Welcome to the 2025 Offseason Primer!

Mercifully, the 2024 season has lastly come to an finish. Now we flip our consideration to the offseason, the place Chicago will look to rent a brand new head coach, whereas making an attempt to construct a high quality roster round rising second-year QB Caleb Williams. I’ll have in-depth evaluation on Williams and different returning gamers later within the offseason, however for now, I would like to check out the place the roster at present stands. Let’s look at:

What the Bears’ depth chart appears to be like like as of as we speak.
Which Chicago affect gamers are set to hit free company.
What Chicago’s wage cap scenario appears to be like like.
Bears gamers that may very well be thought of for cuts or extensions.

Present Depth Chart

Let’s begin by wanting on the 34 gamers the Bears at present have underneath contract for the 2025 season, proven in a tough depth chart under.

(Aspect word: Click on on the picture to view in full if it doesn’t present up correctly. Sorry for any formatting points.)

A couple of ideas:

At first look, the largest gap is clearly on the offensive line, the place the Bears solely have 4 guys underneath contract. Three of these gamers are tackles, so the inside, with solely Ryan Bates at present signed, is principally a clean slate. This was simply the weakest place group on the roster in 2024, and the Bears might want to add three new starters right here this offseason.

Exterior of that, there are a number of different positions that clearly want consideration.

WR: DJ Moore and Rome Odunze are clear starters, however there may be nothing behind them. Tyler Scott ought to be preventing for a roster spot, so there’s loads of room to fill within the depth chart right here for position gamers and particular teamers.
DE: They want a DE who can push DeMarcus Walker for a beginning spot, with the loser serving as the highest backup.
DT: The starters are positive, however the depth is nonexistent. Zacch Pickens ought to be preventing for a roster spot, so not less than two new rotational gamers are wanted right here.
LB: Similar to DT, the 2 starters are positive, however the depth is nonexistent. Noah Sewell ought to be preventing for a roster spot, in order that they want some higher expertise to fill in as SAM backer and ST gamers.

Free Brokers

Now let’s transfer on to taking a look at gamers from 2024 who’re free brokers. Right here is the total record of unrestricted free brokers grouped by place, with gamers who began not less than 5 video games for the Bears in 2024 indicated with an asterisk.

RB: Travis Homer, Darrynton Evans
WR: Keenan Allen*, DeAndre Carter, Collin Johnson, Nsimba Webster
TE: Marcedes Lewis, Stephen Carlson
OL: Teven Jenkins*, Coleman Shelton*, Matt Pryor*, Larry Borom, Jake Curhan
DE: Darrell Taylor, Jacob Martin
DT: Byron Cowart
LB: Amen Ogbongbemiga
S: Adrian Colbert, Tarvarius Moore
LS: Patrick Scales, Scott Daly

Along with these 21 gamers, the Bears even have 10 extra free brokers they nonetheless have some type of management over.

OL Invoice Murray, DE Daniel Hardy, CB Ameer Velocity, DT Jonathan Ford, and S Douglas Coleman III are unique rights free brokers. You possibly can learn a full clarification right here, however principally this implies the Bears can deliver them again to camp on a minimum-level take care of no assured cash in the event that they so select. I’d think about many of those gamers shall be again making an attempt out for the roster in camp.
DT Chris Williams, LB Jack Sanborn, CB Josh Blackwell, CB Jaylon Jones, and OL Doug Kramer are restricted free brokers, which suggests the Bears can place tenders starting from $3-7 million on them to maintain some type of management (full particulars right here). I don’t suppose any of those gamers, who’re all backups and/or particular teamers, will warrant a $3M funding, however the Bears might nonetheless look to re-sign them to minimal stage offers (or near them) in the event that they wish to have them again in camp for reasonable.

A couple of ideas on this record of gamers:

Most of those guys can be low-cost to deliver again, and will assist fill out roster depth and compete for roster spots in coaching camp.
A couple of of them would take appreciably greater than the minimal to signal. Significantly fascinating ones embrace:

WR Keenan Allen: he received’t make the $23M he did in 2024, however I do surprise how sturdy his market finally ends up being after a down season. Spotrac has him projected for two years and $33M, which I believe shall be greater than what the Bears wish to pay for an ageing participant to be their WR3.
OL Teven Jenkins: He’s typically fairly stable when he performs, however he’s solely performed in 46 of 68 potential video games in his profession and has left one other 10 video games or so of these early attributable to damage. I don’t suppose the Bears will deliver him again just because they want any individual extra dependable in that scenario.
OL Coleman Shelton: He performed just about each snap this 12 months on a 1 12 months, $3.5M contract, and whereas he wasn’t nice, he additionally wasn’t horrible. Professional Soccer Focus (PFF) has him because the tenth highest graded middle on the 12 months, with the sixteenth highest go block effectivity ranking. It’s purported to be a very weak draft class for facilities, so I received’t be shocked if the Bears deliver Shelton again on an identical one 12 months deal and focus most of their offseason consideration on upgrading the guard spots round him.

Wage Cap Scenario

Let’s transfer now to the monetary aspect of issues and take a look at the place the Bears stand relative to the wage cap. We don’t know the precise wage cap determine for 2025 but, however it’s being projected to be between $265-275M, so we’ll use $265M for a conservative estimate

The desk under exhibits the Bears’ present cap restrict (gray) in opposition to their present cap costs (blue), giving a present itemizing of cap area (orange). All information is pulled from Over the Cap.

A quick clarification of a few of the costs:

Draft cap relies on 2024 cap costs for gamers picked on the spots the place the Bears at present have picks.
Within the offseason, solely the highest 51 wage cap hits rely. The Bears at present have 34 gamers underneath contract, plus 8 draft picks, so I crammed in $1M per participant for the 9 extra gamers wanted to spherical out the roster to 51 gamers. Precise minimal salaries fluctuate by years of expertise (full desk), however $1M is an inexpensive estimate there.

Thus the cap area proven right here is how a lot cash the Bears must spend over the minimal as they give the impression of being to fill out their roster. That is completely different than the quantity you see most locations reporting proper now, however I believe it’s a extra correct one. Both manner, the Bears could have the cash to make just a few important additions in free company.

It’s additionally price preserving in thoughts that groups usually like to enter camp with about $10M in cap room to account for any in-season strikes which are wanted, so primarily the Bears have about $40M in spending energy proper now.

Potential Cuts

Cap area is fluid, and one of many best methods to create extra of it’s by chopping gamers who’re overpaid. The Bears have just a few such cuts seemingly coming this offseason.

The desk under exhibits each participant who might save greater than $2M in cap area in the event that they have been lower. I don’t anticipate all, and even most, of those gamers to be lower, however wished to indicate the total vary of prospects.

A couple of ideas:

Gone:

TE Gerald Everett is the one lower I’m assured will occur. He performed lower than 25% of snaps and had underneath 50 receiving yards final 12 months. That’s not price something near $6M, so he’s gone.

Might be gone:

OL Ryan Bates: He by no means actually obtained wholesome this 12 months and may very well be lower with no lifeless cash. It appears seemingly Bates is again as a flexible inside OL backup, nevertheless it’s potential the GM decides he can spend that cash on any individual higher as a substitute.
Ok Cairo Santos: He’s typically been dependable for the Bears, however his lack of means from distance has been an issue at instances. I believe he’s seemingly again, however received’t be shocked if the GM decides he needs to try to discover a greater leg. Camp competitors with the opportunity of being lower proper earlier than the season appears extra seemingly than a spring lower at this level.
LB TJ Edwards: This would possibly look like a shock, however Edwards noticed his play take a nosedive this 12 months. He’s by no means been probably the most athletic LB, however regarded to have misplaced a step in area, which is why he particularly struggled in protection. PFF credit him with giving up 691 yards in protection on the 12 months, 2nd most amongst all LB, and allowed 10.5 yards/goal, which might have been the worst mark amongst LB within the NFL for 2023. He’ll be 29 at the beginning of the season, so it’s potential the GM decides he can improve Edwards for comparable cash.

Slicing Everett brings the Bears to round $45M in efficient spending energy, and that quantity might climb in direction of $50M if the Bears lower any of Bates, Santos, or Edwards. Suffice it to say Chicago could have loads of cash to work with this offseason.

Extension Candidates

In fact, a few of that cash may very well be spent on guys from their very own roster. Signing gamers who’ve one 12 months left on their present contract is often the way you get probably the most team-friendly offers, as a result of gamers are keen to surrender just a little cash for the early monetary safety. In essence, the workforce buys one 12 months of damage threat.

The Bears have a number of notable gamers with one 12 months left on their contracts who might match this invoice, together with CB Kyler Gordon, S Jaquan Brisker, LT Braxton Jones, and DT Andrew Billings. Nonetheless, I don’t suppose it’s seemingly the Bears will attempt to prolong any of them this offseason, as all however Billings have lengthy damage histories and all however Gordon are at present out with season-ending accidents. It appears unlikely the Bears will wish to tackle a 12 months of damage threat given these damage conditions.

Wrapping it Up

Right here’s what we’ve discovered:

Bears want a WR3, a wholly new inside OL, and a brand new starter at DE, plus improved depth at DT and LB.
As soon as they lower Gerald Everett, the Bears could have about $45M to spend in free company, even after leaving room to signal draft picks, fill out the roster with minimal wage gamers, and have in-season wiggle room.
There aren’t actually any logical candidates for early extensions on the roster.

For as troublesome as 2024 was, this workforce has a fairly excessive ratio of assets to holes coming into the offseason. Accordingly, I believe we’ll see the Bears transfer aggressively in free company to signal just a few high of the market offers. I totally anticipate they may signal one or two extremely paid inside offensive lineman, and certain not less than one rotational defensive lineman as nicely. They need to additionally be capable of land three immediate starters within the draft since they’ve 3 picks among the many high 45 picks.

2024 was brutal, however the Bears have the assets this offseason to considerably improve their roster. If they will efficiently couple that with a significant teaching improve, this workforce ought to be able to compete sooner slightly than later.

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