While most of the sports landscape has been shut down by the coronavirus outbreak, the NFL has kept moving through its offseason. NFL players voted to ratify the league’s proposed new collective bargaining agreement, which was decided by just 60 votes.
Among the big changes with the new CBA include 17-game regular seasons, an expanded playoff field from 12 to 14 teams, higher minimum salaries, only one franchise or transition tag can be used and reduced penalties for positive drug tests with no suspensions.
Let’s take a look at how the new CBA will impact the Bears in 2020 and beyond.
1. Changes to the salary cap
The NFL’s salary cap was set at $198.2 million for the 2020 season, which is a 5.3% increase from the previous year, the smallest since 2013. Over the Cap has the Bears with roughly $11 million accounting for Roy Robertson-Harris’ contract but not Danny Trevathan’s extension. Kyle Long is still on the Bears’ books, and he’ll free up $8.1 million in cap space when his contract his removed.
Although, under this new CBA, it would allow more flexibility to “convert big base salaries into signing bonus; push off the cap hits into future years and create short term money now,” according to Tom Pelissero.
While the salary cap is just around $200 million this year, that number could increase significantly in 2021 due to the NFL set to make more money in the future with TV deals.
2. Leonard Floyd is likely gone
Taking the salary cap into consideration, it almost makes it a given that the Bears must part ways with outside linebacker Leonard Floyd. Given less salary cap space and some moves still yet to be made at positions like quarterback, tight end and defensive back, Floyd’s $13.2 million is more a detriment than anything at this point.
The Bears picked up Floyd’s fifth-year option last year. But it’s hard to justify paying Floyd that kind of money considering that his sack total has declined every year since he joined the league in 2016.
Many teams believe that Floyd could be a cap-casualty. But if the Bears could manage to get a fifth or sixth-round draft pick in exchange for Floyd, it would make it more worth their while. Otherwise, Floyd could become another cap casualty for the Bears this offseason.
3. Easier route to the playoffs
With the new CBA, the NFL will see its playoff teams expand from 12 to 14 teams beginning in 2020. Each conference will have seven representatives, one from each division and three wild card teams. In addition, there will be just one first-round bye up for grabs per conference.
This new rule will certainly make Chicago’s route to the playoffs much easier, especially in a division that features the reigning division champion Packers and Vikings.
Over the last decade, there were two season where the Bears would’ve made the playoffs had this rule been in place — during the Lovie Smith years in 2011 and 2012.
4. Expanded roster size
Under the new CBA, team rosters will expand from 53 to 55 players. On game day, 48 players will be active, which is an increase from the previous limit of 46. In addition, practice squads will grow from 10 to 12 players in 2020 and from 12 to 14 players in 2022.
This change in roster limits allows the Bears more options on game-day, particularly when it comes to some of the younger players. It might even give cause to keep more players at a specific position, i.e. wide receiver, on the roster.
5. More regular season, less preseason
Under the new CBA, the NFL will expand the regular season to 17 games, which will effectively begin no sooner than 2021. You have to wonder how the NFL will address the odd number of regular-season games — which teams get an extra home game and which don’t. But they’ll likely trade off every year.
Conversely, the NFL will lower the number of preseason games from four to three. The preseason changes would also go into effect no sooner than 2021, which will give players fighting for roster spots one less game to prove their worth.
While Matt Nagy rested his starters for the entire preseason in 2019, other teams have given their starters time to get back in the swing of things. You’d figure the second preseason game would serve as the “dress rehearsal” game, while the third game would be for the players fighting for roster spots.
This will likely mean an earlier start to the regular season (first week of September), but the length of the preseason/regular season will remain the same.
