1. With all due respect to Ryan Pace - who has done an excellent job as Bears GM through two season - this is a laughable position.
2. Once the Bears cut Cutler, Massie, Royal, and Houston, they'll be sitting on approx. $77,621,058 of cap space.
3. That figure includes adjustment for Bears cap (up by $8.1M), the incoming draft class (approx. $10.6M), and dummy holds for empty spots.
4. The team's spend for 2017 is currently just $97,482,139 considering salaried players, dead money, practice squad, and draftee pay.
5. Pace could hit five land mines in free agency and still have enough cap space to go after any player he chooses.
6. Plus - and more alarmingly - which current Bear will need a pricey extension in the next year or two?
7. Extension candidates on offense: WR Cam Meredith ('18 RFA) and OT Charles Leno ('18 UFA). That's it. And neither should cost much at all.
8. Extension candidates on defense: DE Akiem Hicks ('18 UFA), NT Eddie Goldman ('19 UFA), CB Kyle Fuller ('19 UFA/'18 option) (cont.)
9. S Adrian Amos ('19 UFA), S Harold Jones-Quartey ('18 RFA), P Pat O'Donnell ('18 UFA). Of those players, only Goldman could get pricey.
10. If the Bears aren't throwing huge piles of cash at free agents this year, they're hoarding money and not trying to win right now.
11. Maybe tanking is a good strategy for Bears. A quiet free agency period would all but guarantee a fourth-straight top-ten pick in '18
12. But if that's the case, Bears fans should know what they're signing up for.
13. And more importantly, tanking is stupid in football unless it's an all-out suckfest like the Browns. They followed Cubs method (cont.)
14. Trade all of your '15-'16 assets to load up on '17-'20 assets and rake in wins in those years. That hasn't been Bears strategy.
15. So, if a tank is coming, so be it. But a half-hearted tank is the worst team-building move in sports. Don't do that. All or nothing.
16. Final thought: not tagging Alshon is just bad management. If he comes back, great! Bears get elite receiver at 110% of market price.
17. If Bears trade Alshon, I'll be sad but franchise will recoup assets. If Bears let him walk for free, they're irresponsible + wasteful.
And one bonus Tweet because it's funny:
Is there a more perfect fit for the Bears in free agency than Elvis Dumervil? Older, oft-injured OLB with great pass rushing skills? Perfect
Done.
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