Yes. Loved Prince signing then, still love it now. Need to re-sign him, although a lot, and I mean a lot of guys were down on that sign cos of his injury history... maybe even you too, don't really recall, and that was legit. I dont trust Fuller nearly enough, I really don't, for some kind of monster contract.
I'd like both PA and KF back. Cooper can go bye-bye.
I don't think Fuller is going to command a "monster" contract comparatively because he hasn't strung together multiple big years. But don't kid yourself--cornerbacks get WELL PAID in FA and the price is the price. He's young and other teams are going to look at him as a rare bright spot on an otherwise crappy Bears team.
Ok, but i would not overpay for him, and that's anything over 12mil per year. Yes, bih, im on that wagon too.
Great post, David. Totally agree. When you've finally found someone you can rely on, don't be cheap and just pay the man.
I was listening to the Score this morning when they were discussing our Cap being stacked with money. It sounds like we are going to be loaded with cash.
We had even more last year and spent it all. That has not been our problem. The methodology we used in FA was the problem, not the money. We were CAP flush and we were not cheap. We spent it. We have to look at it as a way of building the team, not of filling short term holes.
I was listening to the Score this morning when they were discussing our Cap being stacked with money. It sounds like we are going to be loaded with cash.
We had even more last year and spent it all. That has not been our problem. The methodology we used in FA was the problem, not the money. We were CAP flush and we were not cheap. We spent it. We have to look at it as a way of building the team, not of filling short term holes.
After we make some cuts I believe we will have more $$$$ this year. Expect Glennon, McPhee, and Freemam, and possibly Willie Young, Q Demps, and M Wheaton, thats another $40M available or close to $90M total available if desired. Cash will not be the problem, finding the right players to spend it on will be the issue.
We had even more last year and spent it all. That has not been our problem. The methodology we used in FA was the problem, not the money. We were CAP flush and we were not cheap. We spent it. We have to look at it as a way of building the team, not of filling short term holes.
After we make some cuts I believe we will have more $$$$ this year. Expect Glennon, McPhee, and Freemam, and possibly Willie Young, Q Demps, and M Wheaton, thats another $40M available or close to $90M total available if desired. Cash will not be the problem, finding the right players to spend it on will be the issue.
Unfortunately too many holes too.... When we feel like we covered one area another one breaks down... Last year it felt like we had OL and LB's, at least ILB's covered... but without Long, Floyd, Violent and Freeman... we need guys there, again. Only area that got better during this season (except QB) is S with Jackson and Amos... everything else (long-term contract) got worse.
After we make some cuts I believe we will have more $$$$ this year. Expect Glennon, McPhee, and Freemam, and possibly Willie Young, Q Demps, and M Wheaton, thats another $40M available or close to $90M total available if desired. Cash will not be the problem, finding the right players to spend it on will be the issue.
Unfortunately too many holes too.... When we feel like we covered one area another one breaks down... Last year it felt like we had OL and LB's, at least ILB's covered... but without Long, Floyd, Violent and Freeman... we need guys there, again. Only area that got better during this season (except QB) is S with Jackson and Amos... everything else (long-term contract) got worse.
I would personally include CB on the improved list.
Unfortunately too many holes too.... When we feel like we covered one area another one breaks down... Last year it felt like we had OL and LB's, at least ILB's covered... but without Long, Floyd, Violent and Freeman... we need guys there, again. Only area that got better during this season (except QB) is S with Jackson and Amos... everything else (long-term contract) got worse.
I would personally include CB on the improved list.
Sure, me too, but re-read my post... was talking about long-term guys, our CB's are bare atm
After we make some cuts I believe we will have more $$$$ this year. Expect Glennon, McPhee, and Freemam, and possibly Willie Young, Q Demps, and M Wheaton, thats another $40M available or close to $90M total available if desired. Cash will not be the problem, finding the right players to spend it on will be the issue.
Unfortunately too many holes too.... When we feel like we covered one area another one breaks down... Last year it felt like we had OL and LB's, at least ILB's covered... but without Long, Floyd, Violent and Freeman... we need guys there, again. Only area that got better during this season (except QB) is S with Jackson and Amos... everything else (long-term contract) got worse.
Still a lot of holes, Alex, I agree. Yet another reason to NOT create an additional hole at CB when you don't have to.
You can often find good interior OLs in FA so I'm not too worried about that. Long has months to recover, Kush will be back, Sitton is still under contract 1 more year if Pace wants to wait to replace him, and we still have Morgan in the wings.
I think we are ok at ILB too. Trevathan, Kwit, Jones, and Timu are pretty decent group. 3-4 ILB types are also available in FA often or the back half of the draft.
OLB/edge is another story and there I agree we are desperately thin. I don't see McPhee or Young being worthwhile to keep so that leaves Floyd alone as a starter with Acho and maybe Houston as depth players. Its very rare for good starter quality edge rushers to hit FA and those type prospects tend to go early in the draft as well. That's why I'd like to see Pace keep our CBs and shore up the OL and WR as best he can in free agency so we can use the 1st round pick on an edge rusher.
Of course it is. That's the case 99% of the time with FAs. So....its pretty simple then isn't it?
Show him the money, Ryan!
It's not complicated. Do it.
I don't know if its that simple.
Do you show him the money with him only having one good year and the possibility of the guy who help develop him leaving? Who is to say Fuller won't regress once Fangio leaves? If Fangio stays I may be more willing to overpay but I don't see him staying with the new HC coming.
One of the worse things a GM can do is overpay for average talent.
10-12 million is what I be ok with. Anything more and I say don't let the door hit you on the way out.
LMFAO. That's about all Pace has ever done except it's always been someone else's average talent and some not even average. Average isn't a word I'd use for how Mike Glennon, Marcus Wheaton, Marcus Cooper, Dion Sims, Quinton Demps, etc., performed.
But those players of our own Pace extended like Hicks and Leno played well.
Life itself is a gamble monsters. Pace had his three starting CBs hitting FA. He needs to keep at least two of the three and Fuller is the top dog. To keep him we'll have to pay what others will offer him. If I had to guess I'd say it'll be in the neighborhood of $50 mil/4yrs with $25-$30 mil guaranteed. The other two CBs who'll also attract top dollar are Trumaine Johnson and Malcom Butler and we'd be paying the same or close to it for them so why not keep "our own guy"?
If he regresses it won't be because Fangio left.
Fuller was always a good zone CB but this year he finally adapted and learned how to play well in a man coverage scheme. If he's not the best UFA CB he's probably the most versatile anyway since he can play in either scheme. So this isn't about what you or I might think he's worth. It's about his market value. That's what he'll be out to test and if we aren't willing to pay it we might as well not even bother, say good bye now, and let yet another of our former walk, play well elsewhere and get zip in return.
That's worked out soooooooo well for us so far so why not keep doing it?
Who is to say Fuller's replacement (who would that be, BTW? I am interested to hear your proposal!) won't "regress" or be a downgrade? How would you know that Leno or Hicks wouldn't regress in 2017 since they both signed big extensions with the Bears before the season started?
I think one of the worst things a GM can do is let homegrown/drafted talent walk out the door, especially when he has no one in the pipeline to replace them. And I disagree with you that KF is "average talent". Average CB talent is a player well below the level of play Fuller displayed this year.
Yes, you're projecting Fuller will play at this level for multiple years. There is evidence to support the opposite claim. Who is to say this isn't another Wilkerson situation where he only plays at this level at CONTRACT year then goes back to his average play he's been known for?
Of course its important to sign your own players but its also important to not give the bank to a player who hasn't shown the ability to play at that level for long term.
Nope. Like most ever deal done these day the guaranteed money pays off in 2 years. Three at most on a 5 year deal and all any team is gambling is that. So no matter what the total amount the contract calls for all we'd be on the hook for is whatever amount is guaranteed for roughly two years.
Let's say we pay what Bouye got. He got a $26 mil guarantee. So over the next two years Fuller gets $26 mil in salary and bonus no matter how he plays and after that he earns the right to keep playing under that deal at our option. If he's failed to play at a level that pays him $13 mil a year we cut him and move on.
McPhee's contract was for $38.75 mil. To date he's been paid roughly $23 mil and we can release him now and save about $7 mil in cap in 2018 alone vs paying him about $7.5 mil. It was much the same with Lamarr Houston. His deal was for $35 mil and all he got was about $22 mil before he was released. When we brought him back all he got was vet minimum.
I can't repeat this often enough. Teams are not committing $50-$60 and more to top guys for 4-6 years. They're committing maybe half that over 2-3 and after that the guarantees are over, the charge for dead cap is far less than the guys salary, and they can simply release him just as we did with Houston and could very well do with McPhee.
and the guys now holding up Wilkerson as an example of who not the sigh were drooling with excitement about Pace going and getting him at the time. SMH.