Let 'er rip guys. Here's the official off season mock thread for Free Agency and the draft.
First, lets talk about cuts and guys we want re-signed. I think Long is going to retire, also feel TGab is history. HaHa and DannyT probably toi. Dont think we will cut any TEs or Ts, cos of their contract situations. Kwiat is on top of the list, regarding new contract. Pierre Louis too. And they should not be too costly...
Post by malagabears on Jan 4, 2020 14:40:17 GMT -6
My 2020 off season mock (Free Agency & Draft): Bear’s needs: 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 = 16.5M available as of today with restructures of Fuller. With a new CBA comes the possibility that in 2021 we see 17 games so quite possibly that means a jump in the player’s share to hopefully 49%. Going on that assumption I would forecast the CAP to spike to between 215-220M.
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 New CAP = 16.5M + 22.7M = 39.2M 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 Cohen & Tolliver II):
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
2. Under the CBA I think it is possible to completely renegotiate a player’s contract after the 3rd year. Not verified but under this premise we resign Floyd to a 5/52.5M with 30M guaranteed which gives him 2.5 times more guaranteed money than the straight 5th year option. a. 2020 – 15 M signing bonus with a 1st year salary of 6M. His CAP hit for 2020 = 9M.
New CAP = 39.2M + 10.2M = 49.4M available. ** With almost 50M to play with we should be able to address all of the areas of need and the draft pool plus have plenty for contingency.
1. Jack Conklin – RT signed for 5/75M with 45M guaranteed. Conklin is easily the best RT on the market and although he has had an ACL tear along with surgery, he was an All Pro in 2018. He is only 26 and we get his prime years. Without making any cuts Tennessee has 60M plus in CAP space so it will be hard to beat their offer and they may eventually franchise him. But with Pace and Nagy swinging for the fences and the OLine being a disaster we must go big or go home. Conklin is a 100% upgrade to Massie in pass protection and I would dare say even better as a grinder in the run game. It is risky to put so much money into a unit, but this is the critical year to do it as the window with our elite D won’t last more than one or two more years. Massie becomes the Swing Tackle while Bars learns the ropes as either a T or G. We may even have to go as high as 5/85M to secure Conklin but I don’t care. It is a necessary risk now. He gets a 20M signing bonus and a 6M salary for 2020. 2020 CAP hit = 10M. 39.4M CAP room left.
2. Anthony Harris – SS signed for 4/36M with 22M 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 = 7M. 32.4M CAP room left.
3. Derek Wolfe – DT signed for 2/10M deal. He has been rock solid in Denver but paired with Hicks and Goldman will keep his hunger and tenacity at an all time high. 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, & Co providing excellent depth. 2020 CAP hit = 5M. 27.4M CAP room left.
4. 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. 24.4M CAP room left.
5. 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. 20.4M 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 3/12M with 6M 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. 17.4M CAP room left.
2. Nicholas Williams – DT/DE resigned to a 2/5M 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. 15.4M CAP room left.
3. Sherrick McManus – resigned as a backup CB and ST ace to a 2/4M deal with 2M guaranteed. 2020 CAP hit = 2M. 13.4M CAP room left.
4. 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. 12.4M CAP room left.
5. 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. 11.4M CAP room left.
6. Kevin Pierre-Louis – resigned and switched to OLB on a 2/4M 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 = 1.4M. 10M CAP room left.
New CAP = 49.4M – 39.4M for Free Agency = 10M available. Rookie pool should be about 5M with 5M left for contingency. We can carve out another 3-4M during the season with one more restructure if necessary.
Round 2 (Pick 43) – We select G in Solomon Kindley from Georgia (6.4/330 Lbs.). A bit high of a pick but we need to urgently fix the Oline. He has played LG but can easily transition to RG in a power running scheme. Kindley has been very good for the Georgia this season. He is a powerful run blocker and athletic in pass protection. Kindley looks like he has plug-and-play starting potential for the NFL. Some sources feel Kindley should lose some weight for the NFL, but he has a lot of fans in the scouting community. Kindley could be a riser throughout the 2020 NFL Draft process. Scouts are raving about Kindley, and he could end up being a special guard prospect. Kindley is a big blocker with a thick build, but area scouts are raving about the way Kindley can move and feel his movement skills alone could him a starter in the NFL. On top of Kindley being an easy mover in a big body, he has nastiness to him and really gets after defensive players. Kindley helped pave the way for D'Andre Swift and Elijah Holyfield in 2018 as Georgia's starting left guard. Kindley broke into the starting lineup in 2017 as a redshirt freshman and blocked well to help Georgia reach the National Championship. Kindley has talent around him and behind him to be a riser throughout the 2019 season.
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 4 (Comp Pick for A Amos) – We select CB Damon Arnette from Ohio State (6.0/185 Lbs.). In 2019, Arnette has 27 tackles with five passes broken up and an interception. He has a good skill set but doesn't play the ball well at times. Arnette needs work to improve his coverage technique. Lacking in fundamentals could cause him to be a backup and special teams player in the NFL. Arnette recorded 40 tackles with six passes broken up and an interception in 2018. Throughout the season, he had issues in coverage while giving up separation and some big plays. Arnette did not play up to his skill set. n 2017, Arnette totaled 44 tackles with eight passes broken up and two interceptions. He had a rough start to the season and was better late in the year. With his size and speed, Arnette could become a hot prospect if he puts together a strong combine & team Pro day. Arnette has a good skill set but he's inconsistent and he needs to improve his discipline and instincts.
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 our new Oline coach he could become a valuable C/G in 2021.
Yeah, I'd be shocked if we don't see Kyle Long retire. He's had so many injuries and surgeries (major surgery too) that it's time for him to retire. Love the guy, but it's time. T.Gab is gone I think too.
Leno is a young man, especially for an OL. We've seen him play very good, not great but very good LT. I don't know what caused him to play so bad this year but I'll bet he settles down and plays well again this year.
Massie is 30 years old. He's always been a marginal RT. He seemed to play average-level play in 2018. He's here for 2020 no matter what, but the Bears structured his contract so they can move on from him in 2021. I expect the Bears to bring in competition for him this year in the draft. They can easily do that in the 2nd round. If he beats Massie out for the starting job, hey, so be it. But if he has a learning curve the first year, that's okay too. Let him be in place with 1 year under his belt for the 2021 season. If Massie would get beat out by the rookie, then hey, we have a pretty decent backup for this season in Massie. Maybe Massie would benefit knowing he has stiff competition this year and play better. Who knows?
We need the blocking to improve, other than just OL blocking. That also hurt us this year. I hope the Bears get the non-OL players blocking better. You gotta have that too. Some of our blocking woes were not just on the OL. TEs, RBs and yes WRs need to up their game blocking in 2020.
I already did this one for another thread, so I'll just add it here:
solaughably to early mock fa/draft since I have nothing better to do on the job. CUT Name Position Kyle Long G Mike Davis RB Adam Shaheen TE got to mid 40's in cap, still going to be near the bottom of the cap, but can probably secure 1 top player.
SIGNED PLAYERS Name Position Cap Hit Aaron Lynch EDGE 1,500,000 Nick Kwiatkoski LB 5,600,000 Ha-Ha Clinton-Dix S 5,200,000 Patrick Scales LS 1,000,000 Hunter Henry TE 8,550,000 Emmanuel Ogbah EDGE 6,250,000 Nate Sudfeld QB 3,600,000 Max Garcia G 4,400,000
really ignore the numbers, God knows they aren't anywhere near correct, but it keeps them under the cap.
chances of Pace actually trading back, 0%, but if he can stay in the 2nd and pick up a 3rd or 4th he should. *at this time the Bears weren't projected to havea 4th.*
Wow. I absolutely love that... it took me awhile to absorb it all. But that would be a dynamite outcome. My one question is how comfortable are you that Toliver can be the #1 RCB? That was the one move I wondered about.
Wow. I absolutely love that... it took me awhile to absorb it all. But that would be a dynamite outcome. My one question is how comfortable are you that Toliver can be the #1 RCB? That was the one move I wondered about.
With Fuller, Skrine, & Jackson manning center field Tolliver should be able to cover the opposing teams number 2 receiver. Plus Harris is supposedly a great 2 way FS with excellent cover skills. With the front 3 collapsing the pocket and Mack wreaking havoc plus additional blitz packages Tolliver should be ok.
Let 'er rip guys. Here's the official off season mock thread for Free Agency and the draft.
First, lets talk about cuts and guys we want re-signed. I think Long is going to retire, also feel TGab is history. HaHa and DannyT probably toi. Dont think we will cut any TEs or Ts, cos of their contract situations. Kwiat is on top of the list, regarding new contract. Pierre Louis too. And they should not be too costly...
I agree completely.
I'd let Trevathan and Dix walk for possible comp picks. Sign Kwit and KPL.
Long is done and TGab can be released. Shaheen will go to camp and be cut by Labor Day.
Conklin had a great overall game. He opened holes on the right side on 3-4 plays. He maybe allowed 1 pressure on 16 attempts against a top 3 D. Not basing my opinion off of one game but he is still my top FA target for RT.