Contracts Bears Must Consider Cutting in 2023 Offseason

The Chicago Bears should be one of the most active NFL teams this offseason.

Chicago owns the most salary-cap space in the league, per Spotrac, which should allow it to add help for Justin Fields in all areas of the offense.

Even though the cap space is there, the Bears could still shed some contracts to free up even more salary room.

The offensive line should be a target for general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus. Any new signings could take away depth-chart spots for some of the current players.

The same theory could be applied to the defense, where the Bears need to replenish a unit that lost Khalil Mack and Roquan Smith through trades in the past year.

Those two departures helped the Bears gain more cap space, and the signings brought in this offseason could push some current names off the 53-man roster.

Lucas Patrick

AP Photo/Stacy Bengs

Chicago Bears guard Lucas Patrick (62) in action against the Minnesota Vikings during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 9, 2022 in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Stacy Bengs)

Lucas Patrick only played in seven games, starting just five, in his first season with the Bears.

The former Green Bay Packers offensive lineman saw his first campaign in Chicago undone by injuries, which could leave him on the chopping block this offseason.

The Bears have a few offensive linemen on their roster that they would love to keep in starting spots, including Teven Jenkins.

Chicago would be wise to target Mike McGlinchey, Orlando Brown and other top free-agent offensive tackles to shore up the protection for Justin Fields.

A top-tier addition on the outside could force someone like Jenkins back to the inside, which would keep playing time away from Patrick.

The 29-year-old only has one year left on the two-year, $8 million contract he signed last offseason with Chicago. He could be let go at a relatively low cost to pursue a better opportunity elsewhere.

Chicago could opt to keep Patrick around to have veteran depth on its roster, but that may not suit what the Duke product wants. He could get a decent-sized contract if he performs well in 2023 and isn't hampered by injuries.

Al-Quadin Muhammad

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ATLANTA, GA NOVEMBER 20: Chicago defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad (55) gets set during the NFL game between the Chicago Bears and the Atlanta Falcons on November 20th, 2022 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The Bears finished the 2022 season with 20 sacks, which was the worst total in the league and 50 fewer than the NFL-leading total set by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Chicago must improve its pass rush by using some parts of its league-high salary-cap room.

Just like the offensive-line approach, some players on the defensive line could be left on the outside looking in at snaps in 2023.

Al-Quadin Muhammad could fall into the category of surplus players, and he can be released at a low price.

The 27-year-old is scheduled to make $2.5 million in 2023, but he can be cut with a $500,000 cap hit in the offseason, per Spotrac.

Muhammad does not have recent production on his side, as he managed a single sack over 16 games in 2022. He had six sacks and 13 quarterback hits with the Indianapolis Colts in 2021.

The move to Chicago did not work out in 2022, and the lack of production could hurt the Miami product's roster status next season if the Bears revamp their defensive line.

Justin Jones

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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 13: Justin Jones #93 of the Chicago Bears celebrates a missed field goal by Washington Commanders during the fourth quarter at Soldier Field on October 13, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Justin Jones could be more of a roster casualty because of new additions rather than his performance.

The 26-year-old had 12 tackles for loss, seven quarterback hits and three sacks in his first season with the Bears.

Jones was one of the better players on a unit that failed to reach the quarterback on a constant basis.

However, the Bears can get significantly better on the defensive interior since they do not have to throw a ton of money at a signal-caller.

Chicago could chase one or more of Javon Hargrave, Dalvin Tomlinson, Daron Payne and Dre'Mont Jones in free agency. Each of those players was ranked in the top 20 of available free agents by Pro Football Focus.

The Bears could allocate a decent chunk of their salary-cap space to help on the defensive interior, which would in turn push Jones down the depth chart into a backup role.

The team may not be willing to pay the North Carolina State product $4.8 million to feature in that type of role, and he might want to explore options elsewhere if that is the case.

Jones could still contribute next season in Chicago if he hangs around, but his role may not be determined until the free-agent spending spree ends.