Bears off-season thread 2022

[WrigleyField 22]

This Mack move also helps with the whole Roquan extension next year if Poles goes that route.

 

That being said, Bears should trade Quinn, cut Goldman (unless you can get a late round pick)/Trev/whoever else that'll give us decent savings. Go in on a LT and Cooper/Godwin/Kirk. Fill out the defense with 2nd/3rd wave FAs and post june cuts. Would be set up for the draft nicely where you can let it come to you instead of trying to make something happen.

They certainly didn't need cap help to get a Roquan extension done.

 

But still, it's a now 63M cap hole over 3 years that just opened. Lots of new ways you could spend that.

 

Quinn trade could free up another 3/40, but as some point you reach a diminishing rerun of FA spend capacity and just hand out dumb deals cuz you have nothing else to do.

[WrigleyField 22]

My baseline before was the Bears should hand out 50M of long term AAV in each of 2022 and 2023, but you can basically bump that to at least 60M and maybe up to 70M each year now.

[raw]

I said at one point in this thread that this was the year to decide on Mack. The alternatives to a trade were re-structure his deal and he'd basically spend all of the remaining years of his effectiveness as a Bear or to do nothing with his 30M cap hit and then he was almost certainly going to be cut after the 2022 season because they would have paid the bulk of his guaranteed money. Either way, Mack wasn't going to count 30M against the Bears cap this year. Granted, he still counts 24M to not be on the team, but they got something out of him instead of either of the other options where he'd walk with no compensation (not in comp pick formula if cut, not cut if restructured again).

 

I'm guessing Quinn stays unless they get a very similar deal for him. But Hicks, Trevathan and Goldman better put their houses up for sale.

[Hairyducked Idiot]

Well, I'm excited that this front office appears to undestand the situation the Bears are in and act accordingly. We needed to start this process two years ago.

 

You're not getting a first-round pick for a 31-year-old defender coming off injuries and carrying a massive contract.

[UK]

I like the deal, I thought this was the max they could get for him or Quinn (I was hoping for a 5th).

 

Regardless, Poles had to basically hit 100% with this draft.

 

They can't afford to go to CB, WR, OL, and DL and not get starters while still possibly needing starters at LB and S depending on FA.

[ChiCubsFan]

FRP valuation on Mack was a pipe dream. Wish the second pick was a tad higher, but not surprising. 2023 4th seemed like a realistic hope. Anyway, the cap savings in 2023 and 2024 is the real prize here. $23M/year for 32/33 year old perpetually injured Khalil Mack doesn’t sound like a great idea for a rebuilding team.

[BigbadB]

Sad to see him go, but with a defensive minded coach in place, I'm guessing he understands that for the amount of money Mack costs, similar production at a cheaper rate was going to be available. Building back through the draft is the best way to go. The amount of cap space available down the line will make this a quick rebuild. The key is to find offensive components to grow with Fields and for once in my lifetime, have an offense one can write home about.

[JeffH]

In addition to acquiring the draft capital, I think they wanted to open an "every down" spot for Trevis Gipson.

[WrigleyField 22]

FRP valuation on Mack was a pipe dream. Wish the second pick was a tad higher, but not surprising. 2023 4th seemed like a realistic hope. Anyway, the cap savings in 2023 and 2024 is the real prize here. $23M/year for 32/33 year old perpetually injured Khalil Mack doesn’t sound like a great idea for a rebuilding team.

Agreed. I wasn't expecting a 1st. I was hopeful for 2023 3rd or 2022 4th.

 

I don't think Poles got fleeced, but this I'm at a "this could work out" mindset than thinking it was a slam dunk.

[raw]

In addition to acquiring the draft capital, I think they wanted to open an "every down" spot for Trevis Gipson.

 

I don't even know it was necessarily about that. They had $47Mil cap hit in 2022 tied to the DE position. That's just an irresponsible amount. Having Gipson there certainly helped make the decision easier. But I think it simply came down to wanting to take resources from the defense and put them toward the offense, and the fact that they had limited draft capital. Mack was the best, most realistic player to get them much need draft capital and it just so happened that he was also at the most expensive position on the roster with the best depth.

[WrigleyField 22]

In addition to acquiring the draft capital, I think they wanted to open an "every down" spot for Trevis Gipson.

 

I don't even know it was necessarily about that. They had $47Mil cap hit in 2022 tied to the DE position. That's just an irresponsible amount. Having Gipson there certainly helped make the decision easier. But I think it simply came down to wanting to take resources from the defense and put them toward the offense, and the fact that they had limited draft capital. Mack was the best, most realistic player to get them much need draft capital and it just so happened that he was also at the most expensive position on the roster with the best depth.

Yep. Bears were like a home theater with 3 big screens and no surround sound system. Gotta at least see the whole plan come together. Clearly everything is on the table.

[jersey cubs fan]

Cohen is out.

[jumbo]

it simply came down to wanting to take resources from the defense and put them toward the offense, and the fact that they had limited draft capital

 

This is it. The team pushed all in on Mack, then again with Quinn and didn't get the offense right at the same time. It left a lopsided team with too many resources pointed to the defense and Poles is addressing that.

 

Positive outcomes:

Draft capital - obviously, and acknowledging that this is probably the best offer out there you either take it or decline to re-align the resources - this was the correct decision

 

Cap space - less of a positive for this year, but beyond they have flexibility to sign anyone they want. Even this year they will be able to

 

Poles roster evaluation - he rightly saw that this team is not close to contending for a SB and took a declining asset and turned it into future players/flexibility. This seems like a lay up, but the previous FO screwed this up multiple times and kept going for it

 

also...

Chargers/Staley - What a pass rush with Mack/Bosa if healthy. I will be keeping an eye on this team for the Mack factor. If they wanted to go maximum boom/bust DL they should sign Akiem Hicks to 1/$5MM. If those three were all healthy this team would be bananas

[Old Style]

Cohen is out.

Still can't pass a physical. He may be done.

[Soul]

it simply came down to wanting to take resources from the defense and put them toward the offense, and the fact that they had limited draft capital

 

This is it. The team pushed all in on Mack, then again with Quinn and didn't get the offense right at the same time. It left a lopsided team with too many resources pointed to the defense and Poles is addressing that.

 

Positive outcomes:

Draft capital - obviously, and acknowledging that this is probably the best offer out there you either take it or decline to re-align the resources - this was the correct decision

 

Cap space - less of a positive for this year, but beyond they have flexibility to sign anyone they want. Even this year they will be able to

 

Poles roster evaluation - he rightly saw that this team is not close to contending for a SB and took a declining asset and turned it into future players/flexibility. This seems like a lay up, but the previous FO screwed this up multiple times and kept going for it

 

also...

Chargers/Staley - What a pass rush with Mack/Bosa if healthy. I will be keeping an eye on this team for the Mack factor. If they wanted to go maximum boom/bust DL they should sign Akiem Hicks to 1/$5MM. If those three were all healthy this team would be bananas

 

My first knee jerk reaction was what? A 2nd rounder?! But then looking at Mack's stats, he hasn't been a standout since 2018, and he's over 30, and had season ending surgery this year. Eh, I don't like it but I think the draft pick compensation was probably OK, except I wish they could have gotten that second pick for this year and not next year. Agree with all your other points too.

[UMFan83]

Saw this yesterday because people were complaining that we got less for Mack than what the Broncos got for Von Miller

 

[raw]

Yeah, Chargers missing the playoffs and Rams winning the SB makes a big difference there. If the Rams had lost to the Niners in the NFC Championship game the Broncos would have picks 60 and 92, which would have literally the same 420 trade value.

[Bertz]

[UK]

I have no complaints so far as their transactions.

[UMFan83]

I have no complaints so far as their transactions.

 

I wonder how many of these moves, if any, Pace would have made if he was retained.

[raw]

I have no complaints so far as their transactions.

 

I wonder how many of these moves, if any, Pace would have made if he was retained.

 

Trevathan and Cohen probably.

[UMFan83]

I have no complaints so far as their transactions.

 

I wonder how many of these moves, if any, Pace would have made if he was retained.

 

Trevathan and Cohen probably.

 

I feel like would have kept Cohen (unless the medical reports are dire) because he doesn't understand or care about the concept of sunk cost

[WrigleyField 22]

 

I wonder how many of these moves, if any, Pace would have made if he was retained.

 

Trevathan and Cohen probably.

 

I feel like would have kept Cohen (unless the medical reports are dire) because he doesn't understand or care about the concept of sunk cost

Pace wasn't really bad about walking from sunk costs and mistakes. There were a couple bad examples of it on a player level (and generally I guess the team level), but he cut mistakes loose pretty quickly IMO and often salvaged something.

[SpongeWorthy]

[WrigleyField 22]

No one had to say that