PFF's Three-year analysis of the Bears' salary cap
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.
After one of the busiest offseasons in NFL history, let's revisit the Bears' salary cap situation moving forward.
New Bears general manager Ryan Poles has effectively hit the reset button in Chicago, trading star edge defender Khalil Mack to the Los Angeles Chargers for a 2022 second- and 2023 sixth-round pick early in the offseason. He then traded down four times on Day 3 of the 2022 Draft to turn three picks into eight, loading up on offensive linemen in the process. Despite all of these moves, Chicago still ranks 29th in active draft capital after the prior regime traded away picks like they were going out of style.
The Bears have the most effective cap space in the NFL over the next three years but also our 32nd-ranked roster as of today. There is plenty more work to be done in the Windy City, but the franchise finally has the resources to do it.
