The Chicago Bears have already beaten the odds and the expectations this season. One may say that they're playing with house money, given that not even the most optimistic fan may have seen this deep postseason run coming.
Of course, that doesn't mean the Bears should celebrate and keep things the way they are. This team is promising and has the potential to be a Super Bowl contender for years to come. Considering that, the front office will have to make some other moves to keep the roster competitive.
According to Over The Cap, the Bears only have $4,301,355 in available cap space for the upcoming season. As such, some people may have to go, and others will need to restructure their deals if they want to stay in the Windy City. Here, we're going to dive deep into the three steps the Bears need to take to fix their cap situation, and it all starts with trading DJ Moore.
Step 1: Trading DJ Moore
As things stand now, DJ Moore has the highest cap hit on the team ($28.5 million). Then again, trading him after June 1 would help the Bears free up as many as $24.5 million in cap space. Given the way he's played and the Bears' current roster, that should be an easy call.
Moore entered the season with plenty of hype, as Ben Johnson was reportedly set to use him as a Deebo Samuel-type player. That wasn't the case. He had 50 catches on 85 targets for 682 yards and six touchdowns, adding 15 carries for 79 yards and one score. Those numbers aren't that bad, but the Bears appear to have two budding stars in Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III, who just happen to still be on rookie-scale contracts.
Step 2: Restructure Cole Kmet's Contract
The Bears found a true gem in Colston Loveland. The rookie tight end was spectacular in the second half of the season, and he's clearly the future of the team at the position. Of course, that puts veteran Cole Kmet in a tough spot. He may have no choice but to restructure his deal; otherwise, he'll likely be asked to pack his bags.
Kmet got off to a slow start to the season, but he wasn't that bad in the end. He had three receptions for 347 yards and two scores, which is better than what most TE2s can brag about. That being said, his $11.6 million cap hit is still too high, so the team must find a way to lower that before ultimately moving on from him once his deal runs out.
Step 3: Trade TJ Edwards
TJ Edwards may have played his last snap for the Bears. He's 29 years old and coming off a season-ending fractured fibula injury. He missed seven games in the regular season, and even when he was healthy enough to play, he wasn't much of a difference-maker.
Trading Edwards after June 1 would save the Bears $8.5 million. He had just 67 tackles (33 solo), three QB hits, two tackles for loss, five passes defensed, 0.5 sacks, and one interception this season. With the Bears potentially looking at multiple upgrades all over their front seven, Edwards looks like an obvious trade candidate at this point.