What might the Chicago Bears look like next year after some hopeful changes?
Regardless of how the end of this season plays out, the Chicago Bears will undoubtedly need to make some changes to their coaching staff, front office, and roster in the coming offseason. The lack of success and consistency has been unacceptable for a team that is supposed to be a contender. The Chicago Bears have spent money like they are contenders, but their record over the last two years would indicate otherwise.
With that being said, this offseason will present a number of problems for the Bears, as the salary cap is set to be a lot less than previous years and the Bears are already paying so many players. There are a lot of questions regarding if the Bears should blow it up and start a rebuild, of sorts, or if they can just try to fix the problems they have with short term solutions.
The outlook of the team next year is going to be based on whether the Bears make the playoffs this year and can win a game. Also, current contracts are going to be a factor because cuts will need to be made in order to save money. There are plenty of candidates who could be let go in order to free up funds. Some possible cuts could include:
- Jimmy Graham – $7 million
- Buster Skrine – $5 million
- Bobby Massie – $8 million
- Charles Leno (most likely will not get cut) – $6 million
There have also been rumors that Akiem Hicks or Kyle Fuller could be cut candidates because of their contracts, but I think the Bears could find trade partners for those guys if it came down to it. They have both had great seasons this year and could definitely have suitors on the open market.
Plus, as the Bears have done in previous years, they could most likely reconstruct Hicks’ contract to create less of a cap hit. Fuller is due for a payday next offseason so his contract might be harder to reconstruct. This means there is a good chance Fuller is on another team next year, so thankfully his great season could bring in a nice haul for the Bears.
Even though some of these players are solid and have had good seasons, like Jimmy Graham, Hicks, and Fuller, the Bears have dug themselves into a hole and the only way to get out is to clear some money, this way they can improve the team in free agency.