I think that every Chicago Bears fan became enamored with the performance that Cordarelle Patterson has put on so far this season.
The Chicago Bears found something with him. But with people calling for him to be cut to save cap space, is this something that the Bears should consider or should they keep him around at least another year?
I don’t know about you but I was excited when the Chicago Bears signed Cordarelle Patterson this past offseason. I thought that his return ability, coupled with his ability to play wide receiver or running back would bring a new dimension to the offense and special teams. I was ready to see him get the Bears offense great field position and help them score more points.
On special teams, Patterson has not been a disappointment. Not only should he be named to the Pro Bowl as a special teamer but he won the November Special Teams Player of the Month honor. The Bears haven’t had anyone named Special Teams Player of the Month since Devin Hester earned the honor. So, you can see the team must value his ability to play special teams and be a game-changer.
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But, as we saw on Thursday night, Patterson can also be a game-changer on offense. When used properly, he can be a real weapon on the field for the Bears and give them yet another valuable player to get the ball to and gain valuable yardage that will help them win games. Patterson has proven he can do this, in the past, and he did it again on Thursday night.
There has been some talk that Patterson could be a salary-cap casualty come this spring. Patterson would be entering the second year of a two-year deal that pays him about $10 million over two years. They build an “out” clause into his contract which would allow the Bears to let him go and suffer only a $1 million cap hit. Smart.
If Chicago was to keep Patterson, he would eat up $5,750,000 of cap space. Is he worth it? It all depends on whether or not the Bears decide to use him more often or not. On special teams, he is worth it. If they can get him more involved in the offense, as they did on Thursday night against the Cowboys then he is worth keeping. Patterson could be a vital part of the Bears if they get him more snaps.
I think that they should keep him around for another season but possibly restructure his deal to make it a little more cap friendly. It cannot be denied that Patterson is a top-end player that can change games. He needs to remain a Bear helping them play better on offense and special teams. With that, he can help them win games as a valuable multi-purpose asset.