The latest Chicago Bears 2020 mock offseason is about this one question. What must GM Ryan Pace do that is best for the team? The obvious answer is fixing the offense. Doing that with the limited resources they have is not easy. It will take some creativity and probably one or two tough sacrifices. A lot of people won't like some of those decisions but this is the price that must be paid sometimes to stay competitive.
Everything, of course, hinges on the decision at quarterback. Most agree it should go down as follows. Mitch Trubisky will get his opportunity to prove he should remain the long-term starter. However, the team is planning to add a veteran of some kind who can come in and push him from behind. People have speculated about who that could end up being.
Let's find out.
Chicago Bears 2020 mock offseason is about sacrifices
Trade:
OLB Leonard Floyd to the Dolphins for a 5th round pick
Reality is going to set in soon for the Bears. If they want to make any sort of splash at quarterback, they're going to need more money than they currently have. The best way for them to get it is by moving on from Floyd. It nets them $13.222 million in additional cap space while also securing a decent draft pick in return. Miami has a ton of capital to spare and employ a defensive system that fits his skills well.
4th round comp pick to the Bengals for QB Andy Dalton
This is not going to be the quarterback move Bears fans want, but it is the most logical. This team just isn't in a position to make a blockbuster deal for anybody. Dalton isn't flashy, but he fits what they're looking for. A proven veteran quarterback with boatloads of starting experience. He's gone to three Pro Bowls and take five teams to the playoffs. He is exactly what they're looking for in terms of competition for Mitch Trubisky
Salary cap: $21.868 million
Re-signings/Extensions
Andy Dalton - Final year of deal reduced from $17.7 million to $7 million with $5 million in incentives
This is essentially what the Dolphins and Titans did in the deal for Ryan Tannehill last season. Tannehill took a pay reduction in the final year of his contract with a chance to get some of it back through incentives. There's no reason to think Dalton wouldn't accept this stipulation since it gets him out of Cincinnati and to a team that will give him a chance to compete for a starting job. By contrast, the Bears save $10.7 million in precious cap space.
Danny Trevathan - 2-year deal for $12 million
Getting Dalton will have a bit of a cascade effect for the Bears. One part is their decisions regarding the inside linebacker spot. Nick Kwiatkoski is reportedly getting tons of attention. This likely will price him out of the Bears' range. So they do the obvious thing. Retain Trevathan on a cheaper deal. He's still a good player and should be able to buy them time to find another young heir one or two years down the line.
Roy Robertson-Harris - 1-year deal for $2.144 million
With questions at outside linebacker, the Bears have to maintain their pass rushers wherever possible. Robertson-Harris is a strong part of the defensive line rotation and can get heat on the quarterback when the motor is revved up. He may not be a sack artist but he's got juice.
Deon Bush - 1-year deal for $820,000
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is gone. The money just isn't there. That said, Bush played well when given opportunities last year. He's earned a chance to compete for the starting job next to Eddie Jackson. This is why he accepts a minimum deal to return. Basically a one-year gamble on himself to win the job and cash in by 2021.
Kevin Pierre-Louis - 1-year deal for $820,000
Maintaining the depth behind Trevathan and Roquan Smith is imperative for the Bears. Pierre-Louis really did good work when forced into the starting lineup late last season. He's got speed and blitzing ability that proved quite useful for the defense at key times.
Patrick Scales - 1-year deal for $820,000
Not much to say here. Scales is a solid long snapper who has held the job down for years. Until he starts to show signs of decline, keeping him around makes sense for the sake of continuity.
Rashaad Coward - 1-year deal for $660,000
Coward was thrust into a tough situation last year. He was never supposed to play guard, having been groomed as a backup tackle. Then Kyle Long and Ted Larsen both got hurt. The former defensive lineman stepped up and didn't play terribly. He deserves to stick around.
J.P. Holtz - 1-year deal for $585,000
What a find he became. A journeyman tight end who failed to get opportunities elsewhere, Holtz found a niche in Chicago and ran with it. He was both tight end and fullback for them and excelled in the role. This kind of versatility should be kept around.
Salary cap: $20.719 million
Free agency:
TE Hunter Henry - 4-year deal for $38 million ($7 million 2020 cap hit)
Recent buzz has connected the Bears to Austin Hooper. However, his market figures to be substantial. So instead Chicago takes a bigger risk on Henry. While he has shown he can be a true threat in the passing game for the Chargers, he's also missed 23 games in four seasons with various injuries. So giving up $9.5 million per year is a major roll of the dice.
CB Ross Cockrell - 1-year deal for $2 million
With Prince Amukamara gone, the Bears have a serious lack of experience at cornerback outside of Kyle Fuller. Cockrell has started 43 games in his career and is coming off a solid season in Carolina where he had two interceptions and eight passes defended. He'll be a nice addition to that competition for the CB2 spot.
EDGE Kyler Fackrell - 1-year deal for $1 million
With Floyd gone, the only pass rusher the Bears have is Khalil Mack. So they need to add bodies. Fackrell was a one-year wonder in Green Bay, posting 10.5 sacks in 2018 before seeing his playing time reduced in 2019 with the arrivals of Za'Darius and Preston Smith. Hence why he only had one sack. He might seem like a gamble but at $1 million it's a worthwhile one.
OG Stefen Wisniewski - 1-year deal for $945,000
A second generation offensive guard, Wisniewski has never gotten proper respect for being a pretty good player. This despite helping two teams win a Super Bowl now in 2017 and 2019 with the Eagles and Chiefs. He's 31-years old with tons of experience in the offense the Bears run. This seems like an easy decision given their questionable interior depth.
Salary cap: $9.774 million
The Draft:
2nd Round (via LAV) - Chase Claypool, WR, Notre Dame
People chalked Claypool up as a big, strong possession receiver for the Irish. Then he ran a 4.42 at the scouting combine, reminding people he's faster than he looks. His 1,037 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2019 also showed he was starting to come into his own as a receiver. He's got size, speed, good hands, and runs decent routes. Once he fine-tunes that part of his game, he can be a stud at the next level.
- Trade: #50 pick to Texans for #57 pick and #119 pick (4th round)
2nd Round (via HOU) - Lucas Niang, OT, TCU
Scouts love to use the term "dancing bear" when describing giant offensive tackles who are surprisingly nimble on their feet. This describes Niang well. He has the intelligence and athleticism to play NFL-caliber pass protection and shows the necessary attitude and power to run block as well. He does have a hip injury that could leave some a little leery of him, but this is a guy who can be a right tackle in the pros for a long time.
4th Round (via HOU) - Darrell Taylor, EDGE, Tennessee
Taylor is a fascinating prospect. He has the body type and athleticism of a 3-4 linebacker with the explosion off the snap and bend that teams like. When his motor runs hot, he's a major headache for quarterbacks. However, he's raw in terms of his development as a pass rusher and he's also been known to have a temper, which got him suspended in 2017. Basically a 1st round talent with a lot to learn.
5th Round - A.J. Green, CB, Oklahoma State
Green was a consistently good performer across three years for the Cowboys. He has that coveted 6'1 size teams like in a cornerback and seems to show athletic upside with a physical edge to his game. He doesn't appear to be the fastest corner on the field but he's never the type to back down from a challenge. Green will take on anybody, anytime.
5th Round (via MIA) - Antoine Brooks Jr., S, Maryland
Teams will overlook him for being undersized (5'11) and not the best athlete. Brooks though is a tough, physical and instinctive defender who has shown he can be a valuable chess piece near the line of scrimmage. He is a solid tackler who can bring the heat on the blitz and isn't a complete liability in coverage either. A former QB who understands how to read an offense.
6th Round - Nate Stanley, QB, Iowa
Nothing really stands out as special about Stanley. He's got size and a decent arm. He can make most of the necessary throws. He brings lots of experience in a pro-style offense out of Iowa and won a lot of big games there. His footwork and field vision are there, along with solid accuracy. His biggest concerns are a lack of mobility and struggles against pressure. Two things that can be worked around.
6th Round (via PHI) - Dalton Keene, TE, Virginia Tech
Trey Burton might be entering his last season with the Bears. That is unless he delivers way better results than 2019. The team should start looking for a possible replacement at "U" tight end and Keene is somebody they've had eyes on. For good reason too. While undersized for his position, his versatility to line up everywhere makes him a matchup problem. Just like Burton was supposed to be.
7th Round (via LAV) - Patrick Taylor, RB, Memphis
Derrick Henry proved giant running backs still have a place in the NFL. Patrick Taylor is every bit of that at 6'3, 227 lbs. Even if that's a slight exaggeration, he's a big boy. That really showed at Memphis where he was a beast in the red zone, scoring 29 touchdowns between 2017 and 2018. Injury stunted his growth last year but this kid is fast for his size, has power, and can catch the ball out of the backfield.
7th Round - Logan Wilson, ILB, Wyoming
The production speaks for itself. Over 350 tackles in four years with 12 sacks. He's a true downhill linebacker with tremendous tackling ability who lives behind the line of scrimmage. Teams will knock his limited athleticism but he has great instincts and is a tone-setter on defense. A guy who isn't afraid to lead. May never be a star but he'll be a locker room presence.
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