Although RobsObs thought Muhsin Muhammad could still be productive, the Bears decided to cut him. It puts more pressure on the Bears to sign Berrian (or at least franchise him) because if they don't, they will lose both starting WRs from last year. They also released starting RT Fred Miller who was aging. They need help on the O line anyway so that is not necessarily bad. With open questions at other O line positions and QB and RB, they are dealing with their own purge. We could be seeing several new starting players for the Bears next year.
With the defense, Briggs is most likely gone. Others that may not be back include Mike Brown, Arch Deluxe, Ricky Manning, Jr., and Ruben Brown. The purge is on in Chi-town.
We'll see how they come out of all of this.
8 comments:
I posted on this on my site. I have no problem with the cuts (Moose, Miller, and Darwin Walker). All of the guys are 30 or over and by cutting them they save $15M off of this year's cap.
I have no complaints. If the Bears thought he could be productive I wouldn't have minded keeping him. But with a $3.1M cap number he became expendable.
With the freed up money, I expect they will take another shot at Briggs and Berrian, but like I have been saying, they shouldn't mortgage the future and break the bank on those guys. They can let them test the market and see what other offers they get and then decide.
The fact is that the Bears have enough money to match most offers that those guys would get if they choose to do so.
Look, dude, one other thing. Because the Bears don't mortgage their future by restructuring all of their contracts all of the time, they have financial flexibility.
If Briggs or Berrian (or even Moose) go out and get contract offers, the Bears can choose to match those offers.
They can afford to let guys test the free agent market because they are $31-$35 million under the cap.
The Redskins don't have that luxury. Once their guys hit the open market, they are lost. The Redskins are still about $4 million over the cap, so they have to do something. Either, they can restructure and push their problems further down the line, or they can cut guys, but because most of their high priced guys have unwieldy contracts, they create so much dead cap space that it hurts them again next year and they don't have the player anymore.
I understand that we are over the cap. I admit that I don't understand the exact "workings" of the cap but I know enough that being over isn't good. Still, if a purge is done because of cap reasons or other reasons, it's still a purge.
Every year you say the 'Skins are going to purge but it doesn't happen. It may very well come to a head and we are screwed. I will wait for that. Again, I would very much like a GM and a guy that understood personnel and the cap. However, the point is that there hasn't yet been this purge that you keep talking about. Don't confuse that with me not understanding that we are over the cap.
Bottome line, the Bears are facing their own purge. Would you not agree? They could potentially be losing both of their starting WRs from last year. They will be replacing much of their O line. Who knows who will be the QB and RB. I imagine Benson will be the starter going into the season but we'll see how that holds up. They got rid of the failed experiment in Walker who expected to start but sucked. Mark Anderson probably will lose his starting job. Briggs is likely gone. Mike Brown may be cut. Arch Delux sux.
What you are seeing is quite likely a very different Bears starting lineup in 2009 than they had in 2008.
I think offensively there will be a very different team on the field for the Bears - but they need that.
The big changes will come along the front line. I would not be surprised to see both Berrian and Moose back with Chicago because the Bears have the financial flexibility to bring both back. I'm also sure Moose would let the Bears match any offer he gets if they want to do that. The same goes for Berrian.
The Bears D will largely remain intact (and I am including Briggs). I think Briggs will return to the Bears in the end (again, because the Bears have cash they can match whatever offer he gets if they choose to).
There really does not seem to be much reason to discuss the effects of the cap with you because you choose to ignore it. However, as I have been saying, this year is worse than last year, and assuming the Redskins renogotiate a bunch of salaries as they have been doing the problem will be worse next year. They are just getting older and accumulating financial problems going forward. They don't have the flexibility to sign their own players and are always playing catchup.
Consider JC - if he is any good he is going to need a sizeable contract next year. But the Redskins will have $15M in dead cap and probably be about $30 million over the cap next year.
It's fine with me if you want to just say let's see what happens next year - but until you recognize the poor way in which they manage cash, you won't realize how bad the situation is, and how much worse it is going to be going forward.
Even if the Redskins have a miraculous year and shock everyone to win their division and get to the Super Bowl - which is never going to happen given that the three other divisional foes all have about $20 million plus in cap space (before any renogiations and roster cuts), they won't have any flexibility to do anything next year. It is a losing proposition that will keep the Redskins down for years.
Let me answer your question more directly. I don't think there is a purge in Chicago.
A player purge is when a team is forced to get rid of players (because of the cap). The Bears aren't forced to make any changes. They are simply choosing to get younger, pay less, and look for other talent.
The Redskins are forced to make certain cuts and decisions in order to meet the requirements of the cap.
The two teams are operating completely differently. As I write this, the Bears are about $33 million (give or take a couple of million) under the cap and the Redskins are about $4 million over the cap.
The interesting thing is that both teams are paying the same amount in salaries and bonuses in the end. The ridiculously poor financial management in the Redskins' front office is just another factor for why they will continue to be a mediocre (at best) team.
I get it. All I am saying is that you cry purge every year but it doesn't happen. I understand that we may be postponing the inevitable but lets see when that comes. Again, I would love to be under the cap. I would love to have a true GM, etc., etc., etc. However, we still go after FAs and are able to sign our draft picks. I know, I know. We are doing so by restructuring contracts and making things worse for the next year. Again, I will wait until that doomsday comes and then will address it then. Until then, we don't have any more purge than any other team.
If we release someone it's because of purge but if the Bears release someone, it's because it's time for an upgrade. We lost Dockery last year but we should not have spent the kind of money the Bills spent to keep him. I know you will say that we could have signed him to an extension a year earlier. Maybe you are right on that one. Still, I can't fault the guy for leaving to get his big pay day. The same is true for Rock this year. I hope he stays but if he goes, he goes. He should get the money he thinks he deserves. We shouldn't pay him just to keep him because he is a good guy. Ladell can replace him and we can spend the money we would have spent on Rock in other places that we need.
Who did we purge from last year's team? As far as this year, who are we going to purge? We have the tools necessary to get the job done on offense. The core guys are young and good (Portis, Cooley, Moss, Campbell, Sellars). We could certainly use depth at O line and a true number 2. We'll see if that is addressed in the draft.
On defense, we basically need help at the D line. That is the only REAL need. Sure, I would love to see more depth at CB and a replacement for Washington but I am comfortable with our starters.
Depending on what we do with FAs and the draft, I am pretty comfortable with what we have going into the year. As far as the purge after the season, I will address it then.
Again, I would love to be under but it is what it is and you cry purge every year but it hasn't happened. I understand and agree that we may very well be making it worse for ourselves in the future. If and when a purge happens, I will address it then.
The Redskins didn't have an opportunty to match the Bills for Dockery if they wanted to. The Bears don't have that problem.
Look, I'm not going to sit here and try to convince you of something I know you know is a problem.
The problem is the Redskins are terrible cap managers and it is hurting their team. I think you know it, but if you don't then that is fine.
I agree that they haven't managed the cap that well. However, I am comfortable with the team that they have. We don't need to bring in FAs just for the sake of bringing in FAs. Hopefully we have learned our lesson that this doesn't work (see Lloyd and Arch Deluxe).
There is talent on this team and I like the way the coaching staff is built now. We have already discussed some growing pains that we will probably go through but we agree that in the long run they are organized better. Sure we need more pieces but we certainly are a competitive team.
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