My Best Guess Before Christmas Offseason

[WindyCity]

2020 Cap Space: 14 million

Releases: [23.3 million saved]

OG Kyle Long 8.1 million
CB Prince Amukamara 8 million
WR Taylor Gabriel 4.5 million
TE Adam Shaheen 1.2 million
TE Ben Braunecker 1.5 million

Cap Room: 37.3 million

Extensions [7 million saved]

WR Allen Robinson [Mike Evans] [+9 million]
Old Money: 1 year 15 million
New Money: 4 years 68 million/38 guaranteed
Total Money: 5 years 83 million/38 guaranteed

Year 1: 3 GS/3 SB [6]
Year 2: 1 Salary/3 GSI/3 SB/3 RB [10]
Year 3: 5 Salary/3 GSI/3 SB/ 3 RB [14]
Year 4: 10 Salary/3 SB/3 RB [16]
Year 5: 14 Salary/3 SB [17]

S Eddie Jackson [Landon Collins] [-5 million]
Old Money: 1 year 2 million
New Money: 5 years 73 million/46 guaranteed/26 signing/15 signing bonus
Total Money: 6 years 74 million/45 guaranteed

Year 1: 4 GS/3 SB [7]
Year 2: 6 GS/3 SB [9]
Year 3: 4 salary/ 1 GS/3 SB/2 RB [13]
Year 4: 6 Salary/3 SB/6 RB [16]
Year 5: 7 salary/3 SB/6 RB [16]
Year 6: 10 salary/6 RB [15]

WR Cordarelle Patterson [+3 million]

Old Money: 1 year 5 million
New Money: 2 years 6 million/6 guaranteed
Total Money: 3 years 11 million/6 guaranteed/6 SB

Year 1: 2 SB [2]
Year 2: 2 Salary/2 SB [4]
Year 3: 3 Salary/2 SB [5]

Cap Room: 44.3 million

Re-signings: [19 million spent]

LB Nick Kwaitkowski 4 years 22 million/11 guaranteed/4 SB [3]

Younger, cheaper, and healthier than Trevathan who has been very good for the Bears. Kwik has looked very good in his time as a starter and seems to have improved his coverage ability.

Year 1: 3 GS/1 SB [4]
Year 2: 4 GS/1 SB [5]
Year 3: 5 Salary/1 SB [6]
Year 4: 6 Salary/1 SB [7]

S Deon Bush 3 years 10.5 million/4 guaranteed/ 3 SB [2]

The Bears need a reasonable priced SS to play beside Eddie Jackson and they need someone who can tackle consistently. Bush has shown he can tackle consistently and that he knows the defense and can produce at a much cheaper price tag than Dix.

Year 1: 1 GS/1 SB [2]
Year 2: 2 Salary/1 SB [3]
Year 3: 4.5 Salary/1 SB [5.5]

DE Nick Williams 3 years 6 million/3 guaranteed/3 signing bonus [2]

The Bears need to ensure that they maintain their DL depth and Williams has played well this year and shown more pass rush than any of us expected. A nice backup deal that keeps hi in the rotation seems fair.

Year 1: 1 Salary/1 SB [2]
Year 2: 1 Salary/1 SB [2]
Year 3: 1 Salary/1 SB [2]

OG Rashad Coward 1 years 1 million/250k guaranteed
OT Cornelius Lucas 1 years 1.5 million/500k guaranteed
LB Kevin Pierre-Louis 1 year 2 million/1 guaranteed
DE Brent Urban 1 year 1.5 million/500k guaranteed
LS Patrick Scales 1 year 1 million
S DHC 1 year 1 million

DE Roy Robertson-Harris [2nd Round Tender] [4]

Cap Room: 22.3 million

Free Agency [17.5 million spent]

QB Marcus Mariota [Tennessee] 1 year 5 million/5 guaranteed *500K/start bonus [8 million available] [5]

The Bears need someone to compete with Trubisky and be ready to start if he goes into the tank again. They need that player to be better than Chase Daniel, but also to not break the bank as money needs to be invested elsewhere on the offense. Mariota is the ideal candidate. He should not get a big multi year deal and he has enough talent that starting him would not be ridiculous as it would with Daniel.

OT David Sharpe [Oakland] 2 years 6 million/2 guaranteed [2]

Sharpe has played LT and RT for the Raiders and looked good in a couple of starts at RT for the Raiders this season. He has the size 6'6" 340lbs and the power that the Bears are lacking, especially at LT, and he provides veteran competition at both spots in camp and could even kick inside to RG if needed.

 

TE Nick Vannett [Pittsbrugh] 2 years 7 million/3 guaranteed [3]

The Bears need more of a blocking presence at Y TE and while Vannett is a 20 catch guy his real value comes at 6'6" 260lbs and his ability to be part of the run game and pass protection. This might not be a big move at the Y TE spot, but it does provide them with a reliable veteran for week 1 while they develop a draft pick.

OLB Brandon Copeland [NY Jets] 2 year 6 million/2 guaranteed [3]

Copeland has had a forgettable 2019 season after having a career best 5 sacks in 2018. He was suspended and has been banged up, but he is still being productive. The Bears need a 3rd pass rusher who can come in and provide more than the nothing that Lynch and Irving have given this season. You sign Copeland for 2 years as I am not sure Floyd is going to get extended with the Bears.

RB Spencer Ware [Kansas City] 2 years 6 million/2 guaranteed [2.5]

The Bears need a veteran backup RB that can step in if Montgomery is injured and can take some of the work off of his plate. They thought they had that in Mike Davis but he never got his footing and then the comp pick made cutting him an easy decision. Ware knows the system, can do a little of everything, and doesn't expose them to needing to play a rookie if Montgomery gets hurt.

S Clayton Geathers [Indianapolis] 2 years 5 million/3 guaranteed [2]
The Bears need a veteran that can step in if Deon Bush cannot hold down the SS spot and Geathers has been a starter in Indy, lost his job this season, and has experience with Chuck Pagano. He gives the Bears a solid veteran option at safety if their is an injury or ineffective play.

Draft [4 million spent]

2[46] OG Isaiah Wilson [Gerogia] 6'7" 340lbs.

If the Bears can not land a guaranteed starter at RG in free agency then they need to do so in the draft. Wilson played RT for Georgia, and he could probably play there in the NFL, but he could be a Pro Bowl OG. He is a monstrous people mover that can be the lynch pin of the rushing attack. Wilson is only a red shirt sophmore so the sky could be the limit for him as he continues to develop and improve.
 

*Trade: The Chicago Bears trade 2[50] to the Denver Broncos for 3[72] and 3[85]. The Bears need picks as they need to add layers of cost controlled depth and competition.

3[72] TE Albert Okwuegbunam [Missouri] 6'5" 255lbs.

The Bears need to add a Y TE that can develop into a starter and fill a void in the offense. Vannett can block and start until O is ready, but he does not provide much in the passing game. Big O had a down year with a QB change, but he has been a consistent 10 yards per catch guy and has 23 career TDs. O is a better receiver at this point, but he has the frame to become the complete TE that the Bears need.

3[85] CB Jaylon Johnson [Utah] 6' 190lbs.

I cannot see the Bears paying Prince 9 million for 2020 and they need to add options to replace him. Johnson is a physical man defender who comes from a top defense and has the skills to be an NFL starter. Johnson has 11 PD and 2 INT this year and is aggressive on the ball. Johnson should compete with Tolliver to replace Prince.

4. OLB Joshua Uche [Michigan] 6'2" 250lbs.

Uche is an explosive and twitchy edge rusher who needs to be coached into his physical gifts. He has put up 8.5 sacks and 7 sacks in the last 2 seasons and has a ton of tools to work with. He gets the luxury of being the #4 OLB and can be worked along slowly in preparation for more of a role in 2021 when Floyd is a free agent. When Mack and Floyd are off the field the Bears have 0 athletic ability at OLB and they need some more guys who threaten OTs as athletes even if they are not complete rushers.

5. OT Charlie Heck [UNC] 6'8" 315lbs.
Pace has double dipped at position of need in the past and he should got back to the OL and address a developmental OT to be prepared to take over at RT or LT. Heck has played LT and RT, has NFL size and athletic tools, and is the son of an NFL OL coach. He needs to get stronger and fill out his frame, but he should provide depth and competition.

5. TE Harrison Bryant [Florida Atlantic] 6'5" 240lbs.

The Bears double dip at TE as well in the hope of having one of the rookies ready to contribute week 1. Bryant is a converted WR with great size and athletic ability for the position. Bryant is averaging 15.4 yards per catch and has the field stretching and mismatch skills for the U TE spot. Bryant is further insurance in case Burton's groin injury never heals.

6. OLB Kendall Coleman [Syracuse] 6'3" 258lbs.
Get 2 young guys into the building and give them a year to develop. Coleman is not as twitchy or athletic as Highsmight. He is a heavy handed power rusher who can set the edge. He should give you a big physical body on special teams in 2020 and the hope in 2021 is that he can be a rotational OLB and specifically a guy who plays heavy run downs and allows the better pass rushers to get a breather.

6. RB Patrick Taylor [Memphis] 6'3" 227lbs.
The Bears do not really have a backup RB and they do not have someone who can take some of the pounding for Montgomery. Taylor is a huge RB with good physical tools and an ability to punish defenders. He dealt with injuries this season but before that he was a 5.5 YPC guy who also caught 17-18 passes a season. Taylor gives you someone who can spell Montgomery and someone who can get more carries if Montgomery gets injured. You cannot give Cohen 18 touches a game.

7. WR Marquez Callaway [Tennessee] 6'2" 210lbs.

The midgets clearly do not work for Mitch as he has struggled to get the ball downfield to Gabriel and Cohen. They offer to small of a catch radius for him to make work. The Bears need deep speed, but they need it to have some size so that Mitch does not need to throw the ball through a key hole to get it into them. Callaway is not a finished project and he probably does not add much on the field in 2020, but he is 5th in college football in yards per catch 22.5 ypc. has elite speed, and can get deep. Callaway does not need to play in 2020, but he can develop while Wims and Ridley get more run.
 

Depth Chart

QB: Trubisky, Mariota
RB: Montgomery, Ware, Taylor, Cohen
WR: Robinson, Miller, Wims, Ridley, Patterson, Callaway [PR]
TE: Vannett, Burton, Okwuegbunam, Horsted, Holtz
LT: Leno, Sharpe
LG: Daniels, Coward
C: Whitehair
RG: Wilson/Bars
RT: Massie/Lucas, Heck

RE: Nichols, RRH
NT: Goldman, Williams
LE: Hicks, Urban
OLB: Floyd, Copeland, Coleman
ILB: Smith, KPL
ILB: Kwit, Iggy, Woods
OLB: Mack, Uche
CB: Fuller, Johnson/Tolliver, Skrine, Shelley, Denmark
FS: Jackson, DHC
SS: Bush/Geathers
K: Piniero
P: O'Donnell
LS: Scales

[beardown3231]

If this is the draft I'd do a damn handstand down my stairs. Okwuegbunam in round 3 and Bryant in round 5 isn't going to happen but man that would be spectacular.

The free agency stuff isn't sexy but it's solid. 

[Heinz D.]

If the Bears can get Mariotta that cheaply (which is a wait-and-see kinda deal), that's fine--Pace and Nagy can simply say they needed a better, younger backup. Anything else invites trouble. 

I'm more than a little nervous at having David Sharpe basically be the answer to the OL problems. They need to draft a guy high...unless they have faith in Bars at LT. 

[Heinz D.]

Oh...and Mariotta or not, I think they need to draft a QB somewhere. They're fine at WR, use that slot. 

[beardown3231]

By the way- good point by @Heinz D. in the financials for Mariota. I doubt he'll only get $5M.

Also, Isaiah Wilson is going to be a good player. I also think he's a RT in the league, not a G.

[Heinz D.]

17 minutes ago, beardown3231 said:

By the way- good point by @Heinz D. in the financials for Mariota. I doubt he'll only get $5M.

You gotta wonder just what some clubs--like the Bengals, maybe even the Packers--are going to do at that position next year.

17 minutes ago, beardown3231 said:

Also, Isaiah Wilson is going to be a good player. I also think he's a RT in the league, not a G.

If he could step in and start at RT, that would be a boon. Although Leno has been a much bigger problem than Massie...

[GBHalas]

As far as an earlier look at FA and the draft we are thinking along the same lines.  Really like the Geathers as a cheaper option for the competition to play along side Jackson.   From what has been said they are really happy with what they ask Floyd to do, so I don't think they are looking for veteran competition, but might draft his replacement.  They said Floyd plays the role of Jarrett Johnson in their defense, more of a swiss army knife then pass rusher.  I like Albert O, but really intrigued by Bryant,.   He's a tough runner that looks for contact, and but don't know if he could put on a little weight.All in all nice start for the offseason

[WindyCity]

I think we have 2 options in free agency and I think Pace will take number 2

1. Make a bigger splash at TE or OL, but really have to pinch pennies elsewhere.

2. Bring in 4-5 better guys at positions of need, but not landing a game changer.

[WindyCity]

On 12/20/2019 at 5:34 PM, beardown3231 said:

By the way- good point by @Heinz D. in the financials for Mariota. I doubt he'll only get $5M.

Also, Isaiah Wilson is going to be a good player. I also think he's a RT in the league, not a G.

Mariota is a difficult one.

How many teams need QBs in free agency? He is not the top guy that is Teddy and he is coming off a brutal season. The more accomplished Tannehill took 2 million plus start incentives to go to Tennessee.

[Nads786]

4 hours ago, WindyCity said:

Mariota is a difficult one.

How many teams need QBs in free agency? He is not the top guy that is Teddy and he is coming off a brutal season. The more accomplished Tannehill took 2 million plus start incentives to go to Tennessee.

Mariota has the same agent as Mitch. Would that prevent Marcus from coming to the Bears.

[G08]

7 hours ago, WindyCity said:

Mariota is a difficult one.

How many teams need QBs in free agency? He is not the top guy that is Teddy and he is coming off a brutal season. The more accomplished Tannehill took 2 million plus start incentives to go to Tennessee.

If we can pay Chase Daniel $7M to be a coach I think we can find a way to pay around the dame for a good look at Mariota. 

Still, I'd almost rather overpay a bit at a position of need (TE, OL, CB) than overpay for QB2. 

[dll2000]

Not sure Nagy and Pace want legit competition for MT in someone like Mariota.  

[beardown3231]

10 minutes ago, dll2000 said:

Not sure Nagy and Pace want legit competition for MT in someone like Mariota.  

Nagy probably does. He knows.

[Sugashane]

23 minutes ago, beardown3231 said:

Nagy probably does. He knows.

I hope he does, I like Tru and I'd be happy to root for him for a long time but he has to be worth the money that he's going to demand if he is extended. 

 

I don't want my QB to be the weak link of our offense again.

 

Edit - that last comment is more in historical context rather than against the current team.

Edited December 23, 2019 by Sugashane