Amos or Callahan?

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dplank
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Callahan was arguably our best cover guy, Fuller included. This is a no brainer for me, keep Callahan. SS is an easy replacement, and we already have Bush ready to go.

To whoever thinks NB is an easy replace, just listing guys who ran the nickle before doesn't mean they were any good at it. Callahan was one of the best in the league.
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The Marshall Plan
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I would rather have Callahan than Kyle Long. Not saying Callahan should be paid $8M / year or so, but my point is that solidifying the defensive side of the ball should be the priority. We can draft an OG. We're also gonna need to figure out how to pay Eddie Jackson coming up in a couple years. That's the Dion Sims money right there. Eddie Jackson should not even be allowed to go near free agency. Our defense is such a team effort which says a lot given that we have individual stars like Mack and Hicks, but Jackson is the key to that whole secondary.

If I can only keep one I keep Callahan. Playing alongside Eddie Jackson will make the other safety better.

I'm not too concerned about Amos. We can move Bush up and draft a guy.
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wab
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dplank wrote:Callahan was arguably our best cover guy, Fuller included. This is a no brainer for me, keep Callahan. SS is an easy replacement, and we already have Bush ready to go.

To whoever thinks NB is an easy replace, just listing guys who ran the nickle before doesn't mean they were any good at it. Callahan was one of the best in the league.
4 picks in 4 years and injured every year. Callahan is a nice player, but those other guys were successful.

Hardly ANY of those safeties were back there for more than a year.
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Bearfacts
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Another indication Callahan's bargaining position may be strengthened. PFF ranks him as the 2nd best UFA CB.

https://bearswire.usatoday.com/2019/01/ ... all-focus/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

As for McManis I would consider him as a potential fallback solution for 2019 if Callahan can't be re-signed or replaced by a younger player but McManis is 31 years old, not quite as good, and surely not a long term solution.

So without Callahan we're either gonna be drafting for a Slot CB or looking for a cheaper vet UFA. I'm gonna rule Tolliver out because I see him strictly as an edge guy without the physical tools or savvy to play Slot CB. JMHO
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dplank
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I like McManis, he's a good guy to have on your team. He's kinda like Bellamy to me, good ST player, can plug in if needed and do a decent job, and has a high motor/excellent work ethic.

That said, McManis is a backup calibre player. We should not settle for him in a starting role (NB is a starting role in the modern NFL).
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wab
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Except he proved he could hold down the nickle job just fine...

Granted, he's not a long term solution at 31 years old. But if he can hold down the job for a year while John Franklin or Micheal Joseph or Jonathan Mincy or Marcus Williams or a rookie develops... then I'd rather pay him the 1.6 million he's due next year to do it over paying him that plus the 3-4 million for Callahan to do it for maybe 9 games before getting hurt.
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wab wrote:
dplank wrote:Callahan was arguably our best cover guy, Fuller included. This is a no brainer for me, keep Callahan. SS is an easy replacement, and we already have Bush ready to go.

To whoever thinks NB is an easy replace, just listing guys who ran the nickle before doesn't mean they were any good at it. Callahan was one of the best in the league.
4 picks in 4 years and injured every year. Callahan is a nice player, but those other guys were successful.

Hardly ANY of those safeties were back there for more than a year.

Interceptions are not a tell all for DB’s. Callahan can simple lock down slot receivers. This is huge for how much the bears were in the nickel. You do have a point about how frequent he is injured. I see that as a bargaining point for Pace. If you watch film on McManis he is the weakest link (without a doubt) when he’s on the field, his hips are stiff and he is beat more times than not. He did fill in nicely but I don’t think he is a week in and week out starter.
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Funkster wrote:
wab wrote:
dplank wrote:Callahan was arguably our best cover guy, Fuller included. This is a no brainer for me, keep Callahan. SS is an easy replacement, and we already have Bush ready to go.

To whoever thinks NB is an easy replace, just listing guys who ran the nickle before doesn't mean they were any good at it. Callahan was one of the best in the league.
4 picks in 4 years and injured every year. Callahan is a nice player, but those other guys were successful.

Hardly ANY of those safeties were back there for more than a year.

Interceptions are not a tell all for DB’s. Callahan can simple lock down slot receivers. This is huge for how much the bears were in the nickel. You do have a point about how frequent he is injured. I see that as a bargaining point for Pace. If you watch film on McManis he is the weakest link (without a doubt) when he’s on the field, his hips are stiff and he is beat more times than not. He did fill in nicely but I don’t think he is a week in and week out starter.
But they actually allowed a lower success rate on passes with Callahan out vs him being in?
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Just a little more data as food for thought.

FWIW Spotrac pegs the overall value of a Callahan deal @ $28 mil over 4 years/$7 mil apy.

Despite his injuries he's highly rated as an effective playmaker and this isn't far off what I estimated either.

I've looked over some of the vet UFA CBs and to be honest I don't see anyone even near Callahan's skill level as a Slot CB who'll be getting any less so Pace may have a tough decision to make here. $7 mil may well be his market value just as $14 mil was Fullers.

In this case what I'd offer is a smaller signing bonus with a significant amount of guaranteed money based on per game roster bonuses and incentive bonuses like a Pro Bowl. The per game bonuses help two ways. The first is a hedge against Callahan's lost starts and the second is a portion will need to be earned and not charged to his 2019 cap lowering that.

On top of all of this we're probably looking at Amos looking for similar kind of money.
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we gota keep Smash... He makes plays. He breaks people. And he's never missed a game right?
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Probably neither.

The Bears are pretty much out of wiggle room, unless they start whacking 1-2 expensive guys (unexpected ones, not "cut Sims, that frees up enough for every move we want to make") or a slew of modest priced guys to replace with minimum salary fodder.

Maybe Callhan, if his injuries drive the price down.
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How does everyone feel about the Longneck the Red smokescreen now?
"I wouldn't take him for a conditional 7th. His next contract will pay him more than he could possibly contribute.".

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wab
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C'mon guys... you are waaaaaay too hung up on the cap. The Bears aren't in a bad position and if they want to keep players, they will find a way. Every team does.
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The Bears now have the highest paid defensive player in the league and other not so cheap guys in Hicks, Goldman, Trevathan, Fuller, Amukamara, Roquan, and Floyd. Even the bottom of the roster UDFAs now cost close to $500k a year, you have to mind the cap now if you want to retain Trubisky, Cohen and Jackson long term. It's the price of success.
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FWIW; Super Bowl 53 shows importance of Bryce Callahan to Bears defense

https://bearswire.usatoday.com/2019/02/ ... -callahan/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



Los Angeles needed someone they could stick on Edelman who could keep up with him one-on-one in man coverage, like Bryce Callahan.

Image
(GIF via NFL Game Pass).

Callahan led all slot cornerbacks with only 0.69 yards allowed per snap in coverage, according to PFF, and he’s slated to be an unrestricted free agent when the new league year starts in March.


In the Super Bowl, Edelman picked up 93 of his yards from the slot, while Jared Goff completed nine passes for 114 yards to slot.

The slot cornerback position has become one of the most valuable positions on defense in the modern NFL, and Callahan was one of the league’s best in 2018.
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I would say on the list of reasons why the rams lost the defense came in about last.
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malk
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wab wrote:C'mon guys... you are waaaaaay too hung up on the cap. The Bears aren't in a bad position and if they want to keep players, they will find a way. Every team does.
Except for the ones that don't, like the Saints, who have wasted most of Brees' career with poor cap management...
"I wouldn't take him for a conditional 7th. His next contract will pay him more than he could possibly contribute.".

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How about neither and use the money to sign Hunt and pick up two comp picks in 2020?
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SC Bear wrote:How about neither and use the money to sign Hunt and pick up two comp picks in 2020?
Hunt just got signed to Cleveland.
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The Panthers have re-signed safety Eric Reid through the 2021 campaign, the club announced today. Reid’s new three-year deal is worth more than $22MM, and contains incentives that could raise the total value of $24MM, according to Mike Silver of NFL.com.
I don't know what this does to negotiations with Amos, but it's a starting point.

I'd imagine he's going to want to be in the top 10 highest paid at his position...which will be at least 35mil over 5 years (7-ish mil per on average) with about 15 guaranteed.
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Reportedly Amos has been asking for more than 8 million so Reid's deal basically reinforces he is on target in asking for that. I'm sure he's asking for 5 year deal with bigger guarantees as well. I don't see the Bears ever agreeing to pay that though, although the fact that Bush and Houston-Carson will both be free agents next season does complicate the situation a little bit.
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Adios, Amos


Still really good ROI for a R5 pick, though.
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wab
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If the Bears do let Amos walk, they need to at least work to give Bush a moderate extension so that they aren't forced into over-drafting one in 2020.
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Probably goners. I do say having a good pass rush makes average back end guys look spectacular.
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