Chicago Bears 2021 Mock Offseason: One For The Road

With free agency just days away, this will be the last Chicago Bears 2021 mock offseason of the year. Is it the best one? Only the readers will decide that. Either way, it will certainly try to deliver something that is both hopeful and realistic. Keep the ridiculousness to a minimum. As always, it will start at the quarterback position. GM Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy know their situation. They're not stupid. George McCaskey bought them some time by choosing not to fire them this year. However, the clock is still working against them. They have to deliver a good season in 2021 after back-to-back disappointing 8-8 campaigns. How do they do this? It starts at quarterback. Mitch Trubisky is gone. Nick Foles isn't their answer. They need to make a splash. So here's how it could go down.

Chicago Bears 2021 mock offseason is about swinging big

Cuts:

• Javon Wims - $920,000
• Anthony Miller - $1.21 million

There really aren't a ton of cuts for the Bears to make with Skrine and Massie already off the books. Instead, they focus on remaking the wide receiver room. Both Wims and Millers were big disappointments in 2020. Not just because of their play on the field but their actions on it too. Both were kicked out of games for throwing punches. Each was warned beforehand too. A surefire sign they have trouble listening to directions. It's time for some changes. Salary cap: -$17.894 million

Trades:

Bears send 1st in '21, 1st in '22, 1st in '23, 2nd in '22, QB Nick Foles, and CB Jaylon Johnson to Seahawks for QB Russell Wilson, 4th in '21, and 5th in '22 This is it. The big move fans are begging for. Wilson appears on the outs in Seattle and the Bears need a good quarterback in the worst way. So they pay the inevitable huge price to get him. Three 1st rounders, a decent veteran QB in Foles, and a promising young defender in Johnson. In exchange, they secure one of the five best quarterbacks in the NFL. Wilson would be easily the most proven passer in modern Bears history. Somebody who can lift the team on his shoulders and win games. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0-2as8ugrI&t=1s&ab_channel=NFL

DE Akiem Hicks traded to Chargers for 4th in '21

The sad reality is Wilson is really expensive. Not just in terms of the picks to get him but also the money. He carries a $32 million cap hit. Absorbing that is going to require sacrifices. Hicks has been a rock in the middle of the Bears defense for the past five seasons. Sadly his age and declining performance make him an obvious choice to move out, painful as it is. Brandon Staley is now head coach in Los Angeles. He is highly familiar with Hicks from their time in Chicago together. Having him slide next to Joey Bosa is a smart move. CB Kyle Fuller traded to Jets for 3rd in '21 and 5th in '22 New Jets head coach Robert Saleh likes his defensive back tough, physical, and smart. Their GM Joe Douglas also knows Fuller well, having seen him in action during his brief time with the team a couple of years ago. New York has plenty of picks to spare and a defense that seems ready to take the next step. A quality cornerback like Fuller is exactly the piece they want. It's just not the ending most wished for with him in Chicago. Salary cap: -$27.29 million

Re-signings/Extensions:

WR Allen Robinson: 5-year extension for $100 million (2021 cap hit of $5 million) With the franchise quarterback in play, the Bears now return to the table for negotiating a long-term deal with their star receiver. They make a strong offer at $20 million per year, making him one of the five highest-paid receivers in the NFL right alongside Amari Cooper. It gives Robinson the big payday he deserves and the security he craves. Chicago is then able to backload the deal, keeping his 2021 cap hit nice and low. QB Russell Wilson: 2-year extension for $76 million (2021 cap hit of $20 million) Even though Wilson is under contract through 2023, the Bears would be wise to tackle his large 2021 cap hit. Rather than a restructure though, they decided to add two more years onto his current deal. This gives him an eventual pay raise from $35 million per season to $38 million. His cap hit drops by $12 million, giving the team a little more wiggle room. TE Jimmy Graham - Pay cut from $10 million in 2021 to $5 million One of the big keys in the Wilson situation is Graham who has reportedly been talking up the city and team huge to the quarterback. Not only does he do that, but he also helps facilitate the trade by accepting a pay cut. While he's not obligated to do so, Graham is eager to stay with the team and play with Wilson again. So he cuts his salary by half.

• Khalil Mack - Contract restructure gains $12.93 million
• Eddie Jackson - Contract restructure gains $6.78 million
• Cody Whitehair - Contract restructure gains $4.87 million
• Eddie Goldman - Contract restructure gains $3.23 million
• Mario Edwards Jr. - 1-year deal for $990,000
• Tashaun Gipson - 1-year deal for $990,000
• Germain Ifedi - 1-year deal for $990,000
• Brent Urban - 1-year deal for $1.075 million
• DeAndre Houston-Carson - 1-year deal for $990,000
• Patrick Scales - 1-year deal for $990,000
• Pat O'Donnell - 1-year deal for $1.075 million

Mack, Jackson, Whitehair, and Goldman don't appear to be going anywhere for Chicago. This Bears 2021 mock offseason reflects as much. All should remain capable starters for a number of years. Hence why restructuring their contracts makes more sense. After that it becomes about shoring up as much of the depth as they can. Especially along the defensive line after losing Hicks. Edwards Jr. and Urban will be big helps. Gipson retains his role as a starting safety and Ifedi will return as competition at right tackle. Salary cap: $23.419 million

Free agency:

CB Shaquill Griffin - 4-year deal for $44 million (2021 cap hit of $5 million) One can call this the Wilson Effect. His former Seahawks teammate Griffin decides to help replace Fuller and Johnson by signing a deal with Chicago. This gives them a 26-year old cornerback in his prime who played some good football last season. He isn't quite at the same level Fuller was but he is solid enough and should be able to prevent too steep of a drop in coverage. There will be other moves necessary but this is an important one. DE Henry Anderson - 1-year deal for $1 million Some people were surprised the Jets cut Anderson since they weren't pressed for salary cap space. In truth, his release was more due to scheme fit than anything. He's much better suited as a 3-4 defensive end. He had seven sacks in 2018. While not a premier starter he could be considered more quality depth who can fill in the rotation alongside Urban and Edwards Jr. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPNN3umhgi4&ab_channel=NFL

DE Jurrell Casey - 1-year deal for $3 million

The big defensive end was a Pro Bowler in 2019 but saw last season end early due to a torn biceps. Now he's been released by Denver. At 31-years old he isn't on the upswing anymore but when healthy the guy is a genuine force on the interior. He can fill that Hicks void as well as anyone. Chicago is able to get him at a discount because of what happened last year and the presence of Wilson. If he returns to form, this will look like a bargain. WR T.Y. Hilton - 1-year deal for $3 million It appears the Indianapolis Colts are going young at wide receiver. It's their loss because Hilton still has plenty of juice in those legs. One thing about Russell Wilson is he loves to throw deep. So surrounding him with speed is the smart play by any team. Hilton has been one of the best vertical threats in the game for a long time. Try to imagine him and Darnell Mooney on the field together.

The Draft:

2nd round - Samuel Cosmi, OT, Texas This is not a name that gets a ton of buzz lately in draft circles. Probably the tackle class this year is remarkably stacked. This has made it easy to forget he is actually a really good football player. One person who knows this well is new Bears coach Tom Herman who was his head coach at Texas. Probably one of the most athletic players at his position in the draft. He has size, length, solid power, and can move well in space. He should have no problem competing at right tackle and could even be the eventual replacement for Charles Leno at left tackle.

3rd round (via NYJ) - Trill Williams, CB, Syracuse Don't expect this Bears 2021 mock offseason to end without Pace drafting at least one cornerback. Typically the team has preferred players at that position with athleticism, toughness, and fluidity. They must be able to play physical both against the run and in coverage. Williams checks all those boxes. Press or zone. It doesn't matter. He can play it. On top of that, he has considerable prowess as a return man. There are still technical issues he must work on, but that is what coaching is for. 3rd round - Dayo Odeyingbo, DE, Vanderbilt Odeyingbo was really coming into his own this past season. He delivered 5.5 sacks and eight tackles for a loss in eight games last season. His mixture of size, length, and bend was so enticing. All he needed was more refinement in his hand fighting and he has the makings of a serious pass rusher. Sadly he tore his Achilles. This will delay his NFL debut for a little while. Don't be discouraged. This guy is worth the wait. Loads of untapped potential.

4th round (via LAC) - Brady Christensen, OT, BYU BYU doesn't get a lot of attention for draft prospects but the presence of quarterback Zach Wilson has changed that. It's been easier to notice that Christensen, his blindside protector is actually quite good. He's got size and power, both of which he uses to full effect in the running game. His athleticism is also decent, allowing him to be stable in pass protection. 4th round (via SEA) - Chris Rumph II, EDGE, Duke The son of new defensive line coach Chris Rumph. Let this be made clear. If Rumph II were two inches taller and 20 lbs heavier, he'd probably be in the 1st round conversation. His size is just something that is hard to look past. Yet one also can't ignore his dynamic athleticism, violent hands, and ability to find creases into the backfield. This kid knows how to manufacture pressure on the quarterback. 5th round - Austin Watkins, WR, UAB The best way to describe Watkins is somebody who is more than the sum of his parts. In terms of size, speed, and athleticism he isn't special. However, he has enough of each to consistently flash on tape. His mixture of deceptive acceleration, strong route running, and physicality allow him to consistently torch defenses for chunk plays. Just a rock solid wide receiver who can play right away.

6th round - Feleipe Franks, QB, Arkansas 

With the trading of Foles to Seattle, the Bears are left with only Wilson on the roster. So they need to find somebody who can fill in as a backup. In order to keep it cheap, they decided to draft Franks here. After stints at Florida and Arkansas, one thing is clear. The young man is talented. He has the size, arm strength, and can throw an accurate ball. He needs to learn how to read defenses and decipher coverages better. 6th round (comp) - Ihmir Smith-Marsette, WR, Iowa Remember how a lot of people missed Darnell Mooney because QB issues masked how talented he actually was? The same problem can be applied to Smith-Marsette. He's got good size, is a strong athlete, and has vertical speed. Let him run free and he is going to deliver some big plays. There were some immature moments in college but nothing unusual for somebody his age. 6th round (comp) - Christian Uphoff, S, Illinois State Picks late in the draft are mostly about physical upside. Gillespie is that sort of calculated gamble. He is a good athlete who can match up well in coverage or play the run. The size is there and he's willing to be an aggressive playmaker in the right situations. His problems lay with consistency. He doesn't always trust his eyes and can get caught out of position a little too often. Uphoff will need more work on those issues. 7th round (via MIA) - Forrest Merrill, NT, Arkansas State Typically players who only do one thing well don't get drafted high. Such is the case here. Merrill is short for a defensive tackle and doesn't have great length either. Where he stands out is his wide mass and his strength. Both of which he uses to become a serious pest along the interior. Moving him off the ball in the run game is difficult. After what happened with Goldman last year, the Bears need to shore up their nose tackle depth.