Bears release ILB Jerrell Freeman. Scheduled to make $3.5 mil next year, nothing guaranteed. You can make the injury argument, or the suspension argument, but when he was on the field, he was a game-changer. Wasn't he also a team captain? What's the angle, here?
He's banned for 10 games and coming off a torn pectoral? His second torn pec or did he tear the same one twice? Josh Sitton also had his option declined by Pace, he's released too. This one I'm not thrilled with. A position of strength gone for Pace to backfill.......
I had forgotten about this. I can get it, now. Sitton also released? So that's two starting holes to fill. Whoo...
They also declined Sitton's option making him a FA. Freeman was a no brainer. Sitton is another story. How the O line shakes out is going to be interesting.
I don't think that's true. If he wasn't suspended 10 games, he's your starter. Kwiatkowski has gotten better, and he's growing on me, but he's not the player Freeman has been, yet. I didn't really watch Jones play closely, this year, but unless he's grown absolute leaps and bounds, him being on the field is not something we want.
^^^^This right here^^^^ So with these moves (Freeman and Sitton) and patg draft reports alluding to a possible LB or guard will likely be the best available when the Bears draft in the first, typical Bears two steps backwards one step forward.
Freeman is an aging player that failed drug tests for PED’s two seasons in a row. He had a breakdown after suffering his last concussion. Penciling him in as a starter gOing into next season would be setting yourself up for disappointment. Last season his presence was only missed when Travathan missed time. Nick K and Jones filled in nicely and if we are able to resign Jones I label him an A+ backup with Nick K a serviceable starter. A player like Smith with the 8th pick who many feel is a prototype MLB for how the game is played now is what you need if you are going to truly upgrade the position.
Cutting Freeman kinda had to happen, you can't move forward with a guy in his situation, especially at his age. Am i right that if he got suspended again he'd been out the whole season? It's unfortunate, when he was on the field Freeman was a really good player. I always thought Freman had just a hint of Singletary about him, which may or may not be true. Freeman may have had better sideline speed *shrugs* I find it hard to put the blame on Pace for this one, he actually made a very good signing and at a very reasonable cost at the time. One of his very few non-misses imo, but unfortunately for all concerned it didn't work out. Sitton is quite interesting. I saw him as a potential cut a few weeks ago, but it was a close call. On a good team with far fewer holes this is an easier decision. Sitton's play did drop last season imo and i would question how well he may fit in the new scheme. He was the 4th highest paid player on the team last year and was gonna be the 4th highest this year too. On good teams an overpaid, starting-to-dwindle talent like this gets cut. However.... This isn't another team its the Bears. The Bears are neither stocked with talent on the roster or even remotely hard up against the CAP. For those reasons i thought a good pro like Sitton might survive. Unless i really wanted to move Whitehair back, or trade Long(unlikely), i would've kept Sitton personally, even knowing i was overpaying him a little. HOWEVER..... Let's not forget this is Ryan Pace we're talking about here. Never has there been a GM been so untroubled about further delaying a rebuild cos he has to plug a hole he himself just created. Im sure thats how i'll remember him in 20years when he's long gone. Angeblow was addicted to drafting injured players. Emery, fuck that he was, always had to be the smartest man in the room. And then there's Ryan Pace - Maker of Holes.
Freeman is superior to both these guys. This is a move based on the suspension and injuries. Jones isn't an every down starter.....I like Kwiatkowski though.
Bears have other options available to cut... Mike Glennon - 11.5M McPhee - 7M Dion Sims - 5.6M Massie (Please cut this useless fuck) - 5.5M Wheaton - 5M Marcus Cooper - Should have been cut week 3 - 4.5M Demps - 3.6M
Whats your take on Sitton man. Retain, release? Add a year and try to bring this years CAP number down? I know you should mostly look at players on a case by case basis, but i look at those options and see another reason to keep Sitton. Because Glennon & McKnee are 100% gone. And at least one of Wheaton & Cooper too. So there's another $20mil in CAP space. Does anyone seriously think Pace is gonna come close to spending all this money? Cos i don't.
For the record, if I had remembered the 10 game suspension, I wouldn't have questioned it originally. That makes sense. BigRob, I don't think I agree with that evaluation, man. Jones is not an 'A+' anything. Kwiatkowski might cut the mustard as long as he's out there with Trevathan, but he's still nowhere near as competent or outstanding a player as Freeman was. It was a delight to watch that dude play. Ev, I agree with you on all accounts. Most especially, as Tuna and Pat also pointed out, that Pace keeps making holes for himself. He does it every year. You can't build a roster that way. It baffles me, especially when he's done such a poor job in free agency. I'd expect to see most of these names off the team by the end of, or shortly after, the draft. I don't think all get cut - Pace likes hanging onto some shit, from year to year.
Ah, come on. He's gotta pay another piece of shit QB 15+ mil this year. That money's gotta come from somewhere. That's been one of my bones, with him. He frees up money that he doesn't spend, and spends the rest of it almost entirely unwisely. Alright, time to place your bets, folks: With the recent cuts of Sitton and Freeman, do we draft an ILB or G at #8?
I can’t think of a good reason he isn’t worth keeping. I know health is an issue...you can’t really count on him playing 16 games. But when he plays...he’s very good.
Pace has been making holes out of strong position groups since the day he got here. He did it from the very first major decision he had to make when he kept Cutler instead of Marshall. The personnel decisions we've seen over the last few years could only be made by a guy who has huge job security. I don't know how he did it exactly, but somehow Pace(perhaps with an assist from Accorsi) sold ownership on a 5year rebuild. If you take Massie & McKnee off that list for a second all you're left with is the 2017 FA class. That is a pretty astounding effort when you think about it. I mean its fucking epic! I can't think of another Bears FA class that has ever been a bigger collection of shitstains. Glennon, Sims, Cooper, Wheaton, Demps. All of those guys could and should be gone this offseason, but they won't be. No way Pace makes that kind of admission. I think Sims comes back and one of Demps or Wheaton. Demps might seem the call but something tells me Wheaton comes back. Also, can i just say about that group that while i'd love to put 100% of the blame on Pace, the Bears do have a Pro Scouting department right?? Surely someone got their walking papers for that clusterfuck. What an abomination.
I don't have a problem keeping Sims. He isn't a bad blocker and can catch an occasional ball. Demps wasn't a bad signing...just got hurt. And then Amos stepped up and massively outplayed him. I'm still confused how Amos wasn't a Pro Bowler...he played awesome this past season. Marcus Cooper, Glennon, and Wheaton were embarrassing signings.
Ahhhhhh dammit!!!! I really thought this was gonna be a rare instance of Demps sticking on a team for a second year. How could the Bears turn their back on this incredible talent. Its ok tho, there's still 3 or 4 teams in the league Demps hasn't played for yet. McKnee was a lock to be cut, but am i right that the only OLB's on the team now are Floyd and Acho Macho Man? This may sound crazy, but i think there's a real chance Bumarr is back next season! Also, why is the Giraffe still on this team? Haha, Pace, are seriously trying to trade that worhtless turd? Give it up man, only GM in the league dumb enough to get a semi over this guy's game is you.
