Remydat's 4th Mock Offseason - Myles Garrett Edition

[remydat]

Ok, this is just for fun so don't get your panties in a bunch. Mocking an offseason assuming we trade for Garrett. 47 players are under contract for next year and we have cap space of 63 million

QB - Williams, Bagent, Reed
RB - Swift, Johnson, Wheeler
WR - Moore, Odunze, Scott, Toure, Jackson
TE - Kmet, Everett, Wilson, Murray
OT - Jones, Kiran, Wright, Benedet, Miles
IOL - Bates, Glaser, Stromberg, McFadden

Edge - Sweat, Robinson, Booker, Kromah, Jones Jr
IDL - Dexter, Billings, Walker, Pickens
LB - Edmunds, Edwards, Sewell
CB - Johnson, Stevenson, Gordon, Smith
S - Byard, Brisker, Hicks, Owens, Cook

K - Santos
P - Taylor


Cuts
Everett, Walker, Bates, Byard
84.7m Cap Space and 43 roster spots

Re-Signings
Shelton - His start to the season was terrible but he has played well since so I give him a modest 2 years 10m contract

Sanborn - Think he is a solid SAM and occasionally start at MIKE and WILL so 3 years at 9m

Minimum salary signings Murray, Jaylon Jones, Josh Blackwell, Martin, Scales
13 million spent
71.7m Cap Space and 50 roster spots

Trade
Garrett - We obtained Mack in 2018 after the draft and gave up 2019 1st, 3rd and a 6th round picks and a 2020 1st in exchange for Mack and a 2019 2nd. Given the picks were for future drafts, the total value we gave up was 1300 and we received Mack and a 2nd worth 265 points discounting future picks by a round. This suggests Mack was worth 1035 which is around the 15th pick in the current year draft. The Bears currently have the 10th pick and which is worth 1300 points on its own so even if we assume Garrett is better despite being 2 years older, the Bears 10th pick is already worth what we gave up for Mack. As such, the trade offer would be the 10th pick and a 2026 3rd to sweeten the pot. Mack is signed for 2 more years at about 22 million a year.
22 million spent
49.7m Cap Space and 51 roster spots (each addition now removes one person from the offseason cap)

Free Agents
Trey Smith - Yes, yes he probably doesn't make it to FA but let's imagine he does. Bears sign him for 4 years 84 million.

Zeitler- No brainer as Ben brings over an OL that knows the blocking system. Older but still good and allows us to work a rookie in. 2 years 14 million

Tim Patrick - Can serve as the 3rd/4th WR who knows Johnson's system. 2 years, 4 million

Dan Skipper - Another of Ben's guys that he uses as a fullback/tight end. 1 year 2 million.
32m spent with 4 guys making 840k dropping off the top 51 (3.36m)
21.1m Million Cap Space and 55 players

 

[remydat]

Draft
2nd Round - Donovan Jackson - While we did a good job of addressing the OL in FA, Zeitler is old so adding Jackson ensures we guard against injury and he has some versatility on the OL.

The Draft Network

TDN

www.thedraftnetwork.com

2nd Round - Darious Alexander - Already an elite run stopper with pass rush potential.

The Draft Network

TDN

www.thedraftnetwork.com

3rd Round - KevinWinston Jr/Sebastian Castro - Winston is hard to peg due to the injury but he would be an elite tackler. If he is going then Castro would be the choice here as he has man cover skills which Allen may like and profiles as a bit of a poor man's Dejean

The Draft Network

TDN

www.thedraftnetwork.com

The Draft Network

TDN

www.thedraftnetwork.com

5th Round - Caleb's left tackle who moves to C in the NFL

The Draft Network

TDN

www.thedraftnetwork.com

6th - Extremely raw but explosive athlete as Johnson looks to add speed.

The Draft Network

TDN

thedraftnetwork.com

7th - Good speed and pass catching

The Draft Network

TDN

www.thedraftnetwork.com

13 million spent with 6 guys making 840k and 960k falling out of top 51 (5.4m)
Cap Space 13.5 million and 61 roster spots

QB - Williams, Bagent, Reed
RB - Swift, Johnson, Wheeler, Edwards
WR - Moore, Odunze, Scott, Toure, Jackson, Patrick, White
TE - Kmet, Wilson, Murray,
OT - Jones, Kiran, Wright, Benedet,
IOL - Glaser, Stromberg, Smith, Shelton, Murray, Zeitler, Skipper, Jackson, Manheim

Edge - Sweat, Robinson, Booker, Kromah, Jones Jr, Martin, Garrett
IDL - Dexter, Billings, Pickens, Alexander
LB - Edmunds, Edwards, Sewell, Sanborn
CB - Johnson, Stevenson, Gordon, Smith, Jones, Blackwell
S - Brisker, Hicks, Owens, Winston Jr/Castro

K - Santos
P - Taylor
LS - Scales

 

[DefNextYear]

They’d never do it… but the math on the 2 2nds is right there. My guess is the perception would be a problem and they’d not accept on that alone… but thought it was worth mentioning.

 

[1COBearsfan]

Ok, this is just for fun so don't get your panties in a bunch.

Too late, I hate it

 

[Washington]

The team needs to draft better or the salary cap will become an issue like it was under Pace. Can't keep trading away draft capital for very expensive players. While Garrett would be nice, I would prefer to see cash put heavily towards the OL which is putrid as it currently resides. Time to treat draft picks as gold, well at least 1sts and 2nds. Poles is brutal in the 3rd and beyond so he may as well trade those away.

 

[napo55]

The team needs to draft better or the salary cap will become an issue like it was under Pace. Can't keep trading away draft capital for very expensive players. While Garrett would be nice, I would prefer to see cash put heavily towards the OL which is putrid as it currently resides. Time to treat draft picks as gold, well at least 1sts and 2nds. Poles is brutal in the 3rd and beyond so he may as well trade those away.

Yes, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Didn't Poles say at the beginning of his tenure that his plan was to build through the draft?

 

[remydat]

Are we pretending the Bears havent built through the draft before and still failed miserably at it?

Do the Eagles regret trading a first for AJ Brown or signing Barkley? Do the Rams regret trading for Stafford?

No one builds through the draft exclusively. Pace didnt fail because he traded for Mack. He failed because he drafted Trubisky. Give up Mack and Kmet and keep the 2 firsts and we still fail because of Trubisky. Keep Mack and Kmet and draft Mahomes and we win a Super Bowl or 2.

 

[napo55]

Are we pretending the Bears havent built through the draft before and still failed miserably at it?

Do the Eagles regret trading a first for AJ Brown or signing Barkley? Do the Rams regret trading for Stafford?

No one builds through the draft exclusively. Pace didnt fail because he traded for Mack. He failed because he drafted Trubisky. Give up Mack and Kmet and keep the 2 firsts and we still fail because of Trubisky. Keep Mack and Kmet and draft Mahomes and we win a Super Bowl or 2.

But do you think we are one player away and can afford to give up young players in the draft?

 

[msadows]

But do you think we are one player away and can afford to give up young players in the draft?

I wont be upset if they get garrett but dont really get it for this team.

Stafford is a QB, and the rams needed one to get them over the hump in a superbowl window as goff shows he couldnt win the big game.

AJ Brown was 24 when he was traded.


If Garrett was 24 I'd love this trade, since he's 30 and in year 9 im not excited for it. If you tell me we get micah i'd love it, as you'd have him for a good portion of calebs career.

 

[Gustavus Adolphus]

Umm, we already have an OL who serves as our FB/H-Back

 

[remydat]

But do you think we are one player away and can afford to give up young players in the draft?

I dont subscribe to the one player away mentality. I think you acquire elite players anytime you have a reasonable chance to so long as they fit your playoff window. It would be quite stupid to waste Caleb's rookie contract waiting to be one player away.

If Poles and Johnson believe they have a playoff caliber team and Garrett is available at a reasonable price then they should pull the trigger IMO.

 

[remydat]

Umm, we already have an OL who serves as our FB/H-Back

No we dont. Kramer is a RFA and not under contract with us for 2025.

 

[Gustavus Adolphus]

No we dont. Kramer is a RFA and not under contract with us for 2025.

Keep getting rid of locker room leaders.

 

[remydat]

I wont be upset if they get garrett but dont really get it for this team.

Stafford is a QB, and the rams needed one to get them over the hump in a superbowl window as goff shows he couldnt win the big game.

AJ Brown was 24 when he was traded.


If Garrett was 24 I'd love this trade, since he's 30 and in year 9 im not excited for it. If you tell me we get micah i'd love it, as you'd have him for a good portion of calebs career.

Micah would obviously cost more in draft capital and cap space at 30m a year or more. I think Garrett is likely to still be good through the rest of Caleb's rookie contract so it is while Caleb is on said contract you can take a risk like this.

Bears can afford two 20m plus edges right now. Waiting until Caleb is in year 4 defeats the purpose. Build as talented a team that you can while he is on a rookie contract because once you extend him you will have to make tough decisions as cant keep all your talent.

 

[cwcwcwcw1]

Mack is signed for 2 more years at about 22 million a year.
22 million spent

Assuming you meant Garrett ...

This is wrong. He is less then $ 22 M.

Look here the ( Second column ) Prorated Signing Bonus's of 14.7 in 2025 followed by 10.6 in 2026 and beyond all stay on Cleveland's salary cap.

Ignore ( see post below ) looks like dennehy is right ... "over the cap" data is incorrect.

 

[dennehy]

Assuming you meant Garrett ...

This is wrong. He is less then $ 22 M.

Look here the ( Second column ) Prorated Signing Bonus's of 14.7 in 2025 followed by 10.6 in 2026 and beyond all stay on Cleveland's salary cap.

Spotrac has what I think is the correct breakdown, with a big part of that money as an option, which I think would be paid by the new team. This is one of those weird contracts with a ton of void years, so not 100% sure now it works.

Myles Garrett | NFL Contracts & Salaries | Spotrac.com

Myles Garrett signed a 5 year, $125,000,000 contract with the Cleveland Browns, including $21,000,000 signing bonus, $100,000,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $25,000,000. In 2025, Garrett will earn a base salary of $1,255,000 and a signing bonus of $18,541,125, while carrying...

www.spotrac.com

 

[cwcwcwcw1]

Spotrac has what I think is the correct breakdown, with a big part of that money as an option, which I think would be paid by the new team. This is one of those weird contracts with a ton of void years, so not 100% sure now it works.

Myles Garrett | NFL Contracts & Salaries | Spotrac.com

Myles Garrett signed a 5 year, $125,000,000 contract with the Cleveland Browns, including $21,000,000 signing bonus, $100,000,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $25,000,000. In 2025, Garrett will earn a base salary of $1,255,000 and a signing bonus of $18,541,125, while carrying...

www.spotrac.com

Yeah, that's totally different, and I think you are correct. previous post edited.

 

[remydat]

Assuming you meant Garrett ...

This is wrong. He is less then $ 22 M.

Look here the ( Second column ) Prorated Signing Bonus's of 14.7 in 2025 followed by 10.6 in 2026 and beyond all stay on Cleveland's salary cap.

Myles Garrett | NFL Contracts & Salaries | Spotrac.com

Myles Garrett signed a 5 year, $125,000,000 contract with the Cleveland Browns, including $21,000,000 signing bonus, $100,000,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $25,000,000. In 2025, Garrett will earn a base salary of $1,255,000 and a signing bonus of $18,541,125, while carrying...

www.spotrac.com

There is a discrepancy between OTC and Spotrac. I use Spotrac which has

• 2025 Option Bonus: $18,541,125 (5th league day of 2025)
• 2026 Option Bonus: $23.7M (5th league day of 2026)

OTC seems to have these as signing bonuses which would mean they have already been paid but then in articles they seem to suggest they are infact option bonuses.

To keep the number at $36.2M the team would need to modify Garrett’s contract to remove the option bonuses he has for this year and shift the money to 2026.

Redirect Notice

www.google.com

The thing is if it is an option bonus payable the 5th day of 2025 then all that needs to happen is the trade needs to happen before the 3rd day of new league year in which case the Bears would owe it. Also option bonuses typically convert to guaranteed base salary upon trade as was the case with Aaron Rosgers option bonuses when he was traded to the Jets.

 

[remydat]

Actually I think I have resolved the apparent discrepancy. For all the option bonuses prior to 2025, OTC has included them under the Signing bonus section presumably to reflect they have already been paid/earned and thus are the responsibility of the Browns in the event Garrett is cut or traded.

What OTC shows as other bonus is just the 2025 and 2026 option bonuses which havent been paid yet. So for 2025 the 18,541,125 option bonus results in 3,708,225 per year for 5 years. It is paid 5th day of 2025 but allocated over 5 years hence why the void years were added.

Then for 2026 the option is 23.7m or 4,740 00 over 5 years. Hence why the other bonus for 2026 is 8,448,225 ie the 2nd year of the 2025 option bonus + first year of the 2026 option bonus.

By contrast Spotrac reports all the option bonuses including the ones before 2025 (2021-2024) under their option bonus column.

 

[alswank87]

If we could get Garrett for only the 10 pick, sign me up. I doubt we can get him for that though. He would take our weakest position on defense and make it our strongest. I could very easily turn the bears defense into the best in the nfl given the new coaching.

If we get Garrett, the rest of our offseason should be focused on bringing in 4 new O-lineman who are startable at the worst. Get a mix of draft talent and free agent vets.