Lance Briggs Won’t Return To Bears
He won’t be released, like many other long-tenured players have been within the last week or two, but veteran linebacker Lance Briggs won’t return to the Bears for the 2015 season, reports Jen Lada of CSNChicago.com (via Twitter). Briggs is eligible for free agency, and it appears he’ll hit the open market and sign elsewhere.
Briggs, who entered the league as a third-round pick in 2003, has spent all 12 of his NFL seasons in Chicago, appearing in 173 total regular season games (170 starts) for the Bears. A Pro Bowler for seven straight seasons from 2005 to 2011, Briggs was a key piece on the defensive side of the ball for the Bears for more than a decade.
Within the last two seasons, however, the usually durable Briggs has missed 15 of 32 games, after missing just four total contests in his first 10 seasons. The veteran defender will also turn 35 this November, and the Bears – like they did with Brian Urlacher and Devin Hester in recent years – seem to have made the decision to move on.
Given the mileage he has piled up over the last 12 years, Briggs may not be viewed as a starter or a regular contributor by potential suitors this month, but I expect he’ll generate some interest as a part-time player and a source of veteran leadership. A reunion with former Bears head coach Lovie Smith in Tampa Bay is one possibility, though having played for 12 seasons, Briggs has connections to a number of other coaches around the league as well.
Bears Exploring Brandon Marshall Trade
11:08am: The Bears are asking for a mid-round draft pick in exchange for Marshall, tweets Rand Getlin of Yahoo! Sports.
10:20am: The Bears are exploring their trade options with regard to veteran wide receiver Brandon Marshall, reports Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. Biggs hears from one source that the team is shopping Marshall and is intent on moving him, while another source says the club is simply fielding calls on the wideout. Either way, Chicago seems prepared to move on without the former fourth-round pick in the mix.
Marshall, who turns 31 later this month, signed a three-year contract extension with the Bears last May that locks him up through the 2017 season. However, with Marc Trestman, Phil Emery, and the old regime out of the picture in Chicago, it appears that new GM Ryan Pace and head coach John Fox are more inclined to go in a different direction.
The Bears will likely have to make a decision on Marshall within the next week, as his $7.5MM base salary for 2015 is due to become fully guaranteed next Thursday. That would lock in the wideout at a $9.575MM cap number for the coming year.
Among potential suitors for Marshall, the Colts would be one interesting possibility. Jason Cole of Bleacher Report reported last week that Indianapolis has internally discussed the possibility of adding a veteran wideout, and Cole identified Marshall as one of the team’s top choices. It’s not clear what Chicago’s asking price would be, but one source suggests to Biggs that the Bears could seek a mid-round pick, which could be palatable for the Colts — they certainly have the cap space necessary to absorb Marshall’s salary.
It also remains unclear if the Bears will be willing to release Marshall if they can’t find a satisfactory deal, or if the team is open to the possibility of bringing him back for another season. With his March 12 guarantee date looming, we should have an answer to that question fairly soon.
FA Rumors: Cobb, Hartline, Branch, C. Williams
With 2015’s free agent period less than a week away, plenty of rumors are swirling around players who are set to become available on Tuesday, as well as players who have reached the open market early. Here’s the latest:
- According to Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Packers have told agent Jimmy Sexton that they’d be interested in signing wide receiver Randall Cobb for a five-year deal worth between $8MM and $9MM per year. Seemingly confident that his client will receive more lucrative offers on the open market, Sexton hasn’t accepted Green Bay’s proposal. “Sexton does a good job for his players,” one NFL team executive tells McGinn. “He measures the market well and knows how to create a market for his clients as well.”
- After visiting the Browns yesterday, wide receiver Brian Hartline headed to Chicago and is meeting with the Bears today, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Hartline’s visit in Cleveland “went really well,” per Florio, who says the ex-Dolphin hopes to decide on his new team within the next 24 hours. While other teams have shown interest in Hartline, it seems likely that the Browns and Bears would be the frontrunners if he anticipates a quick decision.
- Safety Tyvon Branch, whose release was made official by the Raiders this week, will visit the Colts, a source tells Conor Orr of NFL.com (Twitter link). Orr’s report suggests that Branch’s meeting with Indianapolis will be the first of several visits for the free agent defensive back.
- There has been heavy interest thus far in ex-Eagles cornerback Cary Williams, with a dozen teams contacting his agent since he was cut by Philadelphia, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. Williams, who is believed to have interest in a reunion with the Ravens, has also drawn interest from the Titans, who “kicked the tires” on the free agent corner, according to Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean (via Twitter).
- Jacoby Jones‘ next visit will be to San Diego to meet with the Chargers, a source tells Josina Anderson of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The veteran receiver and return man previously made trips to talk to the Bengals and the Titans.
- Lyons Yellin of WWL-TV in New Orleans tweets that he has heard rumblings about the Eagles being interested in Mark Ingram. With the club poised to send starting running back LeSean McCoy to Buffalo, its reported interest in Ingram certainly makes a little more sense.
WR Rumors: Marshall, V-Jax, Wallace, Harvin
With Reggie Wayne‘s NFL future still up in the air, the Colts have explored the possibility of bringing in a veteran wide receiver to start opposite T.Y. Hilton, says Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link). According to Cole, the team has internally discussed players like Brandon Marshall, Andre Johnson, Mike Wallace, and Vincent Jackson as potential targets. Not all of those players will become available in the next few weeks, but one or more could be traded or released, and if the Colts had their pick, Marshall may be their top choice, per Cole.
While we wait to see if any opportunities open up for the Colts, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com has a few more tidbits for us on the wide receiver market. Let’s dive in….
- Cole noted in the above video that Jackson likely isn’t going anywhere, and La Canfora agrees that it looks like he’ll be back with the Buccaneers. However, it doesn’t seem as if Jackson will be willing to take a pay cut, sources tell La Canfora.
- La Canfora also touches on the Marshall situation, noting that if a team were to call asking about a possible trade, “it’s not like [the Bears] wouldn’t pick up the phone.”
- According to multiple general managers, Wallace is the only wideout being “actively shopped” at the moment. The Dolphins continue to explore a deal, and La Canfora suggests Wallace himself would be interested in returning to the Steelers, though it’s not clear if that interest is mutual. $3MM of Wallace’s base salary for 2015 becomes guaranteed on March 13, so that may act as a deadline of sorts for Miami.
- Percy Harvin won’t accept a pay cut to stick with the Jets, and trading him would likely be impossible, so he looks like a good bet to be cut. If that happens, many teams would want to pick him up on a short-term deal, says La Canfora.
- We can expect the Dwayne Bowe situation to come to a head soon — paying him $11MM with a $14MM cap hit is a luxury the Chiefs can’t afford, so Bowe may be willing to accept a pay cut, knowing he won’t make close to that amount on the open market.
- With cap numbers for Anquan Boldin and Stevie Johnson on the rise, and Michael Crabtree and Brandon Lloyd eligible for free agency, La Canfora wouldn’t be surprised if only one of those four players returns to the 49ers for next season — if that.
- Johnson and the Texans had a bit of a stand-off a year ago, and with the veteran wideout carrying a $16MM into the 2015 season, the two sides may be headed for another interesting summer. La Canfora isn’t convinced Johnson will remain in Houston long-term, but says “time will tell.”
- Two Dolphins wideouts have already been released today, and according to Armando Salguero the Miami Herald (Twitter links), Rishard Matthews asked the team to be cut or traded as well. However, Miami has denied that request for now, says Salguero.
Bears Re-Sign Zach Miller
The Bears have kept tight end Zach Miller off the free agent market, extending his expiring contract today, according to an announcement from the team (via Twitter). Miller’s new deal is a one-year pact.
Miller, not to be confused with the Seahawks tight end who has the same name, saw his 2014 season come to an end before it even began, as he went down in August with a season-ending foot injury and spent the year on injured reserve. However, the Bears liked what they saw from Miller prior to that injury — he caught a pair of touchdowns in the team’s preseason opener.
Considering Miller had been on a minimum-salary contract in 2014, he’ll almost certainly make the minimum again on his new deal after sitting out the season. While the new agreement may include a little guaranteed money, it won’t be enough to assure of him anything heading into camp this summer.
NFC Notes: Peterson, Packers, Falcons, Dez
Refuting a portion of last night’s report from Jason Cole of Bleacher Report, Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press writes that Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has in fact not asked for a trade. Cole had indicated that Peterson prefers to play for the Cowboys, but sources tell Tomasson that isn’t the case. Perhaps more interestingly, Tomasson reports that the Vikings have not approached Peterson about taking a pay cut from his 2015 $12.75MM base salary. The 2012 NFL MVP recently said he was “uneasy” about a return to Minnesota, but Tomasson writes that Peterson is willing to return to the club.
Here’s more from the NFC:
- The Packers have not yet begun talks with free-agent-to-be Tramon Williams, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. The 32-year-old cornerback is coming off a season in which he started all 16 games and earned $6.9MM. In a thin CB market, he’s near the top of the list of available options. But sources tell Demovsky that general manager Ted Thompson is more focused on retaining two other pending Packers FAs, receiver Randall Cobb and tackle Bryan Bulaga.
- The Falcons will enter free agency with more than $25MM in cap space to work with, and as GM Thomas Dimitroff explains to D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the club is ready make upgrades. Specifically, Dimitroff noted that Atlanta could add several free agent pushers that would fit new coach Dan Quinn’s scheme.
- Dez Bryant is a prime candidate for the franchise tag, and while Cowboys owner Jerry Jones doesn’t expect the star pass-catcher to sulk if he is tagged, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk outlines how Bryant could turn the situation in his favor.
- The free agent receiver class will be exceptionally strong this offseason, leading Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times to examine how market factors could affect the Bears’ decision on Brandon Marshall.
Falcons, Bears Interested In David Harris
If David Harris hits the free agent market next month, the longtime Jets middle linebacker is expected to be among the most sought-after defenders available. Two of his possible suitors could be the Falcons and Bears, Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com tweeted Friday. According to McClure, both teams will “definitely” be interested in Harris should he become available on March 10.
The 31-year-old Harris has been a key piece for the Jets since they drafted him out of Michigan in 2007. The 2014 season, Harris’ eighth in the NFL, saw the 250-pounder play in a whopping 99% of defensive snaps for New York and total 124 tackles and six sacks.
Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reported earlier this week that the Jets aim to retain Harris, who is coming off a four-year, $36MM deal.
“I would say that David is a player we would very much like to get back in the mix,” said Jets general manager Mike Maccagnan at this week’s combine, according to Dom Cosentino of NJ.com.
If the Jets are unable to re-sign Harris, it seems either Atlanta or Chicago would make sense as destinations. Both finished in the the bottom three of the league in total defense last season. Moreover, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Harris would be an improvement over the clubs’ current starting middle linebackers – the Falcons’ Paul Worrilow and the Bears’ D.J. Williams.
Bears Re-Sign Demontre Hurst
The Bears have reached an agreement with cornerback Demontre Hurst that extends his contract for two more years, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter).
Hurst, who will turn 24 next month, had been an exclusive rights free agent after signing a one-year deal with the Bears back in September. The Oklahoma product was an unexpected contributor on defense, totaling 40 tackles to go along with an interception and a forced fumble. For the season, Hurst played 373 defensive snaps.
By inking a two-year deal, which will almost certainly be worth the minimum salary, Hurst will be locked up through the 2016 season, after which he’ll be eligible for restricted free agency.
North Notes: Skrine, Lions, Hoyer, Guion
Yesterday, Tony Pauline of DraftInsider.net reported that he’s hearing the cornerback market could be very player-friendly this offseason, with multiple teams potentially looking to sign more than one free agent corner. Today, Pauline provides some predictions for specific players, tweeting that he’s hearing numbers in the $10MM-per-year range for Seahawks cornerback Byron Maxwell. I expressed skepticism last month when a report suggested that sources close to Maxwell had thrown out figures in the $12-13MM range, but even a $10MM annual salary would indicate a robust market.
Pauline adds (via Twitter) that he’s also heard a $6.5MM annual figure being “thrown around” for Browns cornerback Buster Skrine. Skrine received the worst Pro Football Focus grade of any of Cleveland’s top four CBs (subscription required), but also played the most defensive snaps of the group, and held his own as a starter when Justin Gilbert wasn’t quite ready to play across from Joe Haden.
As we wait to see whether Skrine actually does that well on his new deal, let’s check in on a few more updates from across the NFL’s North divisions….
- In his preview of the Lions‘ offseason, Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap suggests that the team would be best off letting Ndamukong Suh walk, since Detroit has very little spending flexibility with its current “Big Three” structure, and it’s hard to picture the team having long-term success with that approach. Fitzgerald views Nick Fairley as a more prudent investment at defensive tackle.
- Based on his comments to reporters at the combine on Thursday, it appears that Browns GM Ray Farmer is continuing to give free agent quarterback Brian Hoyer the cold shoulder, writes Tony Grossi of ESPNCleveland.com. While it may be a negotiating ploy, it doesn’t look like the Browns will be re-signing the veteran signal-caller.
- The legal issues for Packers free agent defensive lineman Letroy Guion are expected to resolved very soon, perhaps within the next few days, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN.com. Getting closure on that situation prior to the free agent period would be a win for Guion and for teams with interest in him.
- Bears GM Ryan Pace was fairly noncommittal when discussing potential contract extensions for players like Matt Forte and Alshon Jeffery, but admitted “it’s a slow process,” according to Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com.
Offseason Outlook: Chicago Bears
Pending free agents:
- Lance Briggs, LB
- Eben Britton, OL
- Jeremy Cain, LS
- Jimmy Clausen, QB
- Chris Conte, S
- Brian De La Puente, C
- Jay Feely, K
- Danny McCray, S
- Sherrick McManis, CB
- Zach Miller, TE
- Josh Morgan, WR
- Montell Owens, FB
- Stephen Paea, DT
- Dante Rosario, TE
- Trevor Scott, DE
- Darryl Sharpton, LB
- Charles Tillman, CB
- D.J. Williams, LB
Top 10 2015 cap hits:
- Jay Cutler, QB: $16,500,000
- Jared Allen, DE: $12,500,000
- Brandon Marshall, WR: $9,575,000
- Matt Forte, RB: $9,200,000
- Jermon Bushrod, T: $8,050,000
- Lamarr Houston, DE: $6,990,000
- Martellus Bennett, TE: $6,125,000
- Tim Jennings, CB: $5,250,000
- Robbie Gould, K: $3,600,000
- Matt Slauson, G: $3,267,500
Notable coaching changes:
- Head coach: John Fox replaces Marc Trestman
- Offensive coordinator: Adam Gase replaces Aaron Kromer
- Defensive coordinator: Vic Fangio to replace Mel Tucker
Draft:
- No. 7 overall pick
- Owe fifth-round pick to Broncos in deal for Brock Vereen.
Other:
- Current projected cap room (via Over the Cap): $26.28MM
- Must exercise or decline fifth-year option for 2016 for DE/OLB Shea McClellin.
- Top extension candidates: Matt Forte, Alshon Jeffery
Overview
After firing head coach Lovie Smith and replacing him with Marc Trestman heading into the 2013 season, the Bears actually regressed record-wise, falling from 10 wins in 2012 to eight in 2013. But win-loss record aside, things were looking up in Chicago, as Trestman seemingly molded an offense that played to the strengths of quarterback Jay
Cutler and his primary receivers, Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery. The Bears finished second in scoring and eighth in yards, good for a No. 6 rating in Football Outsiders’ DVOA.
But with a postseason berth looming as realistic goal for the 2014 season, the offense cratered amid reports of discord in the locker room, as Cutler threw a league-leading 18 interceptions and was thrown under the bus by offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer. The entire unit struggled, falling to 23rd in scoring, 21st in yards, and 14th in DVOA. The defense, which general manager Phil Emery augmented with free agent additions like Lamarr Houston and Jared Allen, was also lackluster, finishing 31st in points allowed and 30th in yards allowed (but surprisingly 14th in DVOA). Entering the year with high expectations, Chicago ultimately limped to a 5-11 record, good for last in the NFC South.
Coaching/Front Office Changes
From the outset, Trestman was an unconventional hire — he’d been out the NFL for nearly a decade when he was given the Bears HC job, and had been coaching in the CFL for the prior five seasons. Insiders worried at the time of the hire that Trestman might lack the skills required to command an NFL locker room, and while confirmation bias could definitely be at playe here, it’s fair to wonder if Trestman’s personality played a role in the team’s downfall. Issues such as these are tough to judge from an outsider’s perspective, and regardless, it’s safe to say Chicago’s on-the-field performance was sufficiently poor enough to warrant Trestman’s dismissal.
It’s a little easier to judge the performance of Emery, as many of the moves he made to supplement a decent Bears core simply didn’t work out, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Signed to a five-year, $35MM contract, Houston was mostly ineffective before tearing his ACL in October after celebrating a sack while Chicago was losing by 25 points. Allen, meanwhile, was handed $32MM over four years, and while he was more of a contributor than Houston, $32MM (including $15.5MM guaranteed) is a lot of money for a player who turns 33 in April. But the move that probably sealed Emery’s fate was the seven-year extension handed to Cutler, which we’ll delve into below.
Following the firing of Trestman and Emery in late December, the Bears settled on former Saints executive Ryan Pace as their new GM after a search that saw Chicago meet with Chris Ballard of the Chiefs, Brian Gaine of the Dolphins, and Lake Dawson of the Titans. At 37, Pace becomes the youngest general manager in the league. It’s fair to wonder if Pace will employ the same sort of contract structures in Chicago that often led the Saints to having little or no cap space, but given that Pace’s title was player personnel director, he probably doesn’t deserve blame for New Orleans’ cap woes.
Aside from the Broncos, the Bears interviewed the fewest candidates of any club searching for a new head coach. Chicago was one of only two teams who were replacing its general manager in addition to its HC, so it’s possible they wanted to have Pace in place before getting too deep into its coaching hunt. But it’s also conceivable the Bears simply got lucky, as just four days after Denver parted ways with John Fox, Chicago scooped him up, signing the 60-year-old to a four-year contract. Fox, entering his 14th season as an NFL head coach, will bring Adam Gase with him from Denver to head up the offense, while adding former 49ers DC Vic Fangio to lead the defense (and shift to a 3-4 scheme).
Quarterback Situation
“What do we do about Jay?” is the key question surely on the mind of Pace, Fox, and every fan in the Windy City. After Cutler was benched for the penultimate game of the 2014 season, many figured his tenure in Chicago was all but over; he eventually started the season finale after backup Jimmy Clausen suffered a concussion, but after a season in which the 31-year-old Cutler rated as the league’s No. 32 QB per Pro Football Focus (subscription required), it was assumed that the club was ready to move on.
But it’s possible (and even likely) that Cutler’s seven-year, $126.7MM extension that runs through 2020 won’t allow the Bears to throw in the towel just yet. Cutler’s deal contains a fully guaranteed $38MM, which includes his 2015 salary of $15.5MM. That figure, along with the prorated portions of his signing bonus, would leave Chicago with $19.5MM in dead money if it chose to release its quarterback — keeping Cutler on the roster, however, would cost just $16.5MM. Designating Cutler as a post-June 1 cut would leave his 2015 cap hit at $16.5MM, so the Bears would again realize no cap relief.
Realistically, Chicago can’t release Cutler this year, as the cap hit would simply be too high for a player not on the roster. The only alternative, then, would be to trade Cutler, which would reduce his 2015 dead money to just $4MM, saving the Bears $12.5MM in ’15 cap space. Cutler would presumably be in high demand given the paucity of available QBs, as the Buccaneers, Browns, Titans, Bills, and Jets are among the clubs that could have interest (and the cap space required) to acquire the veteran signal-caller.
The central argument against trading Cutler is simply the scarcity of competent starting quarterbacks. The free agent QB market doesn’t offer many inspiring options, as the likes of Mark Sanchez, Brian Hoyer, and Josh McCown (who the Bears met with yesterday) aren’t improvements over Cutler. Similarly, the draft lacks quarterback depth, and as holders of the seventh overall pick, the Bears probably won’t get a shot at Jameis Winston or Marcus Mariota without trading up. So without a viable alternative, Chicago’s best course of action might be to ride out 2015 with Cutler, hope for the best, and re-evaluate the situation next offseason.
While Cutler’s future is mostly conjecture for now, neither Pace nor Fox sound too enthused about committing to Cutler for the foreseeable future. Speaking at the combine yesterday, Pace refused to call Cutler the Bears’ starting QB, and said the club would take its time with its evaluations. Fox, meanwhile, was also non-committal, telling reporters, “We’re not up against a deadline…We’ll keep you posted.” The head coach later added: “I don’t think there’s any question there’s ability and talent there but there’s a lot more that goes into it.”
Key Free Agents
While Cutler figures to be the main offseason storyline in Chicago, the Bears do have several players who will hit the open market next month unless new contracts are worked out. From a sentimental standpoint, the most important pending free agents are longtime Bears Lance Briggs and Charles Tillman. Briggs, 34, played in only eight games last season but was the Bears’ third-best defender per PFF, while Tillman, who turns 34 on Monday, appeared in just two games before injuring his triceps. Neither should be priorities as Chicago looks to remake its defense, and I wouldn’t expect either to return in 2015, although Briggs would make more sense, if only on a one-year deal.
The Bears’ most important FA will be defensive tackle Stephen Paea, who if re-signed, would probably need to shift to defensive end in Fangio’s 3-4 look — at 6’1″ and 300 pounds, he has the size to do so. The 26-year-old graded as the No. 11 DT in the league according to PFF, although his sub-par run grade is a bit concerning, given that 3-4 ends’ primary responsibility is to defend the run. The interior defensive line market is flush with options, so Paea could face some competition, but he could command a salary of around $5MM. At that price, Chicago might instead opt to consider players who have more experience in the 3-4.
Safety Chris Conte, who like Tillman has a birthday on Monday (but is eight years younger) is also a free agent. He offers youth (he’s entering his age-26 season) and experience (more than 600 snaps in each of his first three seasons), but he’s dealt with shoulder injuries throughout his career and has produced at merely an average level. In 2014, Conte graded as the No. 63 safety among 87 qualifiers per PFF. He’d been better than that in the two seasons prior, but he’s always been in the middle of the pack relative to his peers. He could make sense as a reserve (especially given the weak safety market), but the Bears should look to upgrade.
Only four more Bears free agents saw more than 200 snaps in 2014. Linebacker D.J. Williams, receiver Josh Morgan, and tight end Dante Rosario were all ineffective last year, and Chicago will probably move on from that trio. But offensive lineman Brian De La Puente had a very successful season in ’14 during which he saw 501 snaps, mostly while filling in at center for Roberto Garza during the early portion of the year. De La Puente is only 28 years old and had to surprisingly accept a one-year deal for the minimum salary benefit last offseason. The Bears extended Garza through 2015, so it’s possible that De La Puente will look for a starting job elsewhere. Otherwise, he’d offer valuable depth along Chicago’s offensive line.
Possible Cap Casualties
With more than $26MM of cap space to work with, the Bears don’t have to make any drastic moves to create more financial flexibility. Chicago’s only pressing issue will be deciding the fate of receiver Brandon Marshall, who is due a 2015 base salary of $7.5MM and scheduled to count $9.575MM against the cap. Releasing him now would give the Bears $3.95MM worth of cap space, while designating him as a post-June 1 cut would create $7.7MM in savings. The 30-year-old Marshall was among the NFL’s best receivers as recently as 2013, but last season saw him catch just 61 passes for 721 yards, and he missed the final three games with broken ribs.
Marshall’s 2015 salary becomes guaranteed on the third day of the 2015 league year, so the Bears need to make a decision on his future before then. The club could conceivably ask him to take a pay cut, but I’d guess that Marshall would prefer to hit the open market rather than accept a salary decrease. If Chicago doesn’t want to retain Marshall, it could opt to explore a trade, which would create the same amount of cap space as a release.
The only other conceivable cut would be guard Matt Slauson, who played well in 2013, but struggled in 2014 before tearing his pectoral in October. He’ll only count about $3.3MM in 2015, however, so I’m guessing the Bears will retain him and hope for a bounce-back season.
Positions Of Need
Nearly every position on the Bears’ defense could use a talent infusion, and given that Fangio will install a new scheme, adding new players is doubly important. The defensive line will need to be revamped, and even if Paea is re-signed, Chicago will need to find nose tackle to anchor the middle of the line. Fox knows Terrance Knighton from their days in Denver, but as the top NT available, Pot Roast will garner a hefty sum. Cheaper options include Dan Williams and B.J. Raji, each of whom is on the right side of 30 and has experience in the 3-4. Raji, in particular, will probably command only a modest salary on a one-year deal after missing the entire 2014 season.
Linebacker could also afford an upgrade, starting with the inside. If the Bears are looking for an early-down run stuffer, there are several options available, including Rey Maualuga, Brandon Spikes, and again playing to the Fox/Broncos connection, Nate Irving. David Harris is also a free agent, but most expect him to stay with the Jets or follow Rex Ryan to the Bills. The edge rushing market is more robust, as while top FA Justin Houston is unlikely to hit free agency, players like Jerry Hughes, Brian Orakpo, and Pernell McPhee are. Someone like Orakpo or Jabaal Sheard could be an interesting add on a short-term deal, as could Akeem Ayers if he doesn’t re-up with the Patriots. Additionally, if the 49ers cut any of Patrick Willis, NaVorro Bowman, or Ahmad Brooks, I’d expect Fangio to push for the Bears to sign them.
Pickings are slim at safety, but the Bears desperately need someone to play alongside Ryan Mundy. Like most of the league, Chicago would love to bring in Devin McCourty, but he’s expected to see the franchise tag in New England. Former Bronco Rahim Moore would make sense, while veteran Antrel Rolle would be a stabilizing presence in the back end. Da’Norris Searcy is said to be looking for larger role than the Bills have given him, and he’d be a smart sign for the Bears, as would Mike Adams or Dawan Landry, each of whom rated among PFF’s top-10 safeties. If the Buccaneers are still trying to trade Dashon Goldson, he could be an option for Chicago given his history with Fangio.
At corner, the Bears are set with Kyle Fuller at one spot and veteran Tim Jennings in the slot, but they could use one more pass defender to play opposite Fuller. Adding veteran Tramon Williams on a short-term pact could be worthwhile, while fellow Packer Davon House could offer some untapped upside and youth (he’s entering his age-25 season). Both Perrish Cox and Chris Culliver have familiarity with Fangio’s scheme, and given the relative lack of draftable corner options, I’d expect the Bears to add at least one CB in free agency.
Needs on the offense aren’t as numerous, but small upgrades could be made here and there. Right tackle Jordan Mills struggled in 2014, but given that he’ll be entering only his third season in the NFL, I’d wager the Bears will give him another opportunity at starting. But depth along the line could be augmented, as rookie Michael Ola was unspectacular in filling in at numerous positions. Reserve options could be added at quarterback, running back, and receiver, but I’d expect the Bears to target these positions in the draft, where the OL and WR positions in particular are said to be deep.
Extension Candidate/Contract Decisions
As a 2012 draft pick, Jeffery is now eligible for an extension; because he wasn’t drafted in the first round, however, Jeffery isn’t attached to a fifth-year option, so his contract ends after 2015. The Bears could use the franchise tag on him, but a long-term deal could be best for both sides, especially if the club moves on from Marshall. Having average 87 receptions, 1,277 yards, and eight touchdowns over the past two years, the 25-year-old Jeffery should be in for a large raise. Any extensions inked by Demaryius Thomas or Dez Bryant in the coming months should set a ceiling for Jeffery, but he could probably command close to $12MM annually.
Running back Matt Forte is also entering the final year of his contract which has paid him an AAV of $7.6MM. Forte has been both productive and remarkably consistent during his NFL career, and is among the best pass-catching backs in the league. But he’ll be 30 years old entering next offseason, and there could be some concern about the tread on his tires. Still, given that he’s scheduled to count $8.2MM against the cap in ’15, the Bears could offer him a short-term extension in the hopes of creating some immediate financial wiggle room.
The Bears do have a fifth-year option on Shea McClellin, but there’s almost no chance it gets exercised. McClellin has struggled to find a position on defense in his three years in the league, and hasn’t been effective in any role.
Overall Outlook
The Bears have a lot of work to do this offseason, and with a new GM, head coach, and coordinators in place, this club could look a lot different (particularly on defense) come the regular season. But until the club definitively decides what to do with Cutler, little else will make headlines in Chicago. If they do trade Cutler, the Bears could be looking at a full-scale rebuild until they find a new starting quarterback. If they keep Cutler around, they’ll need to add several pieces to their defense and hope that an infusion of talent will lead to better results. Either way, it could be a tough road to relevancy in an NFC North that features two playoff teams in the Packers and Lions, as well as the Vikings, who look to be on the rise themselves.
Information from Over The Cap was used in the creation of this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.