Thread: The Melton Trade Offseason

Re-signings [9.5 million spent]

DT Henry Melton Franchise and Trade

Melton is a good player that wants to be paid like a great player and while the Bears need him on defense they need the resources on offense worth.

OG Lance Louis 4 years 12 million/4 guaranteed

This deal is similar to the one signed by Kraig Ubrik in Buffalo and the Bears protect themselves with a lower guarantee and the language of the contract. If healthy Louis can still make his money and if injured still the Bears can get out with paying him the 1 year total and allowing him to move on. The heavy back load gives the Bears options.

Year 1: 1 million salary [1]
Year 2: 2 million salary/ 2 million guaranteed [4]
Year 3: 2 million salary/ 2 million guaranteed [4]
Year 4: 3 million salary/ [3]

LB Brian Urlacher 2 years 6 million/4 guaranteed/4 incentives

Urlacher comes back for 2 years on a team friendly incentive deal and is allowed to retire a Bear and get his Ray Lewis send off and he can still earn 5 and 6 million respectively if he can lead the defense for 80% of snaps. If he cannot the Bears can move on and he will only cost 2 million in dead space.

Year 1: 1 million salary/ 2 million guaranteed/1 million [50% of snaps], 1 million [80% of snaps] [3]
Year 2: 1 million salary/ 2 million guaranteed/1 million [50% of snaps], 1 million [80% of snaps] [3]

LB Nick Roach 3 years 8 million/3 guaranteed

He is a versatile back up who can start at SLB and back up all 3 positions. He has always produced for this defense and deserves to be back.

Year 1: 1 million salary [1]
Year 2: 1 million salary/ 2 million guaranteed [3]
Year 3: 3 million salary/ 1 million guaranteed [4] Probably Released

CB Kelvin Hayden 2 years 4 million/2 guaranteed

The nickel back and primary back up is important in this defense and while the days of Hayden being a long term starter are over I think he fits in this defense, likes the city and will give the Bears a reasonable deal to stick around.

Year 1: 1 million salary/ 1 million guaranteed [2]
Year 2: 1 million salary/ 1 million guaranteed [2]

OT John Scott 1 year 1 million/500K guaranteed [1]

He played pretty well at RT and he looks like a nice potential swing OT and back up.

RB Armando Allen RFA Tender [700K]

He has the speed and hands that Trestman likes as a potential compliment to the much bigger Bush and Forte and he was good on special teams.

DT Nate Collins RFA Tender [700K]

This is a steal for a guy with as much potential as Collins who flashed last season. The Bears let Okoye go to bring him back in.

Cuts [4.85 million saved]

WR Devin Hester [1.8 million]

Angelo built Hester into something he could not be leaving him bitter and emotional and the fans resentful that they did not get their sprinkles and twiests. Hester has not developed as WR and he is declining as a kick returner. On top of on field decline he has become poutty and emotional and he clearly needs a fresh start. I try to trade him but then I move on.

TE Kellen Davis [2 million]

This explanation is easy to write as Davis is terrible at everything, he was a Lovie guy and the Bears can cut him and get 2 million dollars back.

TE Matt Spaeth [1.05 million]

Spaeth isn't much more than a blocker, and for 1 million dollars the Bears can find someone in the draft or look through UDFAs.

Restructure and Extend [11 million saved]

WR Brandon Marshall [6 million saved]

Original Deal: 2 year 18 million
New Deal: 4 years 44 million/30 guaranteed [11 million a season like other top WRs]
Total Contract: 6 years 62 million/30 guaranteed [44 million in new money, 30 million in new guarantees]

Year 1 Original Deal [2013]: 1 million salary/2 guaranteed [3]
Year 2 Original Deal [2014]: 5 million salary/4 million guaranteed [9]
Year 3: 6 million salary/ 7 million guaranteed [13]
Year 4: 6 million salary/ 7 million guaranteed [13]
Year 5: 6 million salary/ 7 million guaranteed [13]
Year 6: 9 million salary/ 3 million guaranteed [12] Probably Released, also low bonus space for restructuring.

CB Charles Tillman [5 million saved]

Original Deal: 1 year 8 million
New Money: 3 years 21 million/15 guaranteed [7.25 average salary]
Total Contract 4 years 29 million/15 guaranteed

Year 1 Original Deal [2013]: 1 million salary/2 guaranteed [3]
Year 2: 3 million salary/ 5 million guaranteed [8]
Year 3: 4 million salary/ 5 million guaranteed [9]
Year 4: 6 million salary/ 3 million guaranteed [9] Can be cut for a 5 million savings.

Free Agency [13 million spent]

Mike Wallace 5 years 42.5 million/21 guaranteed/15 signing bonus

Year 1: 3 million salary/3 million signing bonus [6]
Year 2: 3 million salary/3 million signing bonus/2 million roster bonus [8]
Year 3: 4 million salary/3 million signing bonus/2 million roster bonus [9]
Year 4: 5 million salary/3 million signing bonus/2 million roster bonus [10]
Year 5: 6.5 million salary/3 million signing bonus [9.5]

Wallace gives the Bears a deep compliment to Brandon Marshall and gives the Bears a legitimate #2 WR. Wallace brings something that no other WR on the team does and that is a consistent ability to get behind defense and stretch the field vertically. Wallace can add an impressive dimension to the offense that is missing right now.



TE Martellus Bennett 4 years 20 million/10 guaranteed/8 signing bonus

Year 1: 1 million salary/2 million signing bonus [3]
Year 2: 2 million salary/2 million signing bonus/1 million roster bonus [5]
Year 3: 3 million salary/2 million signing bonus/1 million roster bonus [6]
Year 4: 4 million salary/2 million signing bonus [6]

Bennett finally showed his incredible talent and physical abilities when he left teh dysfunctional Cowboys and got to an offense that would use him. Bennett has as much physical talent as any TE in the leage and all he needs is a strong locker room to dominate.



OG Louis Vasquez 4 years 22.5 million/12 guaranteed/8 signing bonus

Year 1: 1 million salary/2 million signing bonus [3]
Year 2: 2 million salary/2 million roster bonus [4]
Year 3: 3 million salary/2 million signing bonus/ 2 million roster bonus [7]
Year 4: 4.5 million salary/2 million signing bonus [6.5]

Vasquez is a young, massive [6'5" 335lbs] pass blocking OG that fits the bill for what the Bears need on their interior OL. Kromer wants big guys who ca provide a clean pocket and that is what Vasquez does best.



QB Chase Daniel 2 years 2 million/1 guaranteed

Year 1: 1 million guaranteed salary
Year 2 1 million salary.

A compitent back up QB that our OC has had experience with.



Cap Room: 12.9+11.5 [Restructure]+4.85 [Cuts]=29.25 million
Spent: 9.5 [Re-signings]+13 [free agents]+ 22.5 million
Available Cap: 6.75 million

Draft

*Trade* The Chicago Bears trade DT Henry Melton to the Carolina Panthers for 2[44], 4[112] and 2[2014].

*Trade* The Chicago Bears trade 1[20] and 2[50] to New Orleans for 1[15] and 3[75].

1[15] The Chicago Bears select Lane Johnson, OT, Oklahoma.

Having secured additional draft choices by trading Melton to Carolina, the Bears feel comfortable trading up to secure Cutler's blindside. Having already brought in Vasquez, who in conjunction with Louis' return will sure up the middle, the Bears solidify the only remaining hole on their line with the selection of Johnson. Johnson looked good at the Senior Bowl and during the season at Oklahoma. This selection kicks Webb over to the right side, where he will compete with Johnathan Scott for a starting role.



2[44] The Chicago Bears select Kawann Short, DT, Purdue.

Short steps in and fills the void we created by dealing Melton. He is a high character individual who was voted co-captain by his teammates. In 2009 (after redshirting in 2008) he was voted a Freshman All-American. He has superior size and was a disrupting force on the Purdue defensive line. In 2012 he accounted for 15.5 TFL, 7 Sacks, 4 PBUs, 1 FF, and 4 blocked kicks/punts. There should only be a small drop-off between Melton and Short. The Bears defensive line will still be solid with Short.



3[75] The Chicago Bears select Jon Bostic, MLB, Florida.

Even having resigned Urlacher, the Bears make a security pick in Bostic. Bostic has speed and strength similar to Luke Kuechly, but lacks his jumping ability. He should benefit from a year rotating in and learning the defense while Urlacher is still on the squad. At Florida, he was a four-year letter winner and has the potential to be the leader of this defense for years.



4[105] The Chicago Bears select Nick Kasa, TE, Colorado.

Kasa recently converted from DE to TE, and has scouts excited due to his rare combination of size and speed. In 2012 he went for 25/391/3 for a Colorado team that only won one game and threw only 404 passes for 220 completions. He was the fourth leading receiver on his team as a first year TE. He ran a 4.71 at the combine and did 22 reps. He is raw and better at blocking, but with the signing of Bennett and Rodriguez already being on the roster, we can afford to take our time with Kasa.



4[114] The Chicago Bears select Chris Faulk, OT/G, LSU.

Emery makes the pick of Faulk, who slides due to his injury early in the 2012 campaign, in order to give Kromer a new conversion project. Faulk shocked scouts by leaving LSU after his sophomore season, where he suffered a knee injury. Many expected him to return for 2013 and possibly 2014, but he declared for the draft. It's possible he slides, as Andrew Datko did in 2012. Faulk has the size and height to play inside, and could step in or compete with James Brown should Lance Louis not return to 2012 form. It's a possibility Faulk spends the 2013 season on the practice squad, but he will be a safety net and a potential starter in future years. With Edwin Williams in the final year of his contract, Faulk will take his place on the roster next year. The Bears might also look to C with this pick.



5[146] The Chicago Bears select Tommy Bohanon, FB, Wake Forest.

The Bears elect not to add a FB through free agency, instead deciding to draft someone. Bohanan posted excellent combine numbers and will be available at this selection simply by virtue of being a FB. He can catch passes out of the backfield, adding another passing threat to a Trestman offense than loves to spread the ball, but will need to add weight to be a capable lead blocker.



6[178] The Chicago Bears select Quanterus Smith, DE, Western Kentucky.

With their final pick in the draft, the Bears select a high-potential player whose draft stock sunk due to an ACL tear. Smith recorded 12.5 sacks in 2012. He also had 38 tackles with 18.5 tackles for a loss and three forced fumbles. He also returned a fumble 75 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter against Florida Atlantic. In the season opener, Smith recorded 3 sacks while going up against Alabama's D.J. Fluker. He will need to add some weight to compete in the NFL.



Preseason Depth Chart [CC = Cut Candidate] [PS=Practice Squad]

Offense
QB Cutler, Daniel, Blanchard [PS]
RB Forte, Bush, Allen
FB Bohanon
TE Bennett, Rodriguez, Kasa, Adams [CC]
WR Marshall, Wallace, Jeffery, Bennett, Anderson, Weems (ST)
T Johnson, Webb, Scott, Brandon [CC/PS?]
G Vasquez, Louis, Brown, Faulk[PS?], Carimi [CC]
C Garza, Williams

Defense
DT Paea, Short, Toeaina, Collins
DE Peppers, Wootton, McClellin, Collins, Smith, Ozougwu [CC/PS]
LB Urlacher, Roach, Briggs, Bostic, Thomas
CB Jennings, Tillman, Bowman, Hayden, McManis (ST), Frey [CC/Futures]
S Wright, Conte, Hardin, Steltz

Specialists
K Gould
P Podlesh
LS Mannelly

55 players total