5 Chicago Bears most likely to be cut this offseason

The Chicago Bears will have plenty of decisions to make this off-season. While they have a lot of cap space, they could always find a little more if needed. They do have some questionable players who could stick around, but also could be let go, just because Chicago does not trust their status or salary.

Who are the five Chicago Bears we will at least have to watch for when it comes to getting released?

Will Chicago Bears cut Lucas Patrick?

The Chicago Bears could keep Lucas Patrick, but he will be $5.4M against the salary cap. They could release him, and he would still be $1.5 against the cap, but the team would be clearing $3.9 in the process.

That $3.9 is a bit of wiggle room and makes you wonder if the Chicago Bears do explore releasing Patrick. This obviously will come down to what the team knows about him in that room.

Patrick dealt with two injuries this year. One prevented him from snapping and the other ended his season. He was signed to be the center of the future, and he played 10 snaps at center. The injury is a toe, so there should not be long-term effects, but also a toe and thumb killing his season are not what you want to hear.

What makes the decision tougher than just excusing him for getting hurt is that he was awful during his time at guard. Did they see enough in that span to move on? Do they trust his health?

The next question is whether they think $5M is worth it to pay for depth. Maybe Patrick finds his way into the starting lineup, but the Chicago Bears cannot just lock him into a role if they keep him. He has to compete with someone or even be the swing backup. If that depth lineman is reliable, the cost is fine, is that what Lucas Patrick is, or should they swing again on a new name?