Thread: Salary Cap Limitations May Force Bears Hand....................

Mar 4 Franchise tag is looming and no news yet about Melton. Has anyone pciked up anything on the wire?

Originally Posted by dabears

Mar 4 Franchise tag is looming and no news yet about Melton. Has anyone pciked up anything on the wire?

There have been rumors they might let him walk for a bigger cheaper NT; apparently the DC likes a bigger bodied NT then what Melton offers.

I'm still hoping for a FT/contract agreement along the lines of what happened w/Forte last year, but if the cap doesn't work in the Bears mind then I'm fine with letting him walk, a lot of teams are being forced to make tough decisions and this might be one for the Bears.

The Bears have more than $12 million in salary-cap space, but a large chunk of that should be allocated for the expected franchise tag ($8.3 million) or salary-cap hit if they can work out a long-term deal with Pro Bowl defensive tackle Henry Melton before the deadline Monday. The Bears, though, have plenty of ways to create more space, if necessary.

Emery’s preference is to build the roster via the draft but adding two starter-caliber players in April seems unrealistic.

The Bears’ top pick is the 20th overall, and Luke Joeckel, Eric Fisher and Lane Johnson — who shined at the combine — are likely to be long gone. That leaves the Bears hoping that one of the stud guards (Chance Warmack, Jonathan Cooper) somehow slips or that the fourth-best tackle, D.J. Fluker, is available.

That’s why it’s important that the Bears upgrade immediately in March.

The top free agent is Ryan Clady, but he’s expected to get franchised by the Denver Broncos. Other top offensive tackles include Sebastian Vollmer (New England Patriots), Andre Smith (Cincinnati Bengals), Jake Long (Miami Dolphins), Phil Loadholt (Minnesota Vikings), Branden Albert (Kansas City Chiefs), Jermon Bushrod (New Orleans Saints) and Sam Baker (Atlanta Falcons).

Of those players, the safest pick is Bushrod, whom new offensive coordinator Aaron Kromer has worked with since 2009. A 2007 fourth-round pick, Bushrod has started every game the last three seasons, and he turns 29 in August. The Saints aren’t expected to use their franchise tag this offseason, and Bushrod might cost too much for the cap-strapped team.

Given the swings and misses at the position, there’s something to be said for the new regime’s emphasis on familiarity. Bushrod might not have the potential of some of the other players available, but he has been developed by Kromer and earned consecutive trips to the Pro Bowl.

Having worked in Atlanta and Kansas City, Emery also is very familiar with two key free agents, Baker and Albert. Baker has battled back injuries but started 16 games for the Falcons in 2012. Albert — after missing only one game in 2010 and 2011 — was sidelined for three games with a back injury last season.

The point is, there are options, and the Bears can’t sit idly by.

The most consistent lineman last season was guard Lance Louis, who tore his ACL and is an unrestricted free agent. As for the most important position in the unit, J’Marcus Webb, at best, was average compared to other left tackles.

@seankjensen: #Bears couldn't have asked for better offseason to upgrade o-line. Here's why I think they need 2 premium players. Bears have options on the offensive line - Chicago Sun-Times

The Bears are not likely to allot $3,754,805 for a backup quarterback, the amount Jason Campbell received this past season. A backup guard isn’t going to take up $4,254,650 in room like Chris Spencer did. In fact, James Brown potentially could fill that role and his 2013 cap figure is $480,000.

But Henry Melton was one of the best values in the NFL in ’12 with a cap figure of $697,613. If he comes back, it will be for much more. The franchise tag would require $8.3 million and a long-term contract easily could require more than $4 million.

Fortunately, the Bears are not pressed with cap issues like some other teams. But they’re going to need to proceed with a plan and caution as they fill out the roster in the coming months.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports...0,515183.story

The draft ... OL ... gimme two! Look at Frisco and their draft of OL.

Can we do that good ?