With the start of the new league year just a few days away, Bears general manager Ryan Pace has an important decision to make regarding one of his former first-round draft picks.
No, not quarterback Mitchell Trubisky — although that issue certainly needs to be addressed — but outside linebacker Leonard Floyd.
The Bears picked up Floyd’s fifth-year option last year — a price tag valued at $13.2 million. But Pace needs to decide, in a year where the salary cap is tight for Chicago, if they should keep Floyd or release him before his salary becomes fully guaranteed on March 18.
While the Bears insist they like where Floyd is at, his production hasn’t been anything to rave about. Floyd’s sack total has declined every season since he entered the league in 2016. Last season, Floyd had two sacks in the season opener against the Packers. He had just one sack in the final 15 games.
Pace has just four days to decide whether Floyd’s potential is worth the $13.2 million he’s owed in 2020.
With the Bears recently signing inside linebacker Danny Trevathan to a three-year extension worth $24 million, Floyd’s future becomes even murkier. There were already NFL teams that believe Floyd will become a cap-casualty, and Trevathan’s extension — coupled with Floyd’s price tag — makes Floyd a prime candidate for a cap casualty.
What do you think Bears fans? Should the Bears keep or part ways with Floyd before Wednesday?
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