Chicago Bears: Potential cap casualties in 2020 offseason

As the 2019 season approaches, here are some names that could be in their final season as members of the Chicago Bears.

Next offseason, the Chicago Bears will face a problem that they have never had in the Ryan Pace era: Lack of money. Over the last few years, due to a plethora of rookie contracts, the  Bears have been able to be big players in free agency. However, 2020 is set to be different. Per Spotrac, the Bears will have -$26 million dollars in cap space.

All this will force the front office to make a tough decision. Older, veteran players will need to be cut in order to ensure that the team has a healthy salary cap situation. The reality is that since the Bears need to begin thinking about extending players like Mitchell Trubisky, Leonard Floyd, Eddie Jackson, and Tarik Cohen, moving on from players becomes a priority.

Moving on from a number of players next offseason will also mean that the Bears will need to draft much smarter as well. It means that the team cannot afford to miss on a number of draft picks as it will be those picks that will be expected to be immediate replacements from the players the team has just moved on from.

There is one thing to understand here: Between now and the start of next offseason, the Bears salary cap situation will change. However, it won’t change to the extent where the team will be an attractive destination for free top-tier free agents in 2020. Yes, the Bears due to the presence of Khalil Mack and Mitchell Trubisky will still be Super Bowl contenders, but this team will need more than just those two if they want to win a Lombardi Trophy in the 2020s.

What are some veterans that the Bears will need to move on from next offseason? And by cutting each player, how much money is saved? We’ll examine some names who could be in their final season with the Bears and why the team could move on from them besides just for financial reasons.