Chicago Bears: Potential cap casualties in 2020 offseason

3. Taylor Gabriel

The ideal slot receiver who brings speed to the Bears offense, Taylor Gabriel is a guy who the Bears can count on. If the Bears didn’t believe that Gabriel was a special talent, they wouldn’t have rewarded him with a four-year, $26 million dollar deal during free agency in 2018.

Believe it or not, but Gabriel set career highs in receptions (67) and receiving yards (688) in 2018. He was targeted 93 times proving that he’s a favorite weapon of Mitchell Trubisky’s. Now if the Bears do decide to move on from Gabriel next offseason, they’ll save $4.5 million dollars in cap space.

However, the Bears will need to consider multiple factors when releasing Gabriel. First, is his replacement already on the roster? It likely is with rookie Emanuel Hall who brings speed to the table.

Second,  besides just money, what else would the Bears gain by moving on from Gabriel? As of right now, the team would gain a younger player at the position and someone that can be a permanent solution at the team’s slot receiver position.

2018 really showcased how good Gabriel can be. Yes, he’s not going to be a game-changer, but he can do some damage by running slants, drags, and crossing routes. With the way that Gabriel’s contract is structured, he isn’t guaranteed anything past 2019.