Should the Chicago Bears keep Danny Trevathan or let him walk this offseason?
As the Chicago Bears enter the 2020 offseason, a lot of questions need to be answered. How can they fix the offensive line, is Mitch Trubisky going to be pushed by an added quarterback, will Matt Nagy adjust his play calls?
However, the team can only do some much in their salary cap position. On top of that, they have a group of free agents who need to be signed.
Danny Trevathan has been a great signing for the Bears, but after ending the season with an arm injury, he will enter 2020 as a free agent. Is Trevathan a player the Bears should do anything to keep, or should they let him walk?
Stay
Trevathan is the play-caller of the defense. He has been the backbone and has been one of the best linebackers in the NFL. The strength of this team is defense and losing players like Trevathan will not make the group better.
On top of that, as he is coming off of an injury, and is a bit older, he may have found an established home in Chicago. A team friendly deal is not out of the realm of possibilities.
Pass
This is going to be a 30-year old player coming off of a serious injury. It is not just an injury, either. In three of his four seasons, he failed to play 16 games. Twice he has played in more than 10.
The Bears have a lot of holes on this roster and may need to sacrifice some defensive stardom for offensive power. With Roquan Smith entering year three, and Nick Kwiatkowski stepping up to end the season, losing Trevathan may not be a devastating hit. Kwiatkowski is a free agent as well and would come back at a much cheaper price tag.
Verdict
At the end of the day, the Chicago Bears should give Trevathan the chance to return, with a lot of provisions. They should not give him guaranteed money beyond 2020. They should not give him much guaranteed money as it is.
L.J. Fort is making $2.75 million per year. Christian Jones is making $2.7. Mark Barron signed a $6 million deal last offseason. The Bears should not offer him more than $6 million, and it likely should be closer to $4 million.
The fact of the matter is that another team will likely give him 6 or more, and if that is the case, the Bears should pass.