My 2020 off season mock (Coaches, Draft, & FA)

[MalagaBulls]

My 2020 off season mock (Coaching, Free Agency & Draft):
Bear’s needs:
Coaches: **My thinking is that we need way more help on the offensive side of things to fully be able to harness Biscuit’s potential. Having said that, these are candidates I think that could come in and really do well with the personnel we have. It is not just about talent, but how that talent is molded and developed.**
Fire Harry Hiestand, Hire Joe Rudolph from UOW (Wisconsin) – He has churned out a few All Americans during his time as OL coach
Fire Mike Hilfrech, Hire or poach Tony Elliot from Clemson to be the OC. They have been a perennial powerhouse with QB’s under his watch such as DeShaun Watson 2017-18 and Trevor Lawrence this year, nuf said. Force Nagy to allow Elliot to be the primary playcaller.
Fire Dave Ragone and poach Shane Waldron who has been the passing game coordinator for the the RAMS and has helped devise play calling that has helped Goff grow. With a similar type of system, he could help Biscuit.
But most importantly Pace has to force Nagy to accept he cannot play call and just be the motivator and sideline cheerleader for both the O and D.
Offense
1.       O Line – Both tackles positions could be upgraded
2.       O Line – RG is a huge need.
3.       TE – Need 1.
4.       RB – Need a large back to pound on 3rd & short and block.
5.       QB – Let´s face it, Buscuit needs a whole ton of competition and we need a backup at the very least.
6.       WR – We are set at 1-4 but could use some depth
Defense
1.       D Line – is pretty set but we could use a quality end and push RRH or Nichols to rotational depth.
2.       OLB – Need to cut or trade Floyd and get a cheaper solution. Need depth.
3.       ILB – Smith and Kwia coming back could be our starters, need depth and rotational pieces.
4.       Safeties – Need to let HHC go, he will want more $$ than he is worth, need a SS & depth.
5.       CB – Need to cut Prince, Toliver can step in and grow with Fuller manning the other side and Skrine playing well in the nickel we are good. With a better SS Jackson will revert to his excellent CF form of 2018.


CAP   situation projected for 2020:

2019 17.5M rollover + 201M expected CAP = 218.5M – 206M top 51 = 12.5M available as of today


CUTS/TRADES:


1.       Cut/Release Prince Amukamara 9M saved
2.       Cut/Release Kyle Long 8.1M saved
3.       Cut/Release Taylor Gabriel 4.5M saved
4.       Cut/Release Adam Shaheen 1.2M saved
5.       Trade OLB/ILB Leonard Floyd to Miami Dolphins with 2021 4th for their 2020 2nd (Currently projected at number 34). Save 13.2M
6.       Trade LT Charles Leno to Washington Redskins plus 2020 5th for Trent Williams. Williams 13.2M – Leno’s 9.2M CAP hit = a rise of 4M to be absorbed by the Bears. Both need a change of scenery and Williams wants out.
New CAP = 12.5M + 36M = 48.5M. 48.5M – 4 for the Leno trade = 44.5M available.
New Contract plus restructure to add more CAP (Key resigning’s kicked down the road to 2021 due to fall off in performance are Eddie Jackson Tier 1 and Cohen & Tolliver II in Tier 2):
1.       Extend Allen Robinson to a 5/80M from 2021-26 with 48M guaranteed. He has been a monster, consistent, and among the top 12 receivers in the league. I think he will break 1200-1300 yards next year and score 12-13 TD’s.
Restructure AR’s 2020 salary from 10.9M to 4.9M making 6M of it a roster bonus pro-rated over 2021-26. His new money can be as follows (6M CAP saved):
a.       2021 – 12.5M signing bonus pro-rated over 2021-26. 12M salary guaranteed. 2021 CAP hit = 15.7M

New CAP = 44.5M + 6M = 50.5M available.
Free Agency (External Signings plus trades)
Positions addressed = OLB, LT, SS, DT/DL, QB, & TE.
1.       Trent Williams - LT obtained from Washington. Williams is a mauler in the run & pass game and can man the left side until we draft our new LT in 2021. He has 2-3 good years left in the tank for his age 32/33 seasons/ CAP hit already accounted for, CAP remains 50.5M. If he works out give him another 2-year contract with the 1st guaranteed.
2.      Jordan Jenkins – OLB signed for 4/36M with 26M guaranteed. It is a ton of money to tie up on the edge, but he will grow into a better pass rusher than Floyd ever was. He can spot Mack on rest downs and switch over with a rotational OLB on the opposite side. Jenkins is also great in run support and can cover on occasional packages. 2020 CAP hit = 8M. 42.5M CAP room left.

a.       2020 Money = 12M signing bonus prorated over 4 2020-23. 6M salary.
3.       Anthony Harris – SS signed for 4/34M with 20M guaranteed or Tony Jefferson money. Harris will easily transition in the Bear’s secondary and provides excellent run support in the box plus very good coverage skills over the middle. He has 5 picks but as noted has increased his tackles to 54 this year. 2020 CAP hit = 6.5M. 36M CAP room left.
4.       Kelvin Beachum – RT/ST signed to a 2/10M with 5M guaranteed. He provides excellent insurance on the right side while Wills learns the ropes and gets indoctrinated in Rudolph’s schemes. 2020 CAP hit = 2.5M. 33.5M CAP room left.
5.       Leonard Williams – DT signed for 1/5M on a prove it deal. His stock has slowly dropped but paired with Hicks and Goldman will revive his hunger and tenacity. With these 3 penetrating the box and stuffing the run on 80% or more of run plays it will open the middle for more blitzing from Smith and Kwia. His signing gives us excellent depth with Nichols, RRG, & Williams providing excellent depth. 2020 CAP hit = 5M. 28.5M CAP room left.
6.       Eric Ebron – TE signed for 1/3M on a prove it deal. His stock really dropped from a breakout 2018 season where he had 14 TD’s and became one of the most feared receiving TE’s in the league. The knock on him is that he refuses to block. At least he will give the Bears an additional middle of the field and red zone threat at a minimal cost. 2020 CAP hit = 3M. 25M CAP room left.
7.       AJ McCarron – QB signed to a 2/6M with 4M guaranteed. He is a good pocket passer and had a string of 3 good games a few years ago. He can hit receivers with accurate passes to either the left or right shoulder protecting them from getting picked. He has championship pedigree from his 2 years of NC at Alabama but for some reason there is doubt whether he will ever be a true NFL quality starter. At a minimum he gives us a good backup who can learn the system quickly and his ceiling could be a good average QB as a game manager.
2020 money = 2M signing bonus and 2M salary. 2020 CAP hit = 3M. 22M CAP room left.

8.      Emmanuel Sanders – WR signed to a 1/3M with no guarantees. 2020 CAP hit = 1.5M. 20.5M CAP room left.

Free Agency (Our own Signings plus trades)
Positions addressed = ILB, OLB, LT, CB, ST, & DT/DL.
1.       Nick Kwia – ILB resigned to a 3/9M with 5M guaranteed. Kwia stepped up and really gave the Bears a nice backup option when Trevathan went down. He stuffed the run regularly, made good tackles, and even covered at an average level. If he can pick up a little bit of speed, he will become a good pass defender. 2020 CAP hit = 3M. 17.5M CAP room left.
2.       Danny Trevathan – ILB resigned to a 2/5M fully guaranteed. He is longer the defensive QB force of a year ago and a serious injury derailed his 2019 season. He will provide great insurance as the 3rd ILB behind Smith and Kwia. He has made 30M over his career and I think he will be happy to give the Bears a hometown discount. 2020 CAP hit = 2.5M. 15M CAP room left.
3.       Nicholas Williams – DT/DE resigned to a 1/2M deal. He gets a nice little bump on a real prove it deal. He will stay with the Bears because he loves it here. 2020 CAP hit = 2M. 13M CAP room left.
4.       Sherrick McManus – resigned as a backup CB and ST ace to a 2/4M deal with 2M guaranteed. 2020 CAP hit = 2M. 11M CAP room left.
5.       RRH – DE resigned to 1/1M deal. He also gets a little bump, but he did not really stand out this year as much as 2018. He provides solid backup and rotation on the DL. 2020 CAP hit = 1M. 10M CAP room left.
6.       Patrick Scales – resigned as the LS (Long Snapper) to a 1/1M deal. He has been solid as the LS on ST. 2020 CAP hit = 1M. 9M CAP room left.
7.       Kevin Pierre-Louis – resigned and switched to OLB on a 1/1M deal. He has been a surprise as the next man up ILB paired with Kwia. He has smarts and played OLB in college so we can see what he has. 2020 CAP hit = .5M. 8.5M CAP room left.

New CAP = 50.5M – 36M for Free Agency = 10M available.
Rookie pool should be about 5M with 3.5M left for contingency. We can carve out another 3-4M during the season with one more restructure if necessary.
Picks as of now:
Round 2 (Pick 34) – We select RT in Jedrick Wills from Alabama (6.5/320 Lbs). Wills has been the starting right tackle for Alabama and has been a steady performer for the Crimson Tide. He has the strength to open holes in the ground game with the quickness and athleticism to block on the edge. Wills looks like a quick starter at right tackle in the NFL. As a sophomore in 2018, Wills earned the starting spot on the right edge and has remained the starter at right tackle over 2018 and 2019.
** Note with this being our high-end pick for the O-line through the draft we move Massie to RG, for me the Coward experiment is over. I think the addition of Wills with his power and upside will anchor our right edge for a decade or more. Massie should be able to transition easily to RG. Plus the addition of Coach Rudolph will help this group develop chemistry, knowledge, and awareness of the correct scheme.
Round 2 (Pick 47) - We select TE Bryce Hopkins from Purdue (6.4/250 Lbs). He is one of the more exciting TE prospects to watch so far. His natural separation is elite and he has a knack for the big play. He finds gaps in zone coverage and presents a mismatch nightmare with his blend of size and speed. He still has things to work on, like bringing more fire as a blocker, or trying to produce more touchdowns. However, even without those, he’s still a strong NFL prospect. I think we need to address TE with one of our 2nds and Hopkins has 1 trait that is NFL ready and that is his route running and separation. That alone should allow him to grow and be the 2nd TE alongside Burton, eventually replacing him in 2021.

Round 2 (Pick 49) – We select CB A.J. Terrell from Ohio State (6.1/190 Lbs). Terrell is a natural athlete who fits seamlessly in press and man coverage schemes. Easy, natural transitions and change of direction. Flexible in the hips allows him to open up with ease or stick his foot in the ground and drive without false steps. Footwork at the line of scrimmage is a strength, as he allows for minimal space between himself and the receiver. While Terrell has a nice build for the position, he does a good job of maximizing those physical tools as well. Disrupts stems in the contact window without being overly aggressive. Forced routes off of the red line and towards the boundary as a result. Focused on attacking the catch point and causing disruption for the wide receiver. Quick reactions when the route happens in front of him. Terrell can play with inconsistent eye discipline, too often misreading the ball out of the quarterback's hands. Would like to see him drive on the receiver first and react secondly, and he can be uncomfortable despite an explosive downhill trigger. Inconsistent tackling both wide receivers and in run support but will stick his nose into the play and at least cause disruption. I think he will challenge and beat out Tolliver for CB2 alongside Fuller.
Round 5 (Pick 145) – We select QB Anthony Gordon from Washington State (6.3/210). Anthony Gordon is an exciting developmental prospect with plenty of tools at his disposal. A one year starter, Gordon needs patience and development to master timing concepts, layered reads and consistency in his work within the pocket — yet he illustrates strong arm strength, one of the more live arms in the class and a natural sense for working (and thriving) off script. He's the preferred Early Day 3 developmental QB of the 2020 NFL Draft class. He will have a 2-year minimum of growth in Nagy’s 101 playbook but by 2021 can challenge for the backup spot.
Round 5 (Pick 146) – We select OLB Nick Coe from Auburn (6.5/280). A bit heavier than most edge OLB’s Coe can stand to lose 5-10 pounds. That said, Coe isn't too far off, having an excellent skill set with size, quickness, and strength. Coe has a ton of upside, and if he plays up to his potential, he could be a top prospect in his draft class. Coe is a tough defender at the point of attack with enough size and strength to set the edge. In the ground game, he can hold his ground and stand up power blocks to maintain his gap integrity. Coe shows the ability to close quickly when he gets free of blocks, plus gives tight ends lots of problems with his power. To improve his run defense for the NFL, Coe needs to get better with his hand technique to shed blocks. He can grow over the next 2 years in our 3-4 scheme and challenge for reps in late 2021 or 2022.
Round 5 (Pick 148) – We select RB/FB Elijah Mitchell from Lafayette (5.11/225 Lbs). This season, Mitchell has averaged 6.0 yards per carry for 905 yards and 14 touchdowns. He has nine receptions for 69 yards. In a talented backfield with teammates Trey Ragas and Raymond Calais, Mitchell is a thick power back who made it onto NFL teams' preseason watch lists. In 2018, Mitchell averaged 6.7 yards per carry for 977 yards with 13 touchdowns. He had 20 receptions for 349 yards and three scores. He can grow in Nagy’s system and be a power runner in red-zone short yardage situations or be the lead blocker for Monty in certain schemes.
Round 6 (Pick 176) – We select SS K’von Wallace from Clemson (5.11/190 Lbs). Smaller statured safety prospect. Compact and muscular build from top-to-bottom that he's able to use to his advantage in multiple areas of his game. Has previously played nearly every position on the back end of the defense, but his most success has come at safety. Clemson is experimental with him -- he plays nickel, free and strong safety. A prospect that truly plays all over the place and switches his assignments from play to play. Wallace has a high football I.Q. and awareness. With multiple hats that he's wearing at safety, it's clear that the coaching staff has full trust instilled within him in order to satisfy multiple needs. Fluid in man-to-man coverage, but it is not one of his best attributes. Wallace is more of a roamer that likes to operate in space. Ball pursuit is aggressive and makes sure to arrive at the ball point even when he's not the most immediate option to make tackles. Former days as a two-way play show up often when attacking the ball as he's shown to be comfortable with finding the ball in the air and making a play on it. He can substitute in the future but initially he will provide ST and secondary depth.
Round 7 (Pick 210) – We select C Matt Hennessy from Temple (6.4/295 Lbs). Hennessy has played well while on the field, but he missed time with a concussion this season. Hennessy practiced some at guard and tackle for Temple, but for the NFL, he is a center. He has some natural strength and intelligence to be an effective interior blocker. It would help Hennessy if he could add more strength to his frame for the next level. I think with an additional 10 pounds and mentoring under Rudolph he could become a valuable C/G in 2021.
Roster:
Offense
QB1 – Trubisky, QB2, McCarron
RB1 – Montgomery, RB2 – Cohen, RB3 – Mitchell
WR1A – Robinson, WR1B – Wims
WR2A – Miller, WR2B – Sanders
WR3A – Patterson, WR3B – Ridley
TE1 – Burton, TE2 – Ebron, TE3, Hopkins
LT1 – Williams, LT2/ST – Beachum
LG1 – Daniels, LG2/SG – Bars
C – Whitehair, C2 – Hennessey
RG1 – Massie, SG – Bars
RT1 – Beachum, ST - Wills
Defense
LDT1 – Hicks, LDT2 – RRH
NT1 – Goldman, NT2 – Williams
RDT1 – Williams, RDT2 – Nichols
LOLB1 – Mack, LOLB2 – UDFA
ROLB1 – Jenkins, ROLB2 – Coe
LILB1 – Kwia, LILB2 – Trevathan
RILB1 – Smith, RILB2 – Pierre-Louis
LCB1 – Fuller, LCB2 – McManus
RCB1 – Terrell, RCB2 – Tolliver
NB1 – Skrine, NB2 – UDFA
SS1 – Harris. SS2 – Shelley
FS1 – Jackson, FS2 – Bush
Special Teams
K – Pineiro
P – O’Donnell
LS – Scales

[patryk7754]

you are grossly undervaluing a lot of these players. The Redskins won't trade a HOF LT in his prime on a relatively cheap deal for a 5th round pick. Minimum 1st rounder or multiple valuable picks. They probably won't even trade him because his beef was with the GM and athletic trainer and they're both gone and Ron Rivera just walked in. Emmanual Sanders for 1 year 3 mil with no guaranteed money? Sanders will get 8 figures. and you don't even have him as our 2nd WR? Are you talking about the one from the 49ers? Leonard Williams will get more than 5 million.

Danny isn't going to resign for a cheap deal to be a backup. He'll get starter money to be a starter somewhere. No chance in hell we get a second round pick for a disappointing 1st rounder who will get paid more than 13mil.

[patryk7754]

Coaching:
I don't see many changes coming to the coaching staff, both personnel-wise and decision making wise. What I'd like to see is two additions to be made.

1. Hire Joe Lombardi as OC. He's currently the Saints QB coach and that might be the best collection of QBs on a single team in NFL history. He's been a coach since 1996. He's been with the Saints since 2007 as an Offensive Assistant, OC, and QB coach. Before he got to the Saints he was a RBs, TEs, OL and DL coach as well as Defensive assistant for the Falcons.

2. Hire Bret Bielema as Dline/Asst DC. He is currently the Dline coach for the Patriots and they are like 6th in rush defense. After Hicks got hurt our dline became the biggest weakness on defense. Bielema will be able to coach up the dline enough that one injury won't destroy us.

Cuts:
Kyle Long, saves 8.1mil
Taylor Gabriel, saves 4.5mil
Prince Amukamara, saves 9mil
Charles Leno Jr, saves 2.9mil

Trades:
Bobby Massie to the Bucs for 5th rounder, saves 4.4 mil
Trey Burton and 5th rounder to the Dolphins and 7th rounder, saves 5.05mil
Lenord Flyod, 2020 2nd, 2021, 2nd and 2021 4th for Trent Williams, Saves 0.722mil

Cap after cuts and trades (plus 10mil in cap increase): 55.241mil

Resignings:
HaHa Clinton-Dix, S, 2 years 14 mil (6mil 2020 cap hit)
Sherrick McManis, CB/ST, 1 year 1.75 cap hit
Aaron Lynch, OLB, 1 year 1.5 cap hit
Ted Larsen, G, 1 year 1.5 cap hit
Nick Williams, DT, 1 year 2 cap hit
Brent Urban, DE, 1 year 1.5 cap hit
Pat Scale, LS, 1 year 0.810 cap hit
Nick Kwiatkoski, ILB, 3 years 15 mil, 5 mil cap hit
Isaiah Irving, OLB, 1 year 0.850 cap hit
Roy Robertson-Harris, DT, 3 years 9 mil, 2 mil 2020 cap hit

Cap after Resignings: 32.831

FA Signings:
Jack Conklin, RT, 5 years/60mil 10 mil 2020 cap hit
Brandon Scherff, 5 years/50mil 8 mil 2020 cap hit
Austin Hooper, 4 years/32 mil, 6mil 2020 cap hit
Case Keenum, QB, 1 year/3mil
Vic Beasley, OLB, 1 year/3mil
Aaron Colvin, CB, 1 year/1 mil

Draft:
RD 2: Reakwon Davis, DE
RD 5: L'Jarius Sneed, CB
RD 5: Collin Johnson, WR
RD 6: Malik Harrison, ILB
RD 6: Brandon Bowen, OT/G
RD 7: Charlie Heck, OT
RD 7: Elijah Mitchell, RB

[heir_jordan22]

LMFAO Leonard Floyd for the 34th pick

[MalagaBulls]

LMFAO Leonard Floyd for the 34th pick

It's a thriw sh** at the wall mock on a message board.

[heir_jordan22]

Coaching:
1. Hire Joe Lombardi as OC. Saints QB coach

2. Hire Bret Bielema as Dline/Asst DC. Patriots Dline coach

Cuts:
Kyle Long, saves 8.1mil
Taylor Gabriel, saves 4.5mil
Prince Amukamara, saves 9mil
Charles Leno Jr, saves 2.9mil

Trades:
Bobby Massie to the Bucs for 5th rounder, saves 4.4 mil
Trey Burton and 5th rounder to the Dolphins and 7th rounder, saves 5.05mil
Lenord Flyod, 2020 2nd, 2021, 2nd and 2021 4th for Trent Williams, Saves 0.722mil

Resignings:
HaHa Clinton-Dix, S, 2 years 14 mil (6mil 2020 cap hit)

FA Signings:
Jack Conklin, RT, 5 years/60mil 10 mil 2020 cap hit
Brandon Scherff, 5 years/50mil 8 mil 2020 cap hit
Austin Hooper, 4 years/32 mil, 6mil 2020 cap hit
Case Keenum, QB, 1 year/3mil
Vic Beasley, OLB, 1 year/3mil
Aaron Colvin, CB, 1 year/1 mil

I like those coaching moves. Those would be great I think, and Pace has a history with the Saints so it makes sense.

I do not think Leno and Gabriel will be cut, even though I would like to see upgrades over both of them.

I also do not see the Bears keep Haha or signing Conklin. Haha just didn't provide any run support, which forced Jackson to help in the run, not his forte. Tennessee will do everything to keep Conklin IMO.

[heir_jordan22]

LMFAO Leonard Floyd for the 34th pick

It's a thriw sh** at the wall mock on a message board.

The Bears would be lucky to get a 4th round lick for a guy who had 3 sacks, doesn't force turnovers, and doesnt rack up tackles despite playing every snap, while being paid $13+million. No.

[heir_jordan22]

Bears just fired for coaches.
Offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich
Offensive line coach Harry Hiestand
Tight ends coach Kevin Gilbride
Assistant special teams coach Brock Olivo

[heir_jordan22]

If we bring in Brandon Sherff the on we might as well bring in the OL coach from Iowa. He coached Daniels and Sherff, and Whitehair was in the same conference and played a similar style.

[heir_jordan22]

These are the players I like that are currently slated to become FAs.

Qb: Keenum, McCown
Rb: Edwards, Crowell
Wr: Perriman
Te1: Hooper, Hunter
Te2: McDonald, Fells
Lt: Castonzo
Rg: Scherff, Peat
Rt: Conklin, Kelly
Dl: Williams, Wolfe
Olb1: Fowler, Golden, Shaq Lawson
Olb2: Quinn, Addison, Beasley, Fackrell
Cb: Bradberry, Darby, Fuller
Ss: Simmons, Vonn Bell, Tre Boston

[heir_jordan22]

Guys to definitely re-sign:
Kwiatkowski
Pierre-Louis
Williams
Roy Robertson-Harris
McManis
Coward
Holtz
Scales

Everyone else would have to come at a significant discount to their market value.

[heir_jordan22]

QB: Trubisky, McCown, Rookie 2nd round
RB: Cohen, Montgomery, Crowell
WR starters: Robinson, Perriman, Miller
WR backups: Patterson, Wims, Ridley, possibly Gabriel
TE: Hunter, Shaheen, Rookie 5th round
OL starters: Leno, Daniels, Whitehair, Scherff, Massie
OL backups: Bars, Coward, Rookie 2nd round

DL starters: Hicks, Goldman, Wolfe
DL backups: Nichols, Williams, RRH
LB starters: Golden, Kwiatkowski, Smith, Mack
LB backups: Addison, Pierre-Louis, Woods, Rookie 5th round
CB starters: Fuller, Bradberry
CB backups: Shelley, Skrine, Toliver, the other Fuller brother would be a great depth addition
S starters: Jackson, Bell
S backups: McManis, Rookie 5th round, whoever

Special Teams: keep the same

First two picks should be used on QB and OL unless someone really good slips.

[Axxo]

My 2020 off season mock (Coaching, Free Agency & Draft):
Bear’s needs:
Coaches: **My thinking is that we need way more help on the offensive side of things to fully be able to harness Biscuit’s potential. Having said that, these are candidates I think that could come in and really do well with the personnel we have. It is not just about talent, but how that talent is molded and developed.**
Fire Harry Hiestand, Hire Joe Rudolph from UOW (Wisconsin) – He has churned out a few All Americans during his time as OL coach
Fire Mike Hilfrech, Hire or poach Tony Elliot from Clemson to be the OC. They have been a perennial powerhouse with QB’s under his watch such as DeShaun Watson 2017-18 and Trevor Lawrence this year, nuf said. Force Nagy to allow Elliot to be the primary playcaller.
Fire Dave Ragone and poach Shane Waldron who has been the passing game coordinator for the the RAMS and has helped devise play calling that has helped Goff grow. With a similar type of system, he could help Biscuit.
But most importantly Pace has to force Nagy to accept he cannot play call and just be the motivator and sideline cheerleader for both the O and D.
Offense
1.       O Line – Both tackles positions could be upgraded
2.       O Line – RG is a huge need.
3.       TE – Need 1.
4.       RB – Need a large back to pound on 3rd & short and block.
5.       QB – Let´s face it, Buscuit needs a whole ton of competition and we need a backup at the very least.
6.       WR – We are set at 1-4 but could use some depth
Defense
1.       D Line – is pretty set but we could use a quality end and push RRH or Nichols to rotational depth.
2.       OLB – Need to cut or trade Floyd and get a cheaper solution. Need depth.
3.       ILB – Smith and Kwia coming back could be our starters, need depth and rotational pieces.
4.       Safeties – Need to let HHC go, he will want more $$ than he is worth, need a SS & depth.
5.       CB – Need to cut Prince, Toliver can step in and grow with Fuller manning the other side and Skrine playing well in the nickel we are good. With a better SS Jackson will revert to his excellent CF form of 2018.


CAP   situation projected for 2020:

2019 17.5M rollover + 201M expected CAP = 218.5M – 206M top 51 = 12.5M available as of today


CUTS/TRADES:


1.       Cut/Release Prince Amukamara 9M saved
2.       Cut/Release Kyle Long 8.1M saved
3.       Cut/Release Taylor Gabriel 4.5M saved
4.       Cut/Release Adam Shaheen 1.2M saved
5.       Trade OLB/ILB Leonard Floyd to Miami Dolphins with 2021 4th for their 2020 2nd (Currently projected at number 34). Save 13.2M
6.       Trade LT Charles Leno to Washington Redskins plus 2020 5th for Trent Williams. Williams 13.2M – Leno’s 9.2M CAP hit = a rise of 4M to be absorbed by the Bears. Both need a change of scenery and Williams wants out.
New CAP = 12.5M + 36M = 48.5M. 48.5M – 4 for the Leno trade = 44.5M available.
New Contract plus restructure to add more CAP (Key resigning’s kicked down the road to 2021 due to fall off in performance are Eddie Jackson Tier 1 and Cohen & Tolliver II in Tier 2):
1.       Extend Allen Robinson to a 5/80M from 2021-26 with 48M guaranteed. He has been a monster, consistent, and among the top 12 receivers in the league. I think he will break 1200-1300 yards next year and score 12-13 TD’s.
Restructure AR’s 2020 salary from 10.9M to 4.9M making 6M of it a roster bonus pro-rated over 2021-26. His new money can be as follows (6M CAP saved):
a.       2021 – 12.5M signing bonus pro-rated over 2021-26. 12M salary guaranteed. 2021 CAP hit = 15.7M

New CAP = 44.5M + 6M = 50.5M available.
Free Agency (External Signings plus trades)
Positions addressed = OLB, LT, SS, DT/DL, QB, & TE.
1.       Trent Williams - LT obtained from Washington. Williams is a mauler in the run & pass game and can man the left side until we draft our new LT in 2021. He has 2-3 good years left in the tank for his age 32/33 seasons/ CAP hit already accounted for, CAP remains 50.5M. If he works out give him another 2-year contract with the 1st guaranteed.
2.      Jordan Jenkins – OLB signed for 4/36M with 26M guaranteed. It is a ton of money to tie up on the edge, but he will grow into a better pass rusher than Floyd ever was. He can spot Mack on rest downs and switch over with a rotational OLB on the opposite side. Jenkins is also great in run support and can cover on occasional packages. 2020 CAP hit = 8M. 42.5M CAP room left.

a.       2020 Money = 12M signing bonus prorated over 4 2020-23. 6M salary.
3.       Anthony Harris – SS signed for 4/34M with 20M guaranteed or Tony Jefferson money. Harris will easily transition in the Bear’s secondary and provides excellent run support in the box plus very good coverage skills over the middle. He has 5 picks but as noted has increased his tackles to 54 this year. 2020 CAP hit = 6.5M. 36M CAP room left.
4.       Kelvin Beachum – RT/ST signed to a 2/10M with 5M guaranteed. He provides excellent insurance on the right side while Wills learns the ropes and gets indoctrinated in Rudolph’s schemes. 2020 CAP hit = 2.5M. 33.5M CAP room left.
5.       Leonard Williams – DT signed for 1/5M on a prove it deal. His stock has slowly dropped but paired with Hicks and Goldman will revive his hunger and tenacity. With these 3 penetrating the box and stuffing the run on 80% or more of run plays it will open the middle for more blitzing from Smith and Kwia. His signing gives us excellent depth with Nichols, RRG, & Williams providing excellent depth. 2020 CAP hit = 5M. 28.5M CAP room left.
6.       Eric Ebron – TE signed for 1/3M on a prove it deal. His stock really dropped from a breakout 2018 season where he had 14 TD’s and became one of the most feared receiving TE’s in the league. The knock on him is that he refuses to block. At least he will give the Bears an additional middle of the field and red zone threat at a minimal cost. 2020 CAP hit = 3M. 25M CAP room left.
7.       AJ McCarron – QB signed to a 2/6M with 4M guaranteed. He is a good pocket passer and had a string of 3 good games a few years ago. He can hit receivers with accurate passes to either the left or right shoulder protecting them from getting picked. He has championship pedigree from his 2 years of NC at Alabama but for some reason there is doubt whether he will ever be a true NFL quality starter. At a minimum he gives us a good backup who can learn the system quickly and his ceiling could be a good average QB as a game manager.
2020 money = 2M signing bonus and 2M salary. 2020 CAP hit = 3M. 22M CAP room left.

8.      Emmanuel Sanders – WR signed to a 1/3M with no guarantees. 2020 CAP hit = 1.5M. 20.5M CAP room left.

Free Agency (Our own Signings plus trades)
Positions addressed = ILB, OLB, LT, CB, ST, & DT/DL.
1.       Nick Kwia – ILB resigned to a 3/9M with 5M guaranteed. Kwia stepped up and really gave the Bears a nice backup option when Trevathan went down. He stuffed the run regularly, made good tackles, and even covered at an average level. If he can pick up a little bit of speed, he will become a good pass defender. 2020 CAP hit = 3M. 17.5M CAP room left.
2.       Danny Trevathan – ILB resigned to a 2/5M fully guaranteed. He is longer the defensive QB force of a year ago and a serious injury derailed his 2019 season. He will provide great insurance as the 3rd ILB behind Smith and Kwia. He has made 30M over his career and I think he will be happy to give the Bears a hometown discount. 2020 CAP hit = 2.5M. 15M CAP room left.
3.       Nicholas Williams – DT/DE resigned to a 1/2M deal. He gets a nice little bump on a real prove it deal. He will stay with the Bears because he loves it here. 2020 CAP hit = 2M. 13M CAP room left.
4.       Sherrick McManus – resigned as a backup CB and ST ace to a 2/4M deal with 2M guaranteed. 2020 CAP hit = 2M. 11M CAP room left.
5.       RRH – DE resigned to 1/1M deal. He also gets a little bump, but he did not really stand out this year as much as 2018. He provides solid backup and rotation on the DL. 2020 CAP hit = 1M. 10M CAP room left.
6.       Patrick Scales – resigned as the LS (Long Snapper) to a 1/1M deal. He has been solid as the LS on ST. 2020 CAP hit = 1M. 9M CAP room left.
7.       Kevin Pierre-Louis – resigned and switched to OLB on a 1/1M deal. He has been a surprise as the next man up ILB paired with Kwia. He has smarts and played OLB in college so we can see what he has. 2020 CAP hit = .5M. 8.5M CAP room left.

New CAP = 50.5M – 36M for Free Agency = 10M available.
Rookie pool should be about 5M with 3.5M left for contingency. We can carve out another 3-4M during the season with one more restructure if necessary.
Picks as of now:
Round 2 (Pick 34) – We select RT in Jedrick Wills from Alabama (6.5/320 Lbs). Wills has been the starting right tackle for Alabama and has been a steady performer for the Crimson Tide. He has the strength to open holes in the ground game with the quickness and athleticism to block on the edge. Wills looks like a quick starter at right tackle in the NFL. As a sophomore in 2018, Wills earned the starting spot on the right edge and has remained the starter at right tackle over 2018 and 2019.
** Note with this being our high-end pick for the O-line through the draft we move Massie to RG, for me the Coward experiment is over. I think the addition of Wills with his power and upside will anchor our right edge for a decade or more. Massie should be able to transition easily to RG. Plus the addition of Coach Rudolph will help this group develop chemistry, knowledge, and awareness of the correct scheme.
Round 2 (Pick 47) - We select TE Bryce Hopkins from Purdue (6.4/250 Lbs). He is one of the more exciting TE prospects to watch so far. His natural separation is elite and he has a knack for the big play. He finds gaps in zone coverage and presents a mismatch nightmare with his blend of size and speed. He still has things to work on, like bringing more fire as a blocker, or trying to produce more touchdowns. However, even without those, he’s still a strong NFL prospect. I think we need to address TE with one of our 2nds and Hopkins has 1 trait that is NFL ready and that is his route running and separation. That alone should allow him to grow and be the 2nd TE alongside Burton, eventually replacing him in 2021.

Round 2 (Pick 49) – We select CB A.J. Terrell from Ohio State (6.1/190 Lbs). Terrell is a natural athlete who fits seamlessly in press and man coverage schemes. Easy, natural transitions and change of direction. Flexible in the hips allows him to open up with ease or stick his foot in the ground and drive without false steps. Footwork at the line of scrimmage is a strength, as he allows for minimal space between himself and the receiver. While Terrell has a nice build for the position, he does a good job of maximizing those physical tools as well. Disrupts stems in the contact window without being overly aggressive. Forced routes off of the red line and towards the boundary as a result. Focused on attacking the catch point and causing disruption for the wide receiver. Quick reactions when the route happens in front of him. Terrell can play with inconsistent eye discipline, too often misreading the ball out of the quarterback's hands. Would like to see him drive on the receiver first and react secondly, and he can be uncomfortable despite an explosive downhill trigger. Inconsistent tackling both wide receivers and in run support but will stick his nose into the play and at least cause disruption. I think he will challenge and beat out Tolliver for CB2 alongside Fuller.
Round 5 (Pick 145) – We select QB Anthony Gordon from Washington State (6.3/210). Anthony Gordon is an exciting developmental prospect with plenty of tools at his disposal. A one year starter, Gordon needs patience and development to master timing concepts, layered reads and consistency in his work within the pocket — yet he illustrates strong arm strength, one of the more live arms in the class and a natural sense for working (and thriving) off script. He's the preferred Early Day 3 developmental QB of the 2020 NFL Draft class. He will have a 2-year minimum of growth in Nagy’s 101 playbook but by 2021 can challenge for the backup spot.
Round 5 (Pick 146) – We select OLB Nick Coe from Auburn (6.5/280). A bit heavier than most edge OLB’s Coe can stand to lose 5-10 pounds. That said, Coe isn't too far off, having an excellent skill set with size, quickness, and strength. Coe has a ton of upside, and if he plays up to his potential, he could be a top prospect in his draft class. Coe is a tough defender at the point of attack with enough size and strength to set the edge. In the ground game, he can hold his ground and stand up power blocks to maintain his gap integrity. Coe shows the ability to close quickly when he gets free of blocks, plus gives tight ends lots of problems with his power. To improve his run defense for the NFL, Coe needs to get better with his hand technique to shed blocks. He can grow over the next 2 years in our 3-4 scheme and challenge for reps in late 2021 or 2022.
Round 5 (Pick 148) – We select RB/FB Elijah Mitchell from Lafayette (5.11/225 Lbs). This season, Mitchell has averaged 6.0 yards per carry for 905 yards and 14 touchdowns. He has nine receptions for 69 yards. In a talented backfield with teammates Trey Ragas and Raymond Calais, Mitchell is a thick power back who made it onto NFL teams' preseason watch lists. In 2018, Mitchell averaged 6.7 yards per carry for 977 yards with 13 touchdowns. He had 20 receptions for 349 yards and three scores. He can grow in Nagy’s system and be a power runner in red-zone short yardage situations or be the lead blocker for Monty in certain schemes.
Round 6 (Pick 176) – We select SS K’von Wallace from Clemson (5.11/190 Lbs). Smaller statured safety prospect. Compact and muscular build from top-to-bottom that he's able to use to his advantage in multiple areas of his game. Has previously played nearly every position on the back end of the defense, but his most success has come at safety. Clemson is experimental with him -- he plays nickel, free and strong safety. A prospect that truly plays all over the place and switches his assignments from play to play. Wallace has a high football I.Q. and awareness. With multiple hats that he's wearing at safety, it's clear that the coaching staff has full trust instilled within him in order to satisfy multiple needs. Fluid in man-to-man coverage, but it is not one of his best attributes. Wallace is more of a roamer that likes to operate in space. Ball pursuit is aggressive and makes sure to arrive at the ball point even when he's not the most immediate option to make tackles. Former days as a two-way play show up often when attacking the ball as he's shown to be comfortable with finding the ball in the air and making a play on it. He can substitute in the future but initially he will provide ST and secondary depth.
Round 7 (Pick 210) – We select C Matt Hennessy from Temple (6.4/295 Lbs). Hennessy has played well while on the field, but he missed time with a concussion this season. Hennessy practiced some at guard and tackle for Temple, but for the NFL, he is a center. He has some natural strength and intelligence to be an effective interior blocker. It would help Hennessy if he could add more strength to his frame for the next level. I think with an additional 10 pounds and mentoring under Rudolph he could become a valuable C/G in 2021.
Roster:
Offense
QB1 – Trubisky, QB2, McCarron
RB1 – Montgomery, RB2 – Cohen, RB3 – Mitchell
WR1A – Robinson, WR1B – Wims
WR2A – Miller, WR2B – Sanders
WR3A – Patterson, WR3B – Ridley
TE1 – Burton, TE2 – Ebron, TE3, Hopkins
LT1 – Williams, LT2/ST – Beachum
LG1 – Daniels, LG2/SG – Bars
C – Whitehair, C2 – Hennessey
RG1 – Massie, SG – Bars
RT1 – Beachum, ST - Wills
Defense
LDT1 – Hicks, LDT2 – RRH
NT1 – Goldman, NT2 – Williams
RDT1 – Williams, RDT2 – Nichols
LOLB1 – Mack, LOLB2 – UDFA
ROLB1 – Jenkins, ROLB2 – Coe
LILB1 – Kwia, LILB2 – Trevathan
RILB1 – Smith, RILB2 – Pierre-Louis
LCB1 – Fuller, LCB2 – McManus
RCB1 – Terrell, RCB2 – Tolliver
NB1 – Skrine, NB2 – UDFA
SS1 – Harris. SS2 – Shelley
FS1 – Jackson, FS2 – Bush
Special Teams
K – Pineiro
P – O’Donnell
LS – Scales

Wow...How long did it take to type all this out...

[wco81]

Didn't the Bears just announce Mitch would be QB1 heading into next season?

They could draft someone but not likely to be ready to play right away.

No surprise, given the guaranteed money.

But if the brass knew this was always going to be the case, they probably needed to try to guide the media narrative away from Mitch's play this season.

[patryk7754]

Clowney is quoted saying he doesn’t care about the money and that he wants to play for a contender. Obviously, this doesn’t mean he’ll take 5mil a year but it sounds like he’s willing to take a discount to play for a good team.

Mack x Clownley would be very intriguing

[patryk7754]

What the bears have to do is very simple.
1. Sure up the oline
2. Add a TE
3. Nagy needs to run an offense the Trubisky can play in.

[Axxo]

Well... Bears hired Defilippo after all