The offseason is in full swing, and we’re just a couple months away from the start of the new league year and free agency. And the Bears have some important decisions to make when it comes to in-house free agents.
It’s impossible for the Bears to keep everyone — especially considering their salary cap situation, where they currently have just over $7 million in available cap space, according to Over The Cap.
But there are some players that the Bears should let walk this offseason, whether that’s due to injury concerns or monetary reasons.
Here are four free agents that the Bears shouldn’t re-sign this offseason:
1. ILB Danny Trevathan
Danny Trevathan has been a staple of this Bears defense in the last four years, but with three inside linebackers due up for contract extensions in Chicago, Trevathan is likely the odd man out. Trevathan was playing some of his best football with the Bears before he suffered a gruesome elbow injury that essentially ended his season. Injuries have been Trevathan’s downfall, as he’s missed 16 games since joining the Bears prior to the 2015 season, including the final seven weeks of 2019.
If not for Nick Kwiatkoski’s impressive performance in Trevathan’s absence, I’d be advocating for the Bears to re-sign Trevathan. But when it comes down to it, Kwiatkoski is the younger, healthier and cheaper option to pair with Roquan Smith in 2020.
2. S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix
The Bears certainly got a deal signing safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix to a one-year “prove it” deal worth $3 million in 2019. But given Clinton-Dix’s solid season, there will certainly be other suitors knocking on the doors of free agency.
After extending All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowl safety Eddie Jackson to a massive four-year contract extension, the Bears can’t afford to re-sign Clinton-Dix if he’s looking for a payday. More than that, Clinton-Dix occupied the free safety position in 2019, which forced Jackson to strong safety where he wasn’t as productive. If the Bears look to free agency or the NFL Draft for an affordable strong safety, Jackson can return to free safety where he was a force in his first two seasons.
3. QB Chase Daniel
The Bears’ quarterbacks room is going to look a lot different in 2020. While the Bears remain steadfast in their commitment to Mitchell Trubisky, that doesn’t mean they’re not going to bring in competition — and insurance — should Trubisky continue to struggle in 2020.
When it comes down to it, Chase Daniel was brought to Chicago to be another coach for Trubisky, not a backup quarterback. While Daniel was a reliable fill-in when Trubisky was injured, he’s not a quarterback that’s going to challenge Trubisky for the starting job. Not to mention, Daniel was an expensive backup/coach at $5 million per year. Don’t expect to see Daniel back in Chicago in 2020.
4. OLB Aaron Lynch
The Bears defense is far from the team’s pressing concern this offseason, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t areas where this team needs to get better. One of those positions is edge rusher, which saw a dip in production in 2019.
While Aaron Lynch has been an affordable option for the Bears (he made $1.5 million in 2019), he was part of the reason why Chicago’s pass rush struggled to get after the quarterback last season. The Bears could certainly turn to the NFL Draft for a younger prospect, who could either replace Leonard Floyd (if the Bears rescind the fifth-year option) opposite Khalil Mack or start his career in a reserve role until Chicago decides what to do with Floyd.
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