Bears Remain Conservative, Retain Plenty of Cap Space for Future Contracts

Bill Barwell at ESPN approves of the Bears signing inside linebackers Danny Trevathan and Jerrell Freeman. Barnwell points out that the Bears not only helped themselves a great deal at the position, but that the contracts had some specific cap implications.

“No team has made a bigger upgrade at one position than the Bears have at inside linebacker this offseason, and with oodles of cap space available, [general manager Ryan] Pace has wisely placed large roster bonuses in each player’s 2016 compensation to retain flexibility in future years. If Freeman doesn’t look like the guy who called the shots for Indy, they can move on with just $2 million in dead money next year. The Bears will have $12.1 million committed on their cap to inside linebackers this year, the fifth-highest total in the NFL at the moment.”

The Bears have remained conservative in terms of front loading contracts for some years now. Part of that is because they want to remain flexible in future years to meet contract demands as needed.

One of the players who will be up for a big future deal is guard Kyle Long, who technically becomes a free agent after 2016 but who will certainly have his fifth year option picked up by the team. The Bears will try hard to resign Long to a contract extension before the 2017 season rather than let him become a free agent.

Even after signing Long and wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, who one hopes will sign a long-term deal before the July 15 deadline to do so, the Bears will have plenty of space to work with for some time to come. They will hope that they will eventually be using that space to re-sign their own draft picks rather than trying to build a team with players that other teams let get away.

With an Interesting Twist, Jerrell Freeman Calls Out Coby Fleener

Well, say this for new Bears linebacker Jerrell Freeman. He’s not afraid to say what he thinks.

After hearing that fellow Colts free agent Coby Fleener called out some Indianapolis  players for quitting during a losing 2015 season, Freeman called out Fleener via text messages to Bob Kravitz of WTHR.com.

“Fleener, he didn’t have the [guts]. That shit pisses me off. And he must’ve been looking in the mirror when he did the interview.

“I despise guys like that,” Freeman added. “That’s what little girls do, talk about you when you’re not around. I’m a grown man. If I see something I don’t like, I’m going to go have a face-to-face convo with that player/players and we are going to get an understanding! I feel like I had a hand in building what’s over there [in Indianapolis], so he’s shitting on me, too. . . . That’s a bitch move.”

Personally, I agree and have no problem with Freeman calling Fleener out. And, of course, it’s nice that he’s remaining loyal to the Colts organization despite the fact that he chose to leave.

Having said that, I wonder if Freeman sees the irony in the fact that he chose to text Kravitz rather than simply say all of this to Fleener’s face.

Freeman could turn out to be a very interesting personality to follow with the Bears this season.