adam

Sorry, you are correct, I was using those terms loosely. Definitely don't want to end up like the Steelers.

Yeah, but those cap hits are not guaranteed money. Right now he has dead money of 9.5 million on his 16.1 cap hit. So if we cut him this year we would be on tap for the 9.5 and only save about 6.6 million. I doubt the Bears do that. However, next year, his dead money is down to 6.3 even though his cap hit goes to 17.1. So cutting him next year would save 10.8. Then if you get to 2015, his dead money is down to 3.183 and his cap hit is 19.6. Cutting him would save 16.4 million. With so little in guarantees, all they have to do is extend him one-year, give him a little more in guarantees (signing bonus) and shave a couple million off each year's cap hit. This would decrease the cap hits and leave some dead money on the back end of his deal if they decide to cut him later. Win win for everyone. Peppers gets more guaranteed money and the Bears get smaller cap hits with both parties knowing he will more than likely not make it to the last year of the deal anyway. Now if they don't believe in him long term, then he will more than likely be cut next year for the 10.8 million savings.

When we could possibly draft one (Jones) in the 2nd for a lower cap hit? I'll pass.

I would rather have it be quiet with no leaks than a bunch of info getting out and we miss out on some guys. You have to expect to see some restructures and extensions executed on Monday because teams can't exceed the cap once the new league year starts. So it would be hard to sign guys with no cap room.

Quinton Patton, from Louisiana Tech, had a great Senior Bowl.

Not necessarily. They are just converting the same money they were going to pay him anyway to lessen the impact on a single year. Also, the cap is expected to go up considerably in 2015, so they just have to make it work the next 2 years.

Yeah I know, but for almost $3 million a year, and new management.

Then we go TE or LB. I doubt we go WR in the 1st, but if we were going WR, Austin would be the logical pick.

That's where I came up with these numbers: http://www.talkbears.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=8836 Bush would cost more to cut, so he is staying. I would say the possible cap casualties would be: Davis, Hester, Gould, Bennett, Spaeth, and Webb Possible Restructures/Extensions: Peppers, Cutler, Marshall, Melton, Tillman, and Briggs

Boothe would be a great pickup and immediate upgrade.

We've had some great debates and it is always nice to get more than one point of view because otherwise there would be no point if everyone always agrees. Just don't make it personal, we are better than that.

Cap-wise, I just don't see us offering him more than $5-6 a year, especially if we keep Hester.

2 yrs at $4 million with some incentives would be decent. It will be interesting to see if he accepts a lower price, because he has set himself up to look like the good guy by giving the Bears an offer first. If he really wants to win a championship with the Bears, he has to take whatever the Bears offer as they are too tight on cap space to give him much more.

and fluking a test is awesome. Mine: 1. Lane Johnson 2. Jonathan Cooper 3. Tyler Eifert 4. DJ Fluker 5. Alec Ogletree

They need to start restructuring some contracts. Free Agency is right around the corner.

I agree that his age is a concern, but it is not like all players magically decline because they turn 30. It is more like 32-34 where you see the drop off. If there are contract talks, maybe they are making him more enticing for a trade (with a lower cap hit).

For me it depends on which Hester we are going to get, the HoF Returner or the mediocre WR. An extension won't save that much.

5'8" is really small for a WR, especially taken in the first round. He produced in college, so we will have to see if that translates to success in the NFL. I just can't see the Bears using #20 on him.

Odds are he re-signs with Miami for much less than he believes he is worth.

I wouldn't mind Long in the 2nd. He is a great athlete and has the family pedigree. Armstead has been rated more as a 3rd rounder, and is not as "ready" as some of the other picks.

I can't see DB after what Tillman and Jennings did last year. With the huge holes on the Oline, TE, and possibly LB, it just seems like we will have to address 2 of those in the first two rounds.

Somewhat subjective because they use their own criteria to come up with the "value". There is no way to quantify things that don't show up on stat sheet. I would say Peppers and Forte were not that bad.

Interesting that they break out DT and DE, but not OT, G, and C.

I am glad he will be back, but the Bears need to get going on restructures and cuts.

Alex Smith vs Jay Cutler? That sort of contradicts what Gannon and Young both said about Cutler, that he would thrive under Trestman. Smith was brutal until Harbaugh came in and watered down the offense to such a basic level that almost any QB would've put up the numbers Smith did the last 2 years. Cutler actually gives Trestman more options because he can pass deep and is more mobile. If Trestman can correct some of Cutler's bad habits, he will be 10 times better than Smith would be in the same offense. Cutler's ceiling is so much higher. We will find out this year because Smith has Reid in KC, but I can't see Smith being more than just a game manager. He is not a bad QB, but I don't believe he would be better than Cutler in a Trestman offense. Trestman also helped Plummer in 1998 almost double his numbers, and I would say Cutler and Plummer are very comparable QB's. He did the same for Kosar in 1989.