One of the most underrated parts of having a successful franchise, in the long run, is how you are able to manage the salary cap. Well, here is PFF's Brad Spielberger's explanation of the current situation in the NFL and more precisely in Chicago.
Each NFL offseason brings a wave of player movement across the league, especially now in a new era of roster construction. Blockbuster trades at premium positions — for years an extreme rarity — have seemingly become the norm lately. Teams have become more honest with themselves about the talent on their roster or lack thereof — for example, the Detroit Lions moved on from quarterback Matthew Stafford as opposed to chasing mediocrity and prolonging their inevitable rebuild.
At the same time, other teams that are close to reaching the mountaintop but held back by a few deficiencies —such as the Los Angeles Rams with quarterback Jared Goff — are willing to be more aggressive in pursuit of a Super Bowl title. These two forces operating in tandem will lead to major swings in roster construction and, thus, salary cap outlooks from season to season. In theory, each team is choosing the fastest path to building a legitimate contender, just in opposite ways.
