2026 Chicago Bears Offseason Thread

[The_Achiever]

Second round pick is pretty good.  

[WrigleyField 22]

Late second seems like a solid spot to be in this draft. I normally don't love pick swaps to get a higher return, but probably makes sense here. 

[MidoreX]

Currently own 25, 57, 60 and 89 with a 4th and two 7ths

[Radar3454]

19 minutes ago, WrigleyField 22 said:

But dead cap doesn't matter

Reduces the amount the team can spend this year - 9 mil for Dalman even though he isn't playing

[WrigleyField 22]

6 minutes ago, Radar3454 said:

Reduces the amount the team can spend this year - 9 mil for Dalman even though he isn't playing

You just reallocate it from elsewhere. It's all fungible. Follow the cash, not dead hits (which were already accounted for in a 3+ year outlook a team actually uses) 

Edited March 5 by WrigleyField 22

[jumbo]

Pretty pleased with the return for DJ

Sign Biadisz from Washington

Resign Braxton to a 1 year deal

Go ahead and trade Bagent if he gets you a good pick, not betting on this happening though

4 picks in the top 100 is pretty good. DE, DT, LT, S could be nice additions. I still want to pick up another TE in the later rounds 

[WrigleyField 22]

35 minutes ago, MidoreX said:

Currently own 25, 57, 60 and 89 with a 4th and two 7ths

And Daniel Jeremiah calls 50-75 the sweet spot of this draft. 🔥

[BigSlick]

I know there are a lot of people (mostly media people) invested in a Maxx Crosby trade but I'm just like... I dunno if I want to sell the farm for a 28 year old guy coming off an injury. Just draft well! Sign a center and draft well! 

Sorry it's not so exciting. 

[gflore34]

19 minutes ago, BigSlick said:

I know there are a lot of people (mostly media people) invested in a Maxx Crosby trade but I'm just like... I dunno if I want to sell the farm for a 28 year old guy coming off an injury. Just draft well! Sign a center and draft well! 

Sorry it's not so exciting. 

I don't think Poles is going to meet the Raiders asking price, nobody will.  Now, if he can get the Raiders to take less well, then, I'd be interested.  And by less, not a even a first maybe, some combination of mid round picks.

[mul21]

1 minute ago, gflore34 said:

I don't think Poles is going to meet the Raiders asking price, nobody will.  Now, if he can get the Raiders to take less well, then, I'd be interested.  And by less, not a even a first maybe, some combination of mid round picks.

This is where I'm at.  I think they're delusional if they think they're getting multiple first round picks when he's already 28, making a ton of money and likely will want to renegotiate his deal since Garrett and Parsons have signed since he did, and they have almost no leverage because of him saying he's done playing for them.

[UMFan83]

55 minutes ago, BigSlick said:

I know there are a lot of people (mostly media people) invested in a Maxx Crosby trade but I'm just like... I dunno if I want to sell the farm for a 28 year old guy coming off an injury. Just draft well! Sign a center and draft well! 

Sorry it's not so exciting. 

I dont think it has to be Crosby but if the Bears don't walk into next season with at least a very good Edge I'll be very disappointed. Not a draft pick (though I'd add one with one of those 2nds too), an established edge.  Maybe I'm setting myself up for disappointment

[Bobson Dugnutt]

4 hours ago, WrigleyField 22 said:

You just reallocate it from elsewhere. It's all fungible. Follow the cash, not dead hits (which were already accounted for in a 3+ year outlook a team actually uses) 

I think you’ve posted it before, but who are the obvious restructure candidates and how much could the bears reasonably open up in cap space?

[NorthsideAvenger]

1 hour ago, BigSlick said:

I know there are a lot of people (mostly media people) invested in a Maxx Crosby trade but I'm just like... I dunno if I want to sell the farm for a 28 year old guy coming off an injury. Just draft well! Sign a center and draft well! 

Sorry it's not so exciting. 

If what Trey Wingo says is true and there is a team that has offered the Raiders two firsts for Maxx (god, I hope it's not the Bears), then I am with you. 2 firsts for Maxx is too rich for my blood. 

[BigSlick]

1 hour ago, UMFan83 said:

I dont think it has to be Crosby but if the Bears don't walk into next season with at least a very good Edge I'll be very disappointed. Not a draft pick (though I'd add one with one of those 2nds too), an established edge.  Maybe I'm setting myself up for disappointment

Depending on how good the 1st/2nd rounder is, I don't know if I agree. D-Line is one of those positions where, provided the guy can play, you can play him immediately. "Established" guys are just as often washed players on the back end of the career, I'm looking at you Ryan Poles, and the 2024-2025 offseason. 

[WrigleyField 22]

39 minutes ago, Bobson Dugnutt said:

I think you’ve posted it before, but who are the obvious restructure candidates and how much could the bears reasonably open up in cap space?

I really like the Over The Cap calculator. It's pretty intuitive. 

https://overthecap.com/calculator/chicago-bears

 

Calculating max restructure potential (adding void years) is a little more complex, but since Poles has never used a void hear I don't think you need to worry about that. 

 

I'd group them as follows:

1. Guys with large guarantees (these are like the zero risk restructures, unless you think you'll trade them, but you probably know that by Monday) 

Sweat (potential 9.85m cap room as simple, non-void restructure)

Thuney (7.6)

Jackson (6.8)

Jarrett (6.6)

Gordon (6.0)

 

2. Guys with large base, but all/most unguaranteed. If you're pretty certain they'll have a roster spot this is low risk again. But if any you could argue aren't worth the salary, you could argue to cut instead of restructure 

Johnson (6.9)

Kmet (4.3) - I'd think he's more a restructure at lower salary candidate

Santos (0.95)

 

3. It's complicated

Odeyinbingo (7.3)

Edwards (3.6)

These guys are complicated because of the injury.  If either has injury insurance (I've heard they may) than I believe restructuring could impact insurance payments (depends on terms probably). With that being the case if either has insurance and misses the whole year you could get injury insurance payout and a cap credit for 2027. Don't wanna throw that away.  If not for the injury, they'd be group one. 

 

Pretty much all the rest you can't because they are on rookie deals or in final year (could extend though) 

 

If you maxed out with void years the max potential is something like 100M (Over the Cap has a page for this, but I don't think it's updated for Moore/Dalman and I'm on my phone so hard to re-calc on my own easily right now) 

https://overthecap.com/restructure

 

And to anyone who would question Jarrett (or Dayo/Edwards, injury aside) on the basis of ability, no it really doesn't mater. And in fact you can counterintuitively argue that worse players are better to restructure because someone like Sweat could become a trade candidate in a year (See Moore, DJ). And restructuring would actually create some inflexibility come trade time.  Whereas you could easily create a 3 year cap plan on Jarrett (restructure + June 1 cut in 27), a bad contract you're stuck with for 2026. But actually if your aren't going to be a maximum restructure team the best bet IMO might be to take a little off the top of all those guys and spread your dead cap acceleration risk around a bit.  But best would still be max restructure all for maximum flexibility (and roll excess) 

 

 

[Brian707]

Thoughts on Cameron Jordan? I know he is like 78 years old but he had 10.5 sacks last year and might be cheap and want to rejoin Dennis Allen 

[WrigleyField 22]

13 minutes ago, Brian707 said:

Thoughts on Cameron Jordan? I know he is like 78 years old but he had 10.5 sacks last year and might be cheap and want to rejoin Dennis Allen 

I'd really like to try and get younger not older. Don't wanna be the team holding the bag on aging players when the bottom falls out. 

[NorthsideAvenger]

Tremaine Edmunds released. 

[We Got The Whole 9]

26 minutes ago, NorthsideAvenger said:

Tremaine Edmunds released. 

Damn, they had me convinced we might get a pick for him.

 

Really surprised we got a 2nd for DJ. Poles is putting in work.

[WrigleyField 22]

3 hours ago, We Got The Whole 9 said:

Damn, they had me convinced we might get a pick for him.

 

Really surprised we got a 2nd for DJ. Poles is putting in work.

Although I'd like the extra pick as well, if you told me the equivalent pick value of both Edmunds and DJ together was what DJ got, I'd probably have said, "okay. Sounds reasonable" 

 

Win some, lose some. And given the rumor of a Edmunds for Thibodeoux trade, I'll take the straight cut. 

[Geographyhater8888]

10 hours ago, WrigleyField 22 said:

I'd really like to try and get younger not older. Don't wanna be the team holding the bag on aging players when the bottom falls out. 

He’s turning 37 in July. You think there’s a team who’ll offer him 2 full guaranteed years at this stage of his career?

Edited March 6 by Geographyhater8888

[Geographyhater8888]

Moving DJs salary was always the most sensible thing to do.
Drafting pass catchers at 9, 10 and 39 made him the odd man out. Not worth the cap hit for 682 yards.

DJ was heroic though. Best of luck to him in Buffalo. He’s our latest Thomas Jones.

 

Edited March 6 by Geographyhater8888

[Geographyhater8888]

Dayo, Jarret, and TJ have horsefeathered up the cap temporarily.

I don’t think it’s win a superbowl during Caleb rookie deal or bust though. Mahomes was the last QB on a rookie deal to win which was 6 years ago. 
 

 

 

Edited March 6 by Geographyhater8888

[Tryptamine]

Given the cap restrictions and the fairly large amounts of needs, I think we're 50/50 to go into  this season better than the last. It really is inexcusable for the cap situation to be this bad while Caleb is still on a rookie contract.  

Edited March 6 by Tryptamine

[Bobson Dugnutt]

13 minutes ago, Tryptamine said:

Given the cap restrictions and the fairly large amounts of needs, I think we're 50/50 to go into  this season better than the last. It really is inexcusable for the cap situation to be this bad while Caleb is still on a rookie contract.  

What am I missing? I read after yesterdays moves they now have the 12th most cap space. WF22 outlines a path to open up as much as $45 million in additional space with minimal risk (top two categories from his post).