The Chicago Bears are likely to go on a quest for cap space in the weeks ahead.
Ahead of the new league year beginning, the Bears are currently upwards of $5 million over the cap, which could present some difficult decisions for general manager Ryan Poles and the front office and some potential cap casualty cuts to be made.
Chicago Bears could release OT Kiran Amegadjie
NFL: Chicago Bears Rookie Minicamp May 10, 2024; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears offensive lineman Kiran Amegadjie (72) during Chicago Bears rookie minicamp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
Over at ESPN, analyst Aaron Schatz put together a list of one player each team across the NFL could cut or trade to create cap space, including offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie for the Bears.
“It’s a shame to get rid of a player who grew up near the Windy City,” Schatz writes for ESPN. “But it’s pretty clear that Amegadjie isn’t in the Bears’ plans going forward. The 2024 third-round pick likely would have been cut in last season’s training camp if not for his Day 2 draft upside. His struggles blocking in space led the Bears to start working him at guard instead of tackle. He could use a fresh start with a new organization for whom he could play guard from Day 1 and hopefully fulfill his collegiate potential as a run blocker.”
Releasing Amegadjie would create $1.05 million in new cap space, while triggering a $560,000 dead-money charge this offseason.
While moving on from a recent Day 2 pick like Amegadjie is a tough pill for any GM to swallow, it’s the price of admission for a team officially entering its Super Bowl window.
For Poles, and for the Bears, the focus has shifted from ‘developing’ project players to ‘maximizing’ every dollar around Caleb Williams. In that high-stakes environment, there simply isn’t room for a developmental tackle who hasn’t found his footing.
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