Getting straight to the point, it’s going to be an extremely crucial offseason for the Chicago Bears. As it stands, the Bears only have around $1.24 million in available cap space this offseason, which is drastically smaller than what the team had in the previous offseasons. The problem? The Bears have two star defenders who are in need of a serious payday.
Safety Kevin Byard and cornerback Nahshon Wright are having one of the best seasons by a DB in the NFL. Byard leads the NFL with six interceptions and has been crucial in the Bears’ defensive backfield, while Wright has blossomed from a practice squad player with the Minnesota Vikings last season to a vital piece of the Bears’ secondary with five interceptions and one forced fumble.
Kevin Byard's league-leading SIXTH interception!
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With Byard leading all safeties in Pro Bowl votes and Wright currently second among all cornerbacks in Pro Bowl votes, both are slated to become free agents this offseason, and the Bears will need to work their magic if they want to keep both defenders on the roster.
Bears Must Work Their Magic to Keep Kevin Byard, Nahshon Wright
Let’s take a look at the projected annual-per-year (APY) salary Byard and Wright could sign for.
Byard, 33, is nearing the end of his NFL career but still has plenty of juice left in the tank. He’s currently on a $7.5 million APY salary, but has excelled in the two seasons he’s been in Chicago. Factoring in his age and value to the team, Byard could see a pay bump increasing his APY to around $10 million, considering the fact that he might take less money to stay in Chicago vs. leaving for another team.
As for Wright, he’s much younger (27 years old) and plays a position that many teams desperately need help at. If the Bears want to keep him, they’ll have to pay him around $15 million APY.
The Reality
It will take a lot of restructuring, cuts, and maneuvering to keep both of them on the roster. Keep in mind, Byard and Wright aren’t the only two free agents the Bears will have this offseason. Notable players include Jaquan Brisker, Andrew Billings, CJ Gardner-Johnson, and Theo Benedet, among many others.
With so little cap space, the Bears might have to cut some veterans, which can include the following:
- DE Dayo Odeyingbo ($22 million in dead money & $1.5 million in cap savings)
- DT Grady Jarrett ($21 million in dead money & $2 million in cap savings)
- OT Kiran Amegadije ($560,662 in dead money & $1.052 million in cap savings)
But even cutting some veterans won’t be a major boost in cap space. The reality is that Chicago might have to see a number of its free agents leave, which could include Byard and Wright. Regardless of what the Bears decide to do, it’s going to be a difficult offseason for general manager Ryan Poles.
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