Looking At The Bears' Top 10 Salary Cap Hits For 2021 Will Piss You Off
It has been a great couple of weeks in Chicago. The hope is back. The hype is real. With the Blackhawks being dead and the Cubs boring the shit out of everyone as we wait for Hoyer to sell off Kris Bryant, Willson Contreras, and maybe Javy Baez, I decided to just move fully on to football season. It's schedule day, after all. I started looking at the roster. And…I wish I hadn't. Not because it's bad per se, but because the guys who are taking up large sums of cash in an off-season that saw the Bears cut an all-pro DB and #Bear4Lyfe, Kyle Fuller, don't help the team. Let's break it down
1) WR Allen Robinson: $17.9M
A-Rob is an absolute stud. This is the franchise tag number. The going rate for a big time weapon on the outside. He is worth every penny and I can't wait to see what he does with a real QB.
2) DE/OLB Robert Quinn: $14.7M
The 2nd highest paid player on the roster was a colossal bust in year 1. He went from having 11.5 sacks in 2019 for the Cowboys to just 2 last year for the Bears. A guy who, in theory, sees a lot of one-on-ones because he is playing opposite of Khalil Mack simply can not get home. I am not an analytics guy or a capologist, but I am going to say paying $7M+ per sack is NOT the value the Bears were hoping for from their 2nd largest cap hit. Here is hoping that a new DC who is from the Vic Fangio tree will be able to scheme up more production for Quinn otherwise this is one of the worst contracts in sports.
3) DE/OLB Khalil Mack: $14.6M
Maybe he hasn't been the player he was in 2018, but he is still a stud. 9 sacks last year. Again, hoping the new DC will mean more production from Mack but he is still a stud. I will never complain about having Mack on the team.
4) DL Akiem Hicks: $12M
I am holding my breath and praying that he is still on the team when the season starts. Team leader. Stud. All everything. If he is a cap casualty I won't cry because only because I am capable of sucking tears back into my face and suppressing my emotions. Heart and soul guys. When he is out the Bears aren't the same. Great use of $12M
5) TE Jimmy Graham: $10M
He was better than I expected last year, but also…why the fuck is he still on the team? He has ZERO dollars guaranteed this year. If the Bears cut him before June 1 they'd save $7M against the cap. Seems like a luxury to have a guy like Graham especially when you have Cole Kmet ready to emerge as a weapon in the passing game.
6) DT Eddie Goldman: $7M
Goldman sat out 2020 for covid precautions. I feel like people forgot he existed. Love Eddie. Excited to have him back in the mix.
7) QB Nick Foles: $6.66M
Call me crazy, but having a shitty backup QB in the top 10 of your cap hits is bad for business. I don't care how big his dick is. Can't even cut him because of how bad dead money would be against the cap. The Bears tried to trade him back to Philly, but even they weren't dumb enough to take on that deal. The Bears are stuck.
8) ILB Roquan Smith: $6M
Stud. Great player at the heart of the defense. Still on a rookie deal I believe. Bears need more dudes like him. No complaints.
9) C/OG Cody Whitehair: $5.2M
Probbbbbbabbbbllllyyyy want a little more out of Whitehair tbh. Especially at that number and ESPECIALLY because Mustipher and Bars filled in very nicely at the end of the year for way less money. Another guy that you absolutely can't cut because cutting him would completely fuck up the cap. Would cost the Bears more to not have him according to overthecap.com
10) FS Eddie Jackson: $5M
I love Eddie Jackson. He hasn't been as impactful/dynamic since 2018, but I am willing to blame that on the coaching scheme instead of Eddie. Big bounce back this year. I can feel it.
11) QB Andy Dalton: $5M
(Full Disclosure Danny Trevaithan is ahead of Dalton, but this blog is long enough and already went one more player than I thought and my point is that the Bears have 2 backup QBs in their top 10 highest paid)
Call me crazy, but having a shitty backup QB in the top 10 of your cap hits is bad for business. The Bears already had to cut Charles Leno. They might have more casualties coming. Having Robert Quinn, Graham, Whitehair, and two QBs that ideally won't be playing is a PROBLEM. I want to be positive. I can't wait to watch Justin Fields. I believe he can cover up some of these mistakes, but god damn the team would be way better off if Ryan Pace dropped his phone in the toilet last off-season and didn't sign those guys. It's okay though. Justin Fields. Justin…Fields. FIELDS, Justin.Bring on the Rams