WrigleyField 22

Were like 36 hours into the official league period though. They had a chance to be active in the CB market. Maybe there was some massive failure on Paces part to plan accordingly, but if you're cutting Fuller you're not replacing him with a top CB. And perusing the FA tracker lists, seems there's still quite a bit out there. I didn't say anything about a "top CB". And obviously now with 11M they can sign a starter or maybe even 2 at another position of need, which then allows them to go CB early in the draft again. But they obviously need a "starting caliber" CB. You don't cut a starting caliber player without adding another starting caliber player. Like I said, sure they can get a guy or two still, but they aren't likely to get them at the most needed positions. The Bears 36 hours ago had HUGE needs at QB and tackle. The only other starter they lost was at SS. They signed players at all 3 of those positions, but still have holes there. Cutting Fuller creates another hole at CB. They obviously aren't going to use the space on another QB. If they are going to use it on a tackle, then makes more sense to cut Leno, since they already re-signed Ifedi to presumably start at RT. They already signed 2 DL, so they could have cut Hicks (which they still may do) which saves just as much as cutting Fuller. I just don't know why at this point we aren't assuming there was a massive failure to plan accordingly with Pace. I guess I don't know why him being released now is an indication of a failure to plan. I'm still failing to follow what the lost opportunity cost is of not acting a week ago or even 3 days ago.

You know on some level it's a business and if it's cut or renegotiate Pace ought to try. But then I have to ask... Is he approaching anyone else for a paycut? Leno for instance?

What does cutting Fuller a week ago do? Really the only question is when the workout bonus was due. That's your effective deadline to make a decision and not sink 500k. To me you do everything you can to wait until that deadline. Okay maybe there are some "good faith" considerations about not ducking guys around, but it's a little odd they are letting Hicks seek a trade and just cutting Fuller. I don't get that. Cutting him a week ago gives you a shot at the FA CB market. They've signed 2 DL to replace Hicks cheaply. They probably can't truly replace Fuller's production on the cheap unless it's thru the draft, but they still are at a spot where they need to take OT and QB early. Spending another early pick on defense seems counterproductive for a team that's trying to balance offensive and defensive assets/costs, when there aren't any fewer holes on offense than there was last season. Sent from my SM-A115AZ using Tapatalk Were like 36 hours into the official league period though. They had a chance to be active in the CB market. Maybe there was some massive failure on Paces part to plan accordingly, but if you're cutting Fuller you're not replacing him with a top CB. And perusing the FA tracker lists, seems there's still quite a bit out there.

The Bears = The Cowboys past ~25 years Yea but Jerry Jones sucks too. He's just also independently wealthy and can finance a big multi billion dollar playground. Advantage cowboys?

What does cutting Fuller a week ago do? Really the only question is when the workout bonus was due. That's your effective deadline to make a decision and not sink 500k. To me you do everything you can to wait until that deadline. Okay maybe there are some "good faith" considerations about not ducking guys around, but it's a little odd they are letting Hicks seek a trade and just cutting Fuller. I don't get that.

But also they had like at least a half dozen other ways to clear cap. They decided Fuller wasn't worth 14M. So the cap is a myth, yes.

I'm here to spoil your day.

It's just a pet peeve of mine. Dead hits don't save or cost anything. They're sunk costs. And I'm on a quixotic mission to dispel the myth. The cap isn't a myth, but dead hits framed as savings/cost is.

The dead cap doesn't factor into savings. It's just an issue of timing. The savings is the base salary ($13M) Yeah, I know how it works. I guess my issue is eating 9M to save 11M. I mean, I guess it's better than eating the entire 20M. But if you get a starting caliber CB, you're going to spend 8-10M on one.....so still allocating 19-20Mil of the cap on the CB1. Well yea. You basically are measuring against the 13m (actually 14 with bonuses). If you like whatever you can sign at x over Fuller at 14, then that's the decision. I don't know what "whatever at x" is. But Fuller at 14 seems like a decent enough value. If overpaid, not much.

The dead space should never be a consideration IMO. No, probably not but it still should be weighed against cap savings. The dead cap doesn't factor into savings. It's just an issue of timing. The savings is the base salary ($13M)

They are but this team has too many other holes and too little cap space to easily replace him. And there were more obvious cuts (Graham, Hicks). Exactly. Cutting Fuller, in and of itself, isn't terrible. Cutting Fuller, and paying him 9M in dead cap space, so you can fit Andy Dalton and Germain Ifedi under the cap isn't great......especially when adding Foles and Quinn is a big part of the reason Allen Robinson isn't signed long-term. The dead space should never be a consideration IMO.

So Arob is happy about Dalton?

I guess we'll see how the market shakes out, but he was still quite productive. Don't think I'd have thrown new money at him, but sucks they couldn't even flip him for a pick. He'll probably go to GB and then haunt Bears QBs.

Ugh, that's disappointing.

Bears are apparently courting Golladay and I don't know what to make of it. I've seen some speculate they could then pull Arobs tag, which would be the most incompetent series of events Pace ever did.

Buffalo seems like a good fit for Trubisky. Wonder how much he's getting.

Not seeing Fuller as big time loss, he's on the downside of his career. Fuller would be a very big loss if the Bears actually think they can make the playoffs. Without him, they would have to sign someone close to equal, which would cost at least $10M. Finding a way to stay under the cap with him, let him walk in FA next year gets you likely a 4th rd comp pick in 23 draft. This is part of the problem with Pace - he signs players to contracts that they never finish. They get cut before the end of the deal and forfeit any comp picks. He has been fortunate with Hicks, Arob, and Trevathan's first contract and a few stop gap guys like Prince and the DL/SS carousel. He can't pull it off on offense, though. Taylor Gabriel, Trey Burton, renewing Massie was a mistake - should have let him walk, there are many more - not even getting into Robert Quinn. Serenity now! Well they are at 3 comp picks the past 2 years. I'm not sure that's a valid complaint. Comp pick value is typically driven by young players on their first big contract, not established players getting a second bit deal. Obviously it can, but it's typically a lesser driver. As to Massie, unfortunately the option year loophole was pulled out from under teams. It appears they actually had that in mind and I'm not sure they could have known that rule would change.

I don't think that's the plan. I think they'd like to keep Arob for one... As for Fuller/Hicks, who knows. Hicks is easier to just part with, IMO. But I'm sure a trade is a consideration for either. Personally I wouldn't rush to trade either. They have some more cap to move around if they need to. They could still play void year games with Dalton- there should be options for cap management rather than cutting those gusy now. If come June 1 they're still concerned with the future cap liabilities and there's no trade market for Hicks or Fuller, you June 1 cut them (really you don't need the June 1 aspect, but its immaterial - more about exhausting their possible trade market).

I've never heard of him. PFF does not like him.

I've watched this like 12 times already.

Statistically better, as in, statistically indistinguishable.

Uncomfortable like the stomach ache I had when I ate too much baked mostaccoli this weekend. I knew what I was doing and what the result was going to be. But it tasted good at the time. In this scenario Mack/Arob is the baked mostaccoli (not Dalton). Occassionally regimes turnover without any uncomfortableness. Meyer has a clean slate year 1 for the Jags to do whatever he wants, for instance. But yea I have zero fret about the cap games. Even if they end up full Saints like 5 years from now, they're probably at a 2 year cap cleanse max. That's basically the max that a cap cleanse that can exist. And Loomis might also just keep on deferring it like it's the national debt. Until he dies at least and then his successor might just pick right back up.

It's not a terrible idea to significantly reduce your cap allotment intended for a 30 year old corner. Can they at least trade him, even if it's not a lot? For the little bit of cap allocation remaining in 2021, he can at least turn into a 2023 comp pick.

Might be a bit rash and an overreaction but, its obvious Pace is terrible, nothing good or productive is going to come of this Dalton signing. By the way what are the reasons to believe these guys can figure out the problems? Pace cleaned up a disastrous roster and made it pretty good. For a team with terrible QB play, they've won a lot of games. I do not think it is obvious he is terrible. I think he's obviously competent with some major shortcomings. But as I mentioned before, the guy doesn't hesitate to move on from mistakes. He made a huge mistake with Mitch, and is now in the process of attempting to find the right draft pick QB with the help of people who actually know about the position (something he didn't have/utilize when selecting Mitch). Dalton is a misuse of assets, which is probably Pace's worst trait but it sure feels like QB is this year's kicker/TE position where he brings in multiple guys to try and find the right guy. It is fairly obvious that the depth chart in 2021 isn't going to be Foles/Dalton/Bray. They are going to take some sort of shot in the draft if they are not able to convince Seattle or Houston to make a move before then. Hell, it could come down to the last second to see if whatever player Seattle or Houston wants is available to them at whatever draft pick the Bears are able to offer this year. It's still possible they do something like trade Foles to Philly where he's still a legend in the process of stockpiling picks to move up in the draft. The QB rooms isn't done being addressed. It sucks right now, but there's almost certainly more to come. I agree it's a misuse, but also think most fans/bloggers are overstating it right now. They're at the point where Pace either does well enough around the margins that he lasts long enough for cap growth to save his skin or his replacement has a uncomfortable but not unmanageable cap cleanse as they rebuild the roster anyways. A lot of its funny money and deferring the cap is generally good, within reason. The Bears are going more Saints-like than I'd prefer, but there is also kind of a point where you hit a threshold that it doesn't make sense to then ease up on funky cap deferrals when you're already all-in. Pedal to the metal. Shooters gotta shoot.