AZBearsFan Posted January 5, 2023 Share Posted January 5, 2023 Looking at where teams presently sit for 2023 cap space wise, TB ($43M over the cap with 38 players signed with no QB and a 2023 1st round pick at 20 or later) seems like a squad ready for a 2022 Bears-like cap cleaning purge and as such seems like obvious roster poach target. I mentioned it a few weeks back, but if TB goes into a full blown rebuild after 2022 I’d make an inquiry on Mike Evans. TB would get minimal cap savings ($21.3M dead, $2.3M savings), but he’s entering his age 30 season in 2023 and by the time they’re ready to legitimately compete again he may be well past his prime. This offseason is probably their best chance to get value. We should have extra draft capital in 2023 and 2024 after the presumed upcoming trade down. Adding Evans to our room changes everything for our WR room the same way Hopkins would, but Evans is a year younger, has been more consistent and durable, and Hopkins is a PED suspension away from missing an entire year. As for NO ($57.8M over with 39 players signed, no QB other than Hill and no 1st round pick at all) I have no idea what they’re gonna do (again). Their biggest contracts are so unfavorable that they can’t even get rid of their best players for nothing to get compliant. Trading Ramczyk would leave $40M+ in dead cap if moved and would result in an additional $18.5M cap hit on top of his current 2023 number ($21.4M). Cutting him post-6/1 leaves a $0 cap savings for 2023. Lattimore’s numbers are actually worse for them than that if he’s moved or cut, and he has a higher 2023 cap number than Ramczyk. They can both be traded post-6/1 for big cap savings but they need to be cap compliant over 2 months before that. Cam Jordan can be cut post-6/1 for a $15M savings but that doesn’t even get them within $40M of compliant, and that’s before they sign their draft class and presumably minimum dollar guys just to fill out the roster. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmike90 Posted January 5, 2023 Share Posted January 5, 2023 (edited) 10 hours ago, AZBearsFan said: I’d be all about it, even knowing it’s probably a 2-year add. No doubt…the next 2 years of Fields’ career as the most important in establishing what he is going to be as a passer in the NFL…if you can give him a high volume pass catcher like Hopkins it’s a no brainer. Edited January 5, 2023 by Madmike90 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZBearsFan Posted January 5, 2023 Share Posted January 5, 2023 5 minutes ago, Madmike90 said: No doubt…the next 2 years of Fields’ career as the most important in establishing what he is going to be as a passer in the NFL…if you can give him a high volume pass catcher like Hopkins it’s a no brainer. Agreed. A WR1 is obviously ideal. But needs more reliable targets and sure things at the skill positions just in general. There was a lot of talk this year about him needing to trust his receivers, but you can’t realistically expect him to do that with Pettis (who dropped several easy would-be first down passes this year) and ESB (who dropped a 4th down dime against DET that likely cost us a game winning drive). These guys are available on minimum deals (ESB) and in July as FA (Pettis) because they’ve already shown they can’t be relied upon as primary targets. This year Fields had Mooney and Kmet, and even Kmet had several drops on easily caught balls. One starting caliber professional WR and a solid TE. That’s just not enough. I’m not counting Claypool because he didn’t arrive until November and it’s hard to build chemistry in season between 2 young players with limited practice reps during the season. Even if we can’t get a clear WR1 we have to get actual professional WRs this year. Lawrence has Kirk, Zay Jones, Marvin Jones and Evan Engram this year after having just Marvin Jones, Laviska Shenault and a bunch of spare parts last year (sound familiar?). None of those guys is a WR1 but it’s obvious the extent to which it’s aided his development. Claypool is a professional WR. He was a 60-catch, 800 yard receiver prior to this year and should be counted on to be something like that next year with comparable volume in a normal passing offense. That’s a start. But it’s only a start. We need to add a minimum 2 more reliable pieces this offseason. If one is an established superstar WR then that’s gravy, but for me that’s a want. Raising the floor significantly is the absolute must. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StLunatic88 Posted January 5, 2023 Share Posted January 5, 2023 8 hours ago, AZBearsFan said: As for NO ($57.8M over with 39 players signed, no QB other than Hill and no 1st round pick at all) I have no idea what they’re gonna do (again) Pretty sure Jameis is under contract for 2023 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZBearsFan Posted January 5, 2023 Share Posted January 5, 2023 19 minutes ago, StLunatic88 said: Pretty sure Jameis is under contract for 2023 Missed that, thanks. But they seemingly have no intention of playing him next year seeing as how he couldn’t get back on the field this year ahead of Dalton. Also, the $12.8M they can save against the cap by designating him a post-6/1 cut (per OTC) is one of the biggest dents they can make in fixing their cap issues. I can’t see how he’s back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StLunatic88 Posted January 5, 2023 Share Posted January 5, 2023 3 hours ago, AZBearsFan said: Missed that, thanks. But they seemingly have no intention of playing him next year seeing as how he couldn’t get back on the field this year ahead of Dalton. Also, the $12.8M they can save against the cap by designating him a post-6/1 cut (per OTC) is one of the biggest dents they can make in fixing their cap issues. I can’t see how he’s back. I wonder how much of that was due to the injury concern? And how much of it has to do with Dennis Allen sucking? A guy who I could see being a surprise firing in a few days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZBearsFan Posted January 6, 2023 Share Posted January 6, 2023 13 hours ago, StLunatic88 said: I wonder how much of that was due to the injury concern? And how much of it has to do with Dennis Allen sucking? A guy who I could see being a surprise firing in a few days Maybe, but who else would want that job right now? Cap hell for at least a few more years. No QB. No 1st round pick this year. Of all the potential job openings I’d argue that other than maybe Denver (who is stuck with Russ and his albatross contract but at least has a decent cap situation, solid offensive skill players and a top tier defense) it’s the least desirable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StLunatic88 Posted January 6, 2023 Share Posted January 6, 2023 5 hours ago, AZBearsFan said: Maybe, but who else would want that job right now? Cap hell for at least a few more years. No QB. No 1st round pick this year. Of all the potential job openings I’d argue that other than maybe Denver (who is stuck with Russ and his albatross contract but at least has a decent cap situation, solid offensive skill players and a top tier defense) it’s the least desirable. It’s the NFL. There are only 32 of these jobs in the world. EVERYONE wants these jobs. Are you getting the top of the top? Probably not, but Allen has been very bad this year (in my eyes) with a lot of things. And I can easily spin it as this will be an easier entry into the league as you will have zero expectations going into the year as this is likely a reset for the franchise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZBearsFan Posted January 6, 2023 Share Posted January 6, 2023 Just now, StLunatic88 said: Are you getting the top of the top? Probably not, but Allen has been very bad this year (in my eyes) with a lot of things. That’s what I meant. People will certainly want the job, but they’re probably looking at second tier candidates who may or may not be any better than Allen. It’s going to be a difficult job the next few years IMO no matter who the coach is because of the cap mess, lack of a 2023 1st rounder and lack of an established long term QB. Because of that I would think an ascending coaching candidate probably doesn’t won’t be keen on taking what might be their only shot at being a HC in the NFL there UNLESS they commit to 2023 being a get right year financially similar to what we did this year and setting them up to be in position to get Williams or Maye in April of 2024. We’re in agreement that Allen is underwhelming as a HC. I’m just skeptical they’ll land anyone significantly better given their short term issues. Maybe Lovie will want the gig after HOU fires him on Monday. 😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dll2000 Posted January 6, 2023 Author Share Posted January 6, 2023 HC contracts get paid regardless if they get fired in year one. People will always take the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugashane Posted January 6, 2023 Share Posted January 6, 2023 3 hours ago, AZBearsFan said: Maybe Lovie will want the gig after HOU fires him on Monday. I like to think about Dungy putting in a good word for Lovie to go to IND. 😆 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dll2000 Posted January 6, 2023 Author Share Posted January 6, 2023 31 minutes ago, Sugashane said: I like to think about Dungy putting in a good word for Lovie to go to IND. 😆 The guy that got royally screwed was Houston's last year coach. I can't even remember his name ... David Culley. Texans were looking really good early before Tyrod Taylor got hurt and Culley then got a rookie 3rd round pick who got no offseason reps playing well enough they thought he could be the guy going forward. Then they just dumped him. I thought Bears should have considered him for HC. He did a really nice job with a 2021 roster like ours is in 2022. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MonserinNC Posted January 7, 2023 Share Posted January 7, 2023 (edited) I'm liking spending a few dollars on Clowney There really isn't much more at edge....I'm also thinking big money DT and C.....after that we can go BPA in the draft basically Edited January 7, 2023 by MonserinNC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sugashane Posted January 7, 2023 Share Posted January 7, 2023 14 hours ago, MonserinNC said: I'm liking spending a few dollars on Clowney There really isn't much more at edge....I'm also thinking big money DT and C.....after that we can go BPA in the draft basically I was until this season. Clowney has been a bith a a ***** those season. Crying about them trying to move him around and stuff, saying he didnt want ro play non-3rd downs due to an injury, saying he was too old to move around or something similar. Then has made comments how CLE is trying to get Myles into the HOF instead of winning. Idk how to take him on that. If he wanted to win he would be willing to move around and play wherever he and Garrett can get the best match ups imo, which is what they're doing by getting Myles to move around. I've kinda fallen off him but there may be a big chunk of the story I'm missing too. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blkwdw13 Posted January 7, 2023 Share Posted January 7, 2023 I want nothing to do with Clowney. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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