Bears Cap Projection [My Estimate]

Cap Room Right Now: 12.9 million

Cuts: 7.32 million

Devin Hester [1.85]
Kellen Davis [2.4]
Matt Spaeth [1.02]
Roberto Garza [2.05]

Restructures: 15 million

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.

DE Julius Peppers

Original Deal: 3 years/38,484,300/9.75 guaranteed

Year 1: 8.9 million salary/3.183 million guaranteed [12.083] [Save 4 million]

*Released taking a 10 million dollar cap hit, but with a 9 million dollar savings.

Year 2: 13.9 million salary/5.183 million guaranteed [19.083]
Year 3: 16.5 million salary/5.183 million guaranteed [21.683]

35.22

Re-signings: 22.85

1. Henry Melton [8.45]
2. Brian Urlacher [4]
3. Lance Louis [2.5]
4. Nick Roach [2]
5. Israel Idonije [2.5]
6. Jon Scott [1]
7. Nate Collins [.7]
8. Armando Allen [.7]
9. Kalvin Hayden [1]

Rookie Pool: 4 million

Emergency Pool: 2 million

28.85

35.22-28.85=6.37

Free Agent Budget: 6.37 million

I think we can afford to make a run at a top OT if we are committed to filling holes in the draft.

Branden Albert 5 years 42.5 million/22 guaranteed/15 signing bonus

Year 1: 2 million salary/3 million signing bonus [5]
Year 2: 3 million salary/3 million signing bonus/2 million roster bonus [8] Peppers Gone
Year 3: 3 million salary/3 million signing bonus/3 million roster bonus [9] Cap Increase
Year 4: 5.5/3 million signing bonus/2 million roster bonus [10.5]
Year 5: 7 million salary/3 million signing bonus [10] Restructure Space

Cap Room Right Now: 12.9 million

Cuts: 7.32 million

Devin Hester [1.85]
Kellen Davis [2.4]
Matt Spaeth [1.02]
Roberto Garza [2.05]

Restructures: 15 million

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.

DE Julius Peppers [4 million]

Original Deal: 3 years/38,484,300/9.75 guaranteed

Year 1: 8.9 million salary/3.183 million guaranteed [12.083] [Save 4 million]

*Released taking a 10 million dollar cap hit, but with a 9 million dollar savings.

Year 2: 13.9 million salary/5.183 million guaranteed [19.083]
Year 3: 16.5 million salary/5.183 million guaranteed [21.683]

35.22

Re-signings: 22.85

1. Henry Melton [8.45]
2. Brian Urlacher [4]
3. Lance Louis [2.5]
4. Nick Roach [2]
5. Israel Idonije [2.5]
6. Jon Scott [1]
7. Nate Collins [.7]
8. Armando Allen [.7]
9. Kalvin Hayden [1]

Rookie Pool: 4 million

Emergency Pool: 2 million

28.85

35.22-28.85=6.37

Free Agent Budget: 6.37 million

Free Agency

Branden Albert 5 years 42.5 million/22 guaranteed/15 signing bonus

Year 1: 2 million salary/3 million signing bonus [5]
Year 2: 3 million salary/3 million signing bonus/2 million roster bonus [8] Peppers Gone
Year 3: 3 million salary/3 million signing bonus/3 million roster bonus [9] Cap Increase
Year 4: 5.5/3 million signing bonus/2 million roster bonus [10.5]
Year 5: 7 million salary/3 million signing bonus [10] Restructure Space

The Bears do not have the budget to grab a number of free agents, but they do have enough to make one impact signing while retaining their free agents. Albert comes in and gives the Bears their best LT since John Tait. Albert is worth the investment because the Bears have very little chance of getting a LT in the draft and it will allow Webb to move to RT and be an upgrade over Carimi/Scott. Albert is well known by Emery, which also lowers the risk of handing him serious money.

http://www.chiefs360.com/files/2013/01/albert.jpg

QB Kellen Clemens [St. Louis] 2 years 2 million/1 guaranteed

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

The Bears need a cheaper back up option than Jason Campbell and Clemens is a smart player that has started games in the league.

http://agitprop.typepad.com/photos/u..._clemens_2.jpg

Draft

The Bears choose to pool their resources in free agency and sign the LT that they need to use the draft to fill a number of needs and to bring youth and competition to a number of positions. The Bears trade down so that they can fill a number of needs.

*The Chicago Bears trade 1[20] [850 points]to the San Francisco 49ers for 2[34], 2[62] and 7th round pick [839 points] The 49ers have 13 picks and simply cannot afford to have 13 rookies on the team they have more then enough to move up and get a 2nd 1st round pick.

2[34] TE Gavin Escobar [San Diego St] 6'6" 255lbs.

The Bears add a talented TE that can catch the ball consistently and threaten the middle of the field.

http://www2.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/G...mlO8qZbkkl.jpg

2[50] C Travis Frederick [Wisconsin] 6'4" 312lbs.

The Bears have secured the LT position and in the process upgraded at RT, but they still need a C that can come in and make Garza even more expendable than his play has already made him.

http://a.espncdn.com/media/motion/20...ick_120425.jpg

2[62] LB Jon Bostic [Florida] 6'1" 245lbs.

Bostic is a physical leader and a smash mouth MLB that showed more speed than was expected with a 4.6 in the 40 yard dash. Bostic also had the intangibles to be the defenses leader when Urlacher is gone.

http://static1.businessinsider.com/i...bostic-hit.jpg

4. OG Jordan Mills [Louisiana Tech] 6'5" 316lbs.

Reports have the Bears liking James Brown, but he needs competition and the Bears need depth in case Brown is not ready and Louis is not ready to play because of the ACL. Mills has a ton of power to work with.

http://purplereignshow.com/files/201...ch-630x290.jpg

5. WR Tavarres King [Georgia] 6'1" 200lbs.

The speed option for the Bears at WR he can come in and play 10 snaps a game as a rookie and Trestman can use him to take the top off the defense every once and awhile. King had a great Senior Bowl.

http://www3.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/T...H2IuaW8rKl.jpg

6. CB Sheldon Price [UCLA] 6'2" 200lbs.

Size, speed and youth for the Bears to develop as CB depth and to add to the special teams units.

http://www2.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/O...SfnQRb8H4l.jpg

7. DT Anthony Rashad-White [Michigan St] 6'2" 330lbs.

A potential run stuffing DT that can back up at NT and possibly allow the Bears to save some money while releasing Big Toe. Rashad-White has the size to contribute in short yardage packages.

http://a.espncdn.com/photo/2012/0102...te_gb1_576.jpg

Depth Chart

QB: Cutler, Clemens
RB: Forte, Bush, Allen
WR: Marshall, Jeffery, Bennett, King, Weems, Anderson
TE: Escobar, Rodriguez, Adams
LT: Albert
LG: Brown/Mills
C: Frederick, E. Williams
RG: Louis, Carimi
RT: Webb, Scott

RE: Peppers, McClellin
DT: Melton, Collins
NT: Paea, Toenia, Rashad-White
LE: Wootton, Idonije
SLB: Roach, Costanzo, Trahan
MLB: Urlacher, Bostic
LB: Briggs, Thomas
CB: Tillman, Jennings, Hayden, Price, Frey, McManis
SS: Wright, Steltz, Walter
FS: Conte, Hardin

i don't think your contract breakdowns are right...take marshall...current deal is 2 years $19 mil, all in base salary...if the bears restructured his deal as you suggested, giving him a new 6 year, $62 mil contract with $30 mil in guarantees, his yearly cap hit would be $5 mil + his base salary per season...i don't see how you got his cap hit to $3 mil this year...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ZenBear

i don't think your contract breakdowns are right...take marshall...current deal is 2 years $19 mil, all in base salary...if the bears restructured his deal as you suggested, giving him a new 6 year, $62 mil contract with $30 mil in guarantees, his yearly cap hit would be $5 mil + his base salary per season...i don't see how you got his cap hit to $3 mil this year...

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You can prorate the bonus in whatever way you want.

You can literally make his salary and bonus 1 dollar this season if you want the guarantees don't have to be accounted for until the final 4 years.

The final 4 years act as a independent contract despite being attached to his old one.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by WindyCity

You can prorate the bonus in whatever way you want.

You can literally make his salary and bonus 1 dollar this season if you want the guarantees don't have to be accounted for until the final 4 years.

The final 4 years act as a independent contract despite being attached to his old one.

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If realistic, I like this plan a LOT, especially if Cooper/Warmack are both gone by 20. I really like grabbing a C in 2 (correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Schwencke > Frederick right now with the latter having a bad Combine?). Solid theoretical plan if feasible.

I wouldn't draft Travis Frederick. He's been a huge disappointment in Indy. Out of all the offensive linemen who participated in the 40-yard dash, Frederick tied for the second-slowest time. He was also near the bottom in reps on the bench press and his broad jump distance. He had an opportunity to solidify his standing and failed to do so based on how he performed compared to his fellow linemen.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by little bear

I wouldn't draft Travis Frederick. He's been a huge disappointment in Indy. Out of all the offensive linemen who participated in the 40-yard dash, Frederick tied for the second-slowest time. He was also near the bottom in reps on the bench press and his broad jump distance. He had an opportunity to solidify his standing and failed to do so based on how he performed compared to his fellow linemen.

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I did read something like that on NFP. That Frederick looked slow and unathletic in the drills and really hurt his draft stock. Basically that Schwencke moved up to 2nd round consideration and Frederick fell back to the 3rd or 4th.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by WindyCity

You can prorate the bonus in whatever way you want.

You can literally make his salary and bonus 1 dollar this season if you want the guarantees don't have to be accounted for until the final 4 years.

The final 4 years act as a independent contract despite being attached to his old one.

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i don't think any of that is true...guarantees are pro rated evenly throughout the life of the contract, and for salary cap purposes the added years to an extension are added to the current deal starting with year 1...there are also rules about the base salaries....

so a 4 year $20 mil dollar deal with a $10 mil signing bonus would have a $2.5 mil cap hit every year of the deal from the bonus plus the yearly base salary...if he were to then sign an extension in year 3 of that deal, say another 2 years with a new, $10 mil signing bonus, the cap hit would be his base salary + $2.5 mil from the original deal and another $2.5 mil from the new deal for years 3 and 4 of the old deal and then $2.5 mil + base salary over the last two years...

NFL Salary Cap - FAQ

Quote:

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Originally Posted by little bear

I wouldn't draft Travis Frederick. He's been a huge disappointment in Indy. Out of all the offensive linemen who participated in the 40-yard dash, Frederick tied for the second-slowest time. He was also near the bottom in reps on the bench press and his broad jump distance. He had an opportunity to solidify his standing and failed to do so based on how he performed compared to his fellow linemen.

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I think you are putting too much stock into the combine.

Based on tape and performance on the field Frederick was Mayock's highest ranked C in the draft.