Tag: 2023 season

How the Bears trading Robert Quinn impacts the salary cap in 2023

The Bears are trading Robert Quinn to the Eagles. Here’s how it impacts the salary cap in 2023:

The Chicago Bears made a splash trading star pass rusher Robert Quinn to the Philadelphia Eagles for a 2023 fourth-round pick.

It’s not a surprise with the Bears in the middle of a rebuild as general manager Ryan Poles continues to retool the roster while acquiring additional draft capital.

But one of the benefits of the Quinn trade is the impact it has on the salary cap in 2023, where Chicago already had north of $100 million in cap space before the move.

While the Bears will take on most of Quinn’s remaining salary, which is around $7.9 million, the trade frees up $18.2 million in additional cap space in 2023, per OverTheCap.

For those keeping track at home, the Bears will have $134 million in salary cap space heading into the 2023 offseason, which gives Poles plenty to work with as he looks to address areas of need.

Chicago could’ve opted to cut Quinn after this season, which would’ve freed up $10 million in cap space. Instead, the Bears free up an additional $8 million while also acquiring a fourth-round pick in the trade with the Eagles.

As for the impact on the salary cap for the remainder of the 2022 season, Chicago cleared up $12.9 million in cap space with a $4.2 million dead cap hit.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbve7kb6he6scwe player_id=none image=https://bearswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=520542]

LSU announces full 2023 football schedule

Here’s the Tigers’ full slate of games next fall.

On Tuesday night, the SEC announced its full slate of conference games and dates for the 2023 season. With non-conference matchups already contractually set, we now know the Tigers’ full schedule next season.

It will begin with a rematch against Florida State, this time in Orlando. Other non-conference opponents will be Grambling, Army and Georgia State. It will be the first time LSU has faced Grambling or GSU, and only the second time it has faced Army (and the first since 1931).

As far as conference matchups go, in addition to facing the SEC West and Florida, LSU will also face Missouri out of the East. There are some quirks in scheduling as the Tigers will face Arkansas in September for the first time as well as hosting the Gators in November.

Here’s LSU’s full schedule for the 2023 season.

Bears players currently set for free agency after 2022 season

Here’s a quick look at the Bears’ free agents following the 2022 season, including Roquan Smith and David Montgomery.

The Chicago Bears are in the final phase of the 2022 offseason program, but the 2023 offseason is already shaping up to be a big one for new general manager Ryan Poles.

The Bears are slated to have 32 free agents following the 2022 season, per Spotrac, which isn’t a surprise given Poles signed a lot of one-year, prove-it deals this offseason. Chicago is currently slated to have north of $90 million in salary cap space for the 2023 season.

But there are also some key players who are entering contract years in 2022, most notably linebacker Roquan Smith and running back David Montgomery. While Poles has already made it clear that locking down Smith is a priority before the start of the regular season, Montgomery’s future with the Bears is less clear.

Here’s a quick look at those Bears currently set to hit the open market in 2023:

Bears target defensive playmaker in this way-too-early 2023 mock draft

In The Athletic’s too-early 2023 mock draft, the Bears land their three-technique of the future in Georgia’s Jalen Carter.

The 2022 NFL draft wrapped last week, but it’s never too early to start thinking about next year’s draft. For the Chicago Bears, they’ll have a first-round selection for the first time during general manager Ryan Poles’ tenure.

This year, Poles focused on a major weakness in the secondary with the selections of cornerback Kyler Gordon and safety Jaquan Brisker with Chicago’s pair of second-round picks. Could the Bears target defense with their top pick again?

In The Athletic‘s way-too-early 2023 mock draft, the Bears find their three-technique of the future in Georgia rising star Jalen Carter with the sixth overall pick.

As evaluators fired up the tape to check out Jordan Davis, Travon Walker and Devonte Wyatt on the Georgia defensive line, how many times do you think this phrase was uttered: “Wait, who is this No. 88?” That would be Carter, who is entering his true junior season and was arguably the best player on the national champion’s defensive front last year.

While Carter didn’t receive a ton of recognition, it was for good reason. He was overshadowed by three members of that Georgia defensive line — Travon Walker, Jordan David and Devonte Wyatt — all of whom were drafted in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft. But there are some that believe Carter could be better than all of them.

Chicago lost three starters from the defensive line this offseason — Akiem Hicks, Eddie Goldman and Bilal Nichols. While the Bears attempted to sign Larry Ogunjobi to serve as the three-technique, he failed a physical that forced Poles to pivot to sign Justin Jones. But looking to the future, Carter would be exactly what Matt Eberflus’ defense needs.

[listicle id=506794]

[listicle id=506913]

Bears land playmaking wide receiver in early 2023 mock draft

In Draft Wire’s too-early 2023 mock draft, the Bears land a WR1 for Justin Fields in Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

The 2022 NFL draft wrapped just a few days ago, but it’s never too early to start thinking about next year’s draft. Especially for a Chicago Bears team that currently has a first-round selection after not having one three of the last four years.

General manager Ryan Poles used the 2022 draft to shore up the secondary with the selections of cornerback Kyler Gordon and safety Jaquan Brisker and the offensive line with four picks. But could 2023 be the year when the Bears use their first-round pick to land a top playmaker at wide receiver to help quarterback Justin Fields?

In Draft Wire‘s way-too-early 2023 mock draft, the Bears land a playmaker at wide receiver in Ohio State’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba with the ninth overall pick, which should give Fields another dynamic wideout.

Justin Fields finally gets his WR1, and it’s a familiar face. Smith-Njigba has the explosiveness and big-play ability to be an instant star at the next level, especially if he’s catching passes from his old quarterback.

Smith-Njigba would reunite with Fields in Chicago, although the two played sparingly together during the 2020 season. It was the 2021 season where Smith-Njigba had a breakout year with the Buckeyes, hauling in 95 receptions for 1,606 yards — both team highs — and nine touchdowns.

Looking ahead to the 2023 season, Darnell Mooney and rookie Velus Jones Jr. are the top wideouts currently under contract. Byron Pringle and Equanimeous St. Brown signed one-year, prove-it deals this offseason.

[listicle id=506794]

[listicle id=506913]

Former Saints coaches Jim Haslett, Wade Phillips now leading XFL teams

The XFL announced its eight head coaches for the 2023 season, including former Saints coaches Jim Haslett and Wade Phillips:

This is cool: the XFL announced their eight head coaches for the 2023 season on Wednesday, including two coaches with New Orleans Saints ties. Jim Haslett worked as Saints head coach from 2000 to 2005, and he’s joined on the XFL’s roster by Wade Phillips, New Orleans’ defensive coordinator from 1981 to 1985 and whose Saints run ended as interim head coach. We don’t yet know whether the XFL is returning to the same cities as last time, or which teams each coach will be running.

The other six XFL head coaches include Bob Stoops, Terrell Buckley, Hines Ward, Rod Woodson, Reggie Barlow, and Anthony Becht. Of that group, only Stoops returns from the XFL’s first relaunch back in 2020. The start-up spring league did well with national broadcasts on FOX and some crossover appeal through sideline reporting from Saints star Cameron Jordan, but the COVID-19 pandemic put an early stop to it. The XFL has since changed ownership and is now being managed by an investment group headlined by Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia.

As for Haslett: he guided the Saints to the franchise’s first playoff victory in his first year on the job, going 45-51 as head coach before his dismissal after the 2005 season – which the Saints played entirely on the road in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Over the years Haslett has worked as a defensive coordinator and position coach in the NFL, most recently joining the Tennessee Titans as inside linebackers coach in 2020.

Phillips first arrived in New Orleans as defensive coordinator for his father, former Saints head coach Bud Phillips. He went on to work as a defensive coordinator for seven different NFL teams with stops as a head coach for the Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills, and Dallas Cowboys, with interim looks on the Atlanta Falcons and Houston Texans. He’s accomplished an 82-64 record in the regular season but just 1-5 in the playoffs. We’ll see where Phillips and Haslett end up coaching and how often they’ll be running up against each other once the XFL shares more details.

How the Bears trading Khalil Mack impacts the salary cap in 2022 and beyond

Trading Khalil Mack is a move for the future. Here’s how it impacts the Bears’ salary cap in 2022 and, most importantly, beyond.

The Chicago Bears made a splash trading star pass rusher Khalil Mack to the Los Angeles Chargers for a 2022 second-round pick and 2023 sixth-round selection.

While the draft compensation was surprising to most, it’s the impact Mack’s trade has on Chicago’s salary cap that might be an indication as to why they only got a second-rounder and sixth-rounder.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Chargers are taking on the three remaining years of Mack’s contract, which totals $63.9 million. Chicago gets $6 million in cap savings for the 2022 season. Unfortunately, the Bears will still have to eat $24 million in dead money this year.

With that said, the Mack trade provides a more favorable salary cap outlook in 2023 and beyond. According to OverTheCap, the trade clears $28.5 million in salary cap space in 2023, which is huge. It also explains why the return for Mack was so low.

Mack’s cap hit with the Bears was slated to be $30.2 million in 2022, $28.5 million in 2023 and $26.3 million in 2024. With the Chargers taking on the entirety of his contract, it frees up plenty of cap space in 2023 and beyond as Poles looks to build his roster around quarterback Justin Fields.

Looking ahead to the 2023 season, the Bears get an additional $28.5 million in cap space, which moves their 2023 cap from $92.9 million to roughly $121 million for the 2023 season, per OverTheCap. Granted, there are only 18 players currently under contract in 2023. Still, it allows Poles the freedom to build his roster moving forward.

Follow The Bears Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

[listicle id=503048]