Bears open up more cap space via Leno contract

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Xee
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I wish we had a sports contract guru who could explain what this means. How can you just convert one thing to another? And how does a $7 million conversion result in $5.6 million of cap space? And is Leno better or worse off for this?
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I'm not an expert, but I do get (some of) the implications.

Nothing changes for the player except getting the money sooner — bonus check instead of salary.

It reduces the cap number this year because salary expenditure is reduced.
It adds to future cap numbers, but gets prorated over the remaining life of the contract (including this year).

So basically it divvies up the $7.0M over three years (which is why the cap isn't saved $7.0M, only $5.6M).
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dplank wrote:I agree with Rich here
RichH55 wrote: Dplank is correct
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Xee wrote: Wed Aug 21, 2019 9:45 am I wish we had a sports contract guru who could explain what this means. How can you just convert one thing to another? And how does a $7 million conversion result in $5.6 million of cap space? And is Leno better or worse off for this?



Basically agreement between player and organization to move money around to be paid now vs paid later, I believe. I honestly don't believe Leno is "better off" per se, but is giving some flexibility to the franchise to win now. Maybe some OTC posts later today will illuminate.
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Wonder how much cap space we have now. You'd think they wouldn't do that just to re-sign Whitehair, because they'd be structuring his contract with a signing bonus if that was what they needed to do. Is something in the works?
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Somebody's probably getting an extension. Whitehair?
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The Marshall Plan wrote: Wed Aug 21, 2019 4:59 pm Somebody's probably getting an extension. Whitehair?

I thought we had enough in the bank to get whitehair done without needing to do this?...I smell something else in the happening
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Guessing Whitehair or Jackson.
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The Marshall Plan wrote: Wed Aug 21, 2019 4:59 pm Somebody's probably getting an extension. Whitehair?
That's my guess. I have a feeling if Bars makes the team and shows out, Long might be a goner next year
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UOK wrote: Thu Aug 22, 2019 9:27 am Guessing Whitehair or Jackson.
I thought we weren't able to until next year for Eddie
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Bearfanuk wrote: Thu Aug 22, 2019 10:22 am
UOK wrote: Thu Aug 22, 2019 9:27 am Guessing Whitehair or Jackson.
I thought we weren't able to until next year for Eddie
Oh.

Guessing Whitehair, then.
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G08 wrote: Thu Aug 22, 2019 10:10 am
The Marshall Plan wrote: Wed Aug 21, 2019 4:59 pm Somebody's probably getting an extension. Whitehair?
That's my guess. I have a feeling if Bars makes the team and shows out, Long might be a goner next year
Bars is going to be an absolute steal. Just PLEASE stay healthy.
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UOK wrote: Thu Aug 22, 2019 10:23 am
Bearfanuk wrote: Thu Aug 22, 2019 10:22 am

I thought we weren't able to until next year for Eddie
Oh.

Guessing Whitehair, then.
Something else is happening...I don't know what yet but trust me it is....We had enough in the bank for Whitehair we didn't need Leno being a team guy.
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G08 wrote: Thu Aug 22, 2019 10:10 am
The Marshall Plan wrote: Wed Aug 21, 2019 4:59 pm Somebody's probably getting an extension. Whitehair?
That's my guess. I have a feeling if Bars makes the team and shows out, Long might be a goner next year
I think Long is a goner regardless. He’s oft injured and can’t justify that cap number for a non-elite guard.
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BR0D1E86 wrote: Thu Aug 22, 2019 3:51 pm
G08 wrote: Thu Aug 22, 2019 10:10 am

That's my guess. I have a feeling if Bars makes the team and shows out, Long might be a goner next year
I think Long is a goner regardless. He’s oft injured and can’t justify that cap number for a non-elite guard.
That and me thinks Nagy isn't a big fan of fights during training camp. But your original point is enough on its own.
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I've heard rumors of Whitehair's extension. But I agree. There is something else going on.
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Per OTC:

Team Cap Space: $22,143,142


Extension for Whitehair has to be coming and I wonder if they're looking at Trubisky... is he eligible for an extension?
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G08 wrote: Fri Aug 23, 2019 7:35 pm Per OTC:

Team Cap Space: $22,143,142


Extension for Whitehair has to be coming and I wonder if they're looking at Trubisky... is he eligible for an extension?
Trubisky isn't happening early unless he is taking a severe discount considering they have next year and then the 5th year option which both will be well below what a long term deal will cost.

Seeing they are over for next year currently maybe they are looking at other deal modifications.
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Speaking of extensions, do you think DT might be getting a 1-2 year deal? Smith is the lead dog, but DT has been really good. I actually think Floyd could bump inside too but as he is younger and is an OLB someone will likely think they can make an EDGE out of him and overpay.

I'd like to see Whitehair extended, but want to wait on others. If Robinson is absolutely killing it and Tru and him are looking like a top pairing then I want to extend him, then Gabriel and Long are the potential cap casualties in 2020 to make up for it. You're looking at $3.5 mil dead cap but also saving $12.6 mil-ish. With Whitehair and Daniels getting a year under their belts that means Coward or Bars can fight it out for the other OG position. Andat WR we look to have a logjam of talent, so I don't see how Cohen, Miller, Wims, Ridley, and Patterson couldn't spread out what Gabriel would have produced. Especially if we see Montgomery and Davis as the primary 1-2 punch at RB, he may transition to a primary WR.

Outside of DT and Whitehair, I would like to re-sign RRH, Bush, Lynch, Scales, and Coward. None have done anything to get a significant contract, and Bush may sign a 1-2 years at $3-4 mil per if Haha leaves to prove he is worth a bigger deal.

Chase is a $2 mil per year QB who is getting one hell of a mentor bonus, Bray is a vet min guy you bring in due to system familiarity and how he can help others learn the system. Haha has a decent year he will likely get overpaid, Bullard ATM is a depth guy that can be replaced, etc.
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I'm confused about the cap space.
They just cleared about 6M and reports agree they now have 22M open, which should mean 16M before the deal.
Except I'm almost positive that a couple months ago the remaining space was being reported as ~5M and nothing of significance has happened until just now.
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As for other extensions besides Whitehair, your major free agents are:
  • Trevathan
  • Floyd (sort of - he has the option year, but it's crazy expensive)
  • Clinton-Dix
Dix came for a prove it year. Why would everyone suddenly agree to something longer now, if they didn't 4 months ago?

You could extend Floyd, but that's dangerous, since you don't really know what you have and whether you intended to keep a cheaper Lynch instead.

Trevathan is the only one that really makes sense.


It could be angling for an experienced kicker or TE, though, too.
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Moriarty wrote: Sat Aug 24, 2019 12:17 pm I'm confused about the cap space.
They just cleared about 6M and reports agree they now have 22M open, which should mean 16M before the deal.
Except I'm almost positive that a couple months ago the remaining space was being reported as ~5M and nothing of significance has happened until just now.
Is it possible that you first looked at the full salaries of all 90 players on the roster? When the top 51 rule came into effect, that total was reduced by about 18.5M, and that seems approximate to the discrepancy you notice.
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So how much cap space do we have? If we have $16M, then there is something afoot.
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Bears Whiskey Nut wrote: Mon Aug 26, 2019 4:40 pm So how much cap space do we have? If we have $16M, then there is something afoot.
According to Sportrac, it's over $22M.

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/chicago-bears/cap/
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UOK wrote: Mon Aug 26, 2019 4:54 pm
Bears Whiskey Nut wrote: Mon Aug 26, 2019 4:40 pm So how much cap space do we have? If we have $16M, then there is something afoot.
According to Sportrac, it's over $22M.

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/chicago-bears/cap/
What the HELL are we going to do with that much? Don't we have to spend like all but 5% of our available space.
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Bears need an an experienced swing tackle.
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Bears Whiskey Nut wrote: Mon Aug 26, 2019 4:59 pm
UOK wrote: Mon Aug 26, 2019 4:54 pm

According to Sportrac, it's over $22M.

https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/chicago-bears/cap/
What the HELL are we going to do with that much? Don't we have to spend like all but 5% of our available space.
Start locking up those extensions now. By the bushel if we can.

You never know there could be a headscratching cap casualty type guy out there soon, but pay Whitehair and see if we can pay Eddie Jackson early and get him to take less money per year in exchange for that.
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Middleguard wrote: Sat Aug 24, 2019 4:35 pm
Moriarty wrote: Sat Aug 24, 2019 12:17 pm I'm confused about the cap space.
They just cleared about 6M and reports agree they now have 22M open, which should mean 16M before the deal.
Except I'm almost positive that a couple months ago the remaining space was being reported as ~5M and nothing of significance has happened until just now.
Is it possible that you first looked at the full salaries of all 90 players on the roster? When the top 51 rule came into effect, that total was reduced by about 18.5M, and that seems approximate to the discrepancy you notice.
It's not impossible, I guess, but it seems unlikely to me. Spotrac has both the All Contracts number and the Top 51 number - if I was paying attention to the right one for 2020, why would I use the wrong one for 2019?
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