Hester VS Bennet...The Financial Bubble

[Xplosive]

According to "Over The Cap"...http://www.overthecap.com/teamcap.php?Team=Bears&Year=2013

The Bears save $2,107,523 by cutting Devin Hester and $2,350,000 by cutting Earl Bennet. Those are pretty high numbers for guys with similar importance to the team. I think the Bears would be wise to keep Hester because of what he has meant to the team and because of his potential to be a difference maker. I think HEALTHY Earl has been a good player, but the guy is always injured and he seems a bit overpaid even when he isnt. I can truly see Bennet being released and keeping Hester because of the two of them, Bennet is easier to replace.

Here are a couple other "bubble" guys to think about....


Eric Weems: $415,000 saved VS Devin Aromashadu: $555,000...
It doesnt seem to make sense to cut Weems over Aromashadu based on money.

Blake Costanzo: $815,000 VS JT Thomas: $456,871...
Costanzo is lights out on ST, but is very poor at LB. JT is also poor at LB, but if he has another game like the Charger game I say get rid of Costanzo.

Jonathan Scott: $455,000 VS Eben Britton: $555,000...
I dont think Britton has shown anything worth keeping, and Scott has been injured. I think if Scott is healthy he is the keeper.

Craig Steltz: $765,000 VS Brandon Hardin: $194,312...
Steltz has been the better player on defense and special teams, I still don't think the Bears will give up on a 3rd Pick who hasn't had a chance to prove himself. Hardin's size and speed over Steltz will probably make him the keeper over Steltz at free safety. If the Bears want to keep Steltz they will probably cut Anthony Walthers: $555,000 and play Steltz at strong safety behind Major Wright.


Im not sure about Onobun VS Pope and McManis VS Bowman but the 3rd preseason game should give us more to go on....

 

[xer0h0ur]

I feel as if we have been here before

 

[botfly10]

Is there a reason the Bears need to save cap money this year?

 

[MikeDitkaPolishSausage]

Ya why do they need to save money for this year? All those guys you listed beside Hester and Bennett will be fighting for a roster spot on the way they perform, not money.

 

[Xplosive]

Is there a reason the Bears need to save cap money this year?

I won't say they need to cut money but they do need to cut the roster to 53 players, don't you think money will play a role in that decision process or am I being unreasonable. Hester is already taking up a extra roster spot since he's not really playing WR, Bennet is #3 WR but when you get down to roster cuts do you give up on Joe Anderson or M. Wilson for a guy that is always injured and overpaid?

Same thing with the other positions, I guess you guys have already figured this out so I should just talk about signing camp QBs today.

 

[Runruffshod75]

JT Thomas was a beast on ST in the Chargers game keep him, & see if he could actually contribute at his drafted position at some point. If it's between Aromushodu & Weems, keeps Weems he contribute on ST & I think either one of Anderson or Wilson are better that 'Shod. I'd keep Scott if he's healthy over Britton, Scott has played so so for the offense in a pinch before. Britton has been garbage. I say role the dice with Hardin & let Steltz walk. Walters did somewhat ok filling in for Conte last season.

Keep:

J.T. Thomas
Weems
Scott
Hardin.

That's not even considering their salaries, I just think Scott & Weems, Thomas have more immediate value on the field on the 53 than Costanzo 'Shod & Britton. Both Hardin, & maybe Thomas may have some upside. I would like to see if Thomas is able play a little SAM LB at some point while he's a Bear.

 

[Hbkrusso]

never release steltz

 

[modo]

Is there a reason the Bears need to save cap money this year?

Yes. The McCaskeys are cheap and so on and so forth...

 

[MikeDitkaPolishSausage]

Personally Id take Weems over DA because he is a good special teams player and could produce on offense as a 6th WR if needed. Costanzo over Thomas because he has been very consistent on special teams and Thomas shows up here and there. I would do Britton over Scott because he is more versatile and could play almost any position but I would also like Scott over Webb if he proves himself. No questions I would take Steltz over Hardin and thats because Hardin doesnt have a clue what he is doing out there.

 

[DaaBears]

I would be very happy to see one of the receivers step up and take the #3 receiver job from Earl Bennett. To me he is adequate at best, and seems to get injured quite regularly.

 

[MikeDitkaPolishSausage]

I would be very happy to see one of the receivers step up and take the #3 receiver job from Earl Bennett. To me he is adequate at best, and seems to get injured quite regularly.

*If* he is healthy he could be a very good Wr but we havent seen that Bennett since Cutler first got here and surprised he has stuck around so long.

 

[sikesy7]

I won't say they need to cut money but they do need to cut the roster to 53 players, don't you think money will play a role in that decision process or am I being unreasonable. Hester is already taking up a extra roster spot since he's not really playing WR, Bennet is #3 WR but when you get down to roster cuts do you give up on Joe Anderson or M. Wilson for a guy that is always injured and overpaid?

Same thing with the other positions, I guess you guys have already figured this out so I should just talk about signing camp QBs today.

We've already made it to preseason and signed everyone we need or are going to sign with over 2mil in cap room... why would we be saving more cap room for this year? It's next offseason well be needing the cap space... Cutting them just so we have 4 mil laying around doesn't save us money for next year. It doesn't work that way it doesn't carry over. No matter how much room we save this year we still have the same cap problems next season. 4 mil just sits there and gets wasted.

The object of the game is not to save as much money as possible, its to put out the best team as possible within the cap. We've done that already. Cutting players now to save space would be idiotic.

 

[Natedogg8023]

This post does show why the cap problems won be as bad as assumed next year. Sure there are a lot o guys to resign, but do you really think Hester would be resigned or/and this is always the option of cutting a guy like Bennet next year to save a few million.

 

[gwharris2254]

With our younger players getting expanded roles on O and D and with the added cap and freed up money we should be fine to resign most of the stars from this year's Superbowl winner.

 

[nwfisch]

Is there a reason the Bears need to save cap money this year?

If I'm not mistaken, they can transfer cap savings forward to next year.

 

[Xplosive]

We've already made it to preseason and signed everyone we need or are going to sign with over 2mil in cap room... why would we be saving more cap room for this year? It's next offseason well be needing the cap space... Cutting them just so we have 4 mil laying around doesn't save us money for next year. It doesn't work that way it doesn't carry over. No matter how much room we save this year we still have the same cap problems next season. 4 mil just sits there and gets wasted.

The object of the game is not to save as much money as possible, its to put out the best team as possible within the cap. We've done that already. Cutting players now to save space would be idiotic.

I understand that point and it is valid, but every team will be making cuts and their will be new free agents coming up soon to go along with guys like Richard Seymour who are looking for a nice pay day. A little extra cap space might make the difference in signing one more big ticket player. The real point is not to save money just to save money, its to look at who is on the bubble for the team and I think Hester and Bennet are on the bubble not just for money but it is a factor just like with the other players I listed.

 

[xer0h0ur]

Screw paying a king's ransom for a free agent again. We need to move far far away from relying on free agency all the time to fill in holes with expensive players.

 

[botfly10]

I won't say they need to cut money but they do need to cut the roster to 53 players, don't you think money will play a role in that decision process or am I being unreasonable. Hester is already taking up a extra roster spot since he's not really playing WR, Bennet is #3 WR but when you get down to roster cuts do you give up on Joe Anderson or M. Wilson for a guy that is always injured and overpaid?

Same thing with the other positions, I guess you guys have already figured this out so I should just talk about signing camp QBs today.

But the Bears are already under cap with nobody left in FA to throw money at... why would you cut a player in favor of someone who is worse when you don't need the money?

 

[Warrior Spirit]

Should honestly let Earl go. Bears have some good receivers on the roster that I'd rather see stay than have more of the same with Earl. You know he'll be absent for, at least, half the season either with injuries or just being invisible. Also already had 2 concussions since training camp started. He's dead weight.

 

[xer0h0ur]

Two concussions? Mind sourcing that for me? I have not read anything that says he got two concussions during camp. He got a single concussion that I know of and has been out since.