issues along the interior.
Bears To Release LB Jerrell Freeman
The Bears will release linebacker Jerrell Freeman, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk (Twitter link).
Freeman, 31, inked a three-year pact with Chicago prior to the 2016 campaign, but injuries and suspensions have limited him to only 13 total games over the past two years. Last season, Freeman suffered a torn pectoral in Week 1 and was subsequently banned for 10 games due to his second performance-enhancing drug bust. That suspension will carry over to 2018, as Freeman will miss the first two games of next season.
While the 2017 season was a lost cause, Freeman was excellent from 2015-16 with the Colts and Bears, as Pro Football Focus assigned him grades of 90+ in both years. The Bears are likely aiming to get younger of the defensive side of the ball, meaning Freeman wasn’t a fit at his $3.5MM base salary, but he could potentially land a new deal with another club. Given that he’s a vested veteran, Freeman won’t have to pass through waivers and is free to sign with another team immediately.
The Bears, meanwhile, will move forward with Danny Trevathan and Nick Kwiatkoski at inside linebacker following Freeman’s release. As Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune recently wrote, Chicago wants to give opportunity to Kwaitkoski, a 2016 fourth-round selection who has started 13 games during his career.
2018 NFL Franchise Tag Candidates
Starting today, NFL teams will be able to place franchise and transition tags on potential free agents for the first time. While the window for franchise tags is open, most clubs won’t actually tag any players right away.
As our list of important dates for the 2018 offseason shows, the deadline for teams to assign those tags doesn’t come until Tuesday, March 6. Usually, when it comes to NFL contract discussions, deadlines spur action, so teams will wait until that deadline approaches to officially use franchise tags, once it becomes clear that they won’t be able to strike a longer-term deal yet with their respective free-agents-to-be.
Even though the action might not heat up for a couple more weeks, it’s worth taking a closer look at what to expect during 2018’s franchise tag period. The NFL hasn’t officially announced the salary cap figure for 2017, but OverTheCap.com recently projected the 2018 franchise tag salaries based on a presumed $178MM cap. Here are the expected non-exclusive franchise tag amounts:
- Quarterback: $23.09MM
- Running back: $11.72MM
- Wide receiver: $16.23MM
- Tight end: $10.36MM
- Offensive line: $14.54MM
- Defensive end: $17.52MM
- Defensive tackle: $14.53MM
- Linebacker: $15.47MM
- Cornerback: $14.88MM
- Safety: $11.08MM
- Punter/kicker: $5.06MM
(For a refresher on the characteristics of the exclusive and non-exclusive franchise tags, as well as the transition tag, be sure to check out PFR’s glossary entry on the subject.)
Here’s our look at the most likely candidates to be tagged, along with several more outside possibilities:
Virtual Locks:
- Le’Veon Bell, RB, Steelers: Last offseason, things got pretty weird between the Steelers and Bell. Just before the deadline to extend franchise tagged players, the Steelers believed that they had agreed on a five-year offer worth roughly $60MM. Ultimately, Bell backed out because he did not find the guarantees and cash flow to be to his liking. Soon after, friend and former teammate Ike Taylor said that Bell wanted a contract that reflects his performance as both a No. 1 back and a No. 2 receiver – something in the neighborhood of $15MM per year.
This year, Bell topped his 75 catch total with 85 grabs, so one has to imagine that his position hasn’t changed. Despite some retirement threats in January, Bell has indicated that talks are going better this time around. Here’s where things get interesting – the Steelers say that today (Feb. 20) is the “deadline” for a long-term deal to get signed. If not, they’ll go ahead and franchise tag him for a second consecutive season, leaving Bell with a one-year, $14.5MM pact when factoring in the 20% increase. Will Bell buckle and sign a deal that isn’t quite to his satisfaction? In theory, the running back could abstain from offseason activities and even reboot retirement talk in an effort to get the Steelers to cave and abide by the real extension deadline on July 16. - Demarcus Lawrence, DE, Cowboys: It has already been reported that the Cowboys will go ahead and tag Lawrence to prevent him from reaching free agency. Once that happens, you can expect the cash-strapped Cowboys to get to work on an extension that will smooth out the $17.5MM cap hit for defensive ends. There won’t be much drama as to whether the Cowboys will or won’t tag Lawrence, but the subsequent multi-year negotiations will be interesting to watch. Lawrence had a rocky first three seasons in the NFL, but he stepped up big in his contract year with 14.5 sacks. The Cowboys must be willing to pay Lawrence like a top DE, but they may insist on protections like an easy escape hatch or heavy roster bonuses in the event that he is injured or suspended.
Strong Candidates:
- Sammy Watkins, WR, Rams: As our own Micah Powell explained on Sunday, Watkins is a candidate for the tag with mutual interest on both sides in continuing their union. Committing major dollars to Watkins is dicey, however, given his injury history and his somewhat disappointing stat line in 2017. If the Rams let Watkins hit the open market, they’ll risk losing him to other teams with more wiggle room under the salary cap. In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. And in a weak crop of free agent wide receivers, Watkins could clean up and leave the Rams without an obvious replacement.
- Allen Robinson, WR, Jaguars: Tagging Watkins will be a tough call for the Rams and the Jaguars have a similarly difficult decision to make when it comes to Robinson. Robinson played only three snaps in 2017 before going down with a torn ACL and he didn’t set the world on fire in 2016. However, his 2015 performance – 80 catches, 1,400 yards, and a league-leading 14 touchdowns – makes it hard for Jacksonville to let him walk. In theory, the Jaguars could re-sign fellow free agent Marqise Lee and let Robinson go, but Robinson is clearly the more talented of the two and one could argue that Lee’s late-season emergence was fueled by advantageous matchups. It’ll be pricey, but the Jaguars are suddenly in position to win and they can’t afford to let one of their best weapons bolt.
Toss Up:
- Kyle Fuller, CB, Bears: Frankly, I’m conflicted on this one. I’m sure Bears GM Ryan Pace can relate. Fuller turned in a strong rookie campaign and an excellent contract year, but he was a victim of the sophomore jinx and an unfortunate knee injury which cost him his entire season as an NFL junior. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com hears that Fuller will not be with the Bears this year. But, considering that Fuller graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 22 ranked cornerback and the position is already a major area of need for the team, the Bears have to at least think about tagging him for $14.88MM.
- Ezekiel Ansah, DE, Lions: Ansah has performed pretty well over the last two seasons, despite playing through some serious pain. The Lions probably aren’t thrilled about extending a one-year, $17.5MM tender to Ansah, but pressure generating edge rushers like him are at a premium. Consider this: Ansah tallied 12 sacks last year despite knee, ankle, and back ailments. Only seven players topped that total: Chandler Jones, Calais Campbell, DeMarcus Lawrence, Everson Griffen, Cam Jordan, Ryan Kerrigan, and Joey Bosa.
- Case Keenum, QB, Vikings: Is one year as an elite quarterback enough to justify the franchise tag? Maybe, but the Vikings have options at their disposal, including two other pending free agents already on the roster. If the Vikings can’t retain Keenum or Bradford or Bridgewater with a reasonable multi-year deal between now and free agency, they can use their mountain of cap space to get involved in the Cousins sweepstakes.
- Sheldon Richardson, DT, Seahawks: The Jets had both Richardson and Muhammad Wilkerson under contract, but they could only afford to pay one of the two defensive linemen. Clearly, they chose wrong. For all of the headaches that Richardson gave the team, the five-year, $86MM deal given to Wilkerson wound up being a monumental mistake and will continue to be an albatross for the Jets even after they cut him this offseason. The Seahawks gave up a second-round choice and wide receiver Jermaine Kearse to get Richardson – will they make the same mistake and let him get away? Perhaps not, but it would also be a major gamble to tag him at $14.5MM with limited cap space and other holes to address. The best course of action here may be to try and work out a fresh deal without the franchise tag as a floor for Richardson’s camp. If that fails and the two sides can’t come to terms, the Seahawks can at least collect a 2019 compensatory pick.
Kyle Fuller A Bears Tag Candidate?
ESPN.com’s NFL Nation reporters took a crack at predicting how each team may use its franchise tag this offseason. Of note, Jeff Dickerson predicts the Bears will use their tag to retain free agent-to-be Kyle Fuller, despite a report he would not be returning to Chicago. The franchise tag for cornerbacks last season was $14.21MM. Other notable predictions included the Seahawks tagging Sheldon Richardson, the Dolphins placing their top tag on Jarvis Landry and the Giants keeping a key offensive line piece in Justin Pugh. All are among the top players at their respective positions set to hit unrestricted free agency. Miami tagging Landry would make for an interesting situation considering the fifth-year receiver and the Dolphins have been at an impasse about an extension for several months. This led to a report that Landry doesn’t believe he’ll be back in Miami. Landry’s also believed to want a deal in the $14MM-AAV range. With the wide receiver tag is expected to be worth approximately $16.2MM, Landry could be a candidate to sign a franchise tender early in the event the Dolphins proceed this way.