Most of the 32 NFL teams have spent the past few weeks cutting players and restructuring contracts in order to adjust to the falling cap number. Some have done this in necessity to meet the new cap figure, but others have done it so they can be legitimate buyers in free agency. One team made a big move on Saturday that accomplished both of these objectives, as the Chicago Bears reportedly saved more than $23 million in cap space by restructuring three of their largest contracts.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Bears converted the 2021 base salaries of linebacker Khalil Mack, safety Eddie Jackson and offensive lineman Cody Whitehair into signing bonuses. As Schefter notes, these moves give the Bears some much-needed firepower heading into free agency. According to Over The Cap, the Bears are currently $19.2 million in the red, which is the second-worst cap situation in the NFL. This reported move will get them back where they need to be.
As for whom the Bears could be gearing up to pursue, there's only one name the good people of Chicago have in mind: Russell Wilson. According to CBS NFL Insider Jason La Canfora, the Bears are prepared to throw a "boatload" of picks at the Seattle Seahawks for their quarterback, or the Houston Texans for Deshaun Watson.
"They are beyond serious and, as is generally the case when job security is at the fore, future picks in like 2023 don't hold all that much value in real time. They don't have the type of young, cheap talent that some other trade suitors do, but you can always keep throwing future top draft picks at the problem."
Even if the Bears are unsuccessful in their signal-caller seeking, there are plenty of other holes to fill such as at offensive tackle or even wide receiver. At this point, however, the Bears are preparing for a big move at quarterback to shake up the NFC North and the conference as a whole.
