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The Chicago Bears released a pair of veterans on Friday. Here’s why the moves were the right decision.
It turns out the freezing temperatures aren’t the only thing leaving Chicago this weekend.
In an unsurprising move, the Chicago Bears announced that veteran cornerback Prince Amukamara and wide receiver Taylor Gabriel will be released by the Bears, ending their tenure with the team.
Amukamara spent three seasons in Chicago, playing in all but four games. Gabriel spent the last two in the blue and orange, missing seven games due to concussions in 2020.
While the Bears have numerous other options in the secondary, it’s possible that they’ll turn to the 2020 NFL Draft to add depth to the receiving core given this year’s receiving talent in the Draft.
Given that both players are 30 and 29 years old, respectively, it’s an opportunity for the Bears to get a bit younger at both positions. It’s also a beneficial move for the two players themselves, as they’ll have a bit more time in searching for a new team for 2020 and beyond.
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Perhaps most importantly, the move frees up $13.5 million in cap space for the Bears according to Spotrac. That’s a sizable increase in cap relief, basically doubling their total cap space to $27 million.
Though it’s not certain how exactly the Bears will spend their $27 million, rumors began to swirl on Thursday that the Bears could be targeting veteran quarterback Derek Carr. The soon-to-be 29 year old QB carries a cap hit of around $20-21 million in the three years remaining on his contract.
The rumors were further fueled by a cryptic Instagram post from Carr, hugging former teammate turned Chicago Bear Khalil Mack. Fans immediately began to speculate of a potential reunion.
The Bears have also been linked to other veteran quarterbacks including Cam Newton, Teddy Bridgewater and Marcus Mariota.
With just under a month remaining until the start of the 2020 League Year, there will be plenty of time to speculate on the Bears moves for 2020. Until then, Bears fans will have no shortage of rumors and Instagram posts to pick apart.