Hours after trading D.J. Moore to the Buffalo Bills, the Chicago Bears took the next step in cleaning up their salary cap. Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds was released, according to Adam Schefter. This clears $15 million off the books for the Bears, ensuring they now have a considerable amount of cap space to work with. They should be sitting around $37 million now after the Moore trade ($16.5 million) and the retirement of Drew Dalman ($14 million). If the Bears wish to clear any more, it will likely require restructuring the contracts of veterans on the payroll.
This move felt inevitable after the Bears granted Edmunds permission to seek a trade last week. There were some rumors of possible interest from other teams. However, it seems a deal couldn’t be found. Teams are likely willing to take a chance on him in free agency. The Bears won’t lose sleep about it. They needed the cap space to help kick-start a retooling of their roster. Any pick they received would’ve been a late-rounder at best. As things stand, they must make plays to find a replacement.
Replacing Tremaine Edmunds won’t be a top priority.
As valuable as linebackers can be to a defense, Dennis Allen’s track record as a coordinator suggests he values pass rushers and the secondary more. This isn’t a huge shock given his background as a defensive backs coach. An initial prediction is that the Bears may look to bring D’Marco Jackson back. The former backup played very well after Edmunds went down with an injury that landed him on IR. Jackson won’t be too expensive to retain and would give the team some flexibility in their efforts to find help in the draft.
This is a great year for linebackers in the upcoming draft, especially in the 2nd and 3rd round range. Chicago happens to have three picks in that area. It wouldn’t be shocking if general manager Ryan Poles decides to grab one to help supplement the position. Tremaine Edmunds will have no shortage of suitors. Las Vegas, Tennessee, and New York were rumored to have interest. He shouldn’t be unemployed long. While he never quite lived up to the big contract the Bears gave him in 2023, Edmunds will be remembered as a solid football player.
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Much depends on how aggressive the Bears want to be.
The trade rumors around Maxx Crosby continue. Chicago now has enough cap space to fit his contract onto the books. It’s been said by multiple insiders that the team is squarely in the mix on the Pro Bowler. If that doesn’t happen, one should expect the Bears will use that Tremaine Edmunds money to go after a center in free agency. They need somebody to replace Dalman and shore up the offensive line. They already have a hole at left tackle. They can’t afford another in the middle.
Keep an eye on Tyler Linderbaum from Baltimore and Connor McGovern from Buffalo. Both feel like obvious targets. They could also go after a veteran pass rusher with Trey Hendrickson having ties to Dennis Allen, as does Cameron Jordan. Once that is done, they will focus on using those high draft picks to remake the defense, likely seeking more speed across the board.
