Chicago Bears 2021 NFL Draft: 3 bold predictions for draft weekend
As the Chicago Bears enter the 2021 NFL Draft, it is important to notate that the team is still in trouble regarding the NFL Salary Cap. Currently, the Chicago Bears have an estimated $410,075 in Salary Cap space.
The Bears have struggled with the salary cap for much of the off-season. That would be the reason why the Bears have operated this off-season with an addition by subtraction type of approach. Look no further than the Bears having to cut All-Pro cornerback Kyle Fuller after the signing of Andy Dalton.
The Bears are going to need to create salary cap space by the time that the 2021 NFL Draft is over. That would be the reason why there will likely be a veteran traded by the Bears at some point this weekend. That veteran is going to be defensive tackle Akiem Hicks.
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The Bears have already flirted with the idea of trading Hicks earlier this off-season. Prior to cutting Fuller in March, the Bears granted Hicks and his agent permission to seek a trade. Typically, when a player is given permission to seek a trade, it is very rare that they return to their current team.
That would be the reason why Hicks is going to be traded before the end of the 2021 NFL Draft on Saturday. There is no question that Hicks is a leader within the Bears’ locker room and favorite among Bears’ fans, but the NFL is a business. Hicks’ best football is behind him and the Bears’ could stand to clear $10 million in cap space.
The 2021 NFL Draft is going to prove to be a significant moment for the future of the Chicago Bears. The Bears will find their next quarterback with the selection of Justin Fields with their decision to move up in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, and they will cement their transition to being an offensive-based team with their decision to trade Akiem Hicks.
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What are the Chicago Bears going to do in the 2021 NFL Draft? Sound off in the comments section with your thoughts.