Chicago Bears Cut Longtime Veteran as Free Agency Plans Crystallize

The Chicago Bears have already made a series of moves in an effort to clear out cap space for the coming free agency period. They cut tight end Dion Sims and then restructured the contract of guard Kyle Long. This has given them a bit of needed breathing space as they try to for a plan for how to improve their roster. It seems they weren't done though as they made another move by releasing veteran linebacker Sam Acho. The move isn't that surprising from a football standpoint. Acho turns 31-years old in September. He missed 12 games last year with a season-ending injury and would've commanded a salary cap hit of $2.375 million if the Bears had chosen to keep him. Clearly, they had no intention of doing so and gain $2.125 million in space with his release.

Sam Acho may be back but the Bears have bigger fish to reel in

This is not to say Acho is gone forever. It's possible they could bring him back on a cheaper deal. Acho is a valued member of the locker room and can be a decent rotational pass rusher when healthy. However, the Bears need as much money as they can get with the way free agency is shaping up. Not only do they still wish to re-sign Bryce Callahan and Adrian Amos. Even bigger possibilities have since appeared including veteran pass rusher Justin Houston and Pro Bowl safety Landon Collins. The release of Acho pushes them a little bit closer to achieving one of those goals. If he is gone for good, be sure to show proper appreciation. The man helped guide the Bears through some dark times.