The Chicago Bears' offense is clearly ahead of schedule, but the defense is a work in progress. As such, most of their offseason moves will focus on providing defensive coordinator Dennis Allen with the weapons he needs.
That also includes some retooling; out with the old, in with the new. That's why, after an injury-riddled and disappointing season, the Bears might want to cut ties with Jaylon Johnson, especially with Josh Jobe set to be a free agent.
The Bears Should Break the Bank for Josh Jobe
Spotrac projects Jobe's market value at three years, $29.2 million or $9.7 million per year. That could be tricky, given that the Bears are $4.15 million over the salary cap, according to Over The Cap. That said, cutting ties with Johnson would free up $6.5 million before June 1 or a whopping $15.5 million with a post-June 1 designation.
Jobe went from being an afterthought and practice squad member to playing a significant role for the Super Bowl-winning Seattle Seahawks. GM John Schneider usually allows his players to test free agency before having a chance to match any offer. And even though money shouldn't be an issue in Seattle, he might not be interested in giving a former practice squad guy such a massive raise.
Jobe's coming off making 16 appearances (15 starts) in the regular season. He gave up just 45 receptions on 91 targets for 517 yards and a completion percentage of 49.5. He allowed four touchdowns, which is clearly not ideal, but opposing quarterbacks had a passer rating of only 77.0 against the defender, and Jobe had a career-high 12 pass breakups.
Johnson, on the other hand, failed to live up to his big paycheck. He struggled with injuries and gave up a 72.7 percent catch rate when he was healthy enough to play. He couldn't keep up with faster guys on the open field, and he's going to cost the Bears a $25 million cap hit, not to mention a $7.6 million signing bonus that becomes fully guaranteed on the third day of the new league year.
The Bears need to make a statement to prove that this year's success wasn't a fluke. They'll face a much more complicated schedule and play in the toughest division in football. As such, stealing someone from the defending Super Bowl champions should be at the top of GM Ryan Poles' priority list.