What Can the Chicago Bears Do to Clear More Salary-Cap Space for 2015 Offseason?

This Chicago Bears roster needs to be retooled. Coming off a five-win season, the team needs an influx of talent, and one way to get it is to bring in the right pieces in free agency. 

Under former general manager Phil Emery, the Bears added hefty contracts, including Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall, Jermon Bushrod, Martellus Bennett and Jared Allen. 

What can the Bears do to clear some cap space and bring in better players? While some might point to trading Jay Cutler, the better answer is using the sit-back-and-wait approach. 

Cornerback Charles Tillman, linebacker D.J. Williams, linebacker Lance Briggs and defensive tackle Stephen Paea are coming off the books this year.

Those players alone open up more than $12.5 million. Paea is a candidate to return to the team after a solid season, but the others are likely gone. 

According Over the Cap, the Bears are committed to a little over $110 million next season. Next season's NFL salary cap is projected to go from $133 million to somewhere between $138-141 million.

If those numbers hold up, the Bears will have a little more than $29 million in cap space. That's more than enough to bring in quality players to fit the culture and scheme a new head coach will bring in. 

The Bears can save a ton of money by trading Jay Cutler. He's owed $15.5 million next season, but if they move him before March 12, they will only be on the hook for his prorated salary of $4 million. 

Moving Cutler isn't the answer, though. Given the limited options in free agency and the draft, the Bears are better off holding on to him through 2016 and finding a head coach who can optimize his talent. 

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Releasing Cutler would be a nightmare, as it would cost the team nearly $20 million against cap. 

Anybody who's upset with Emery for signing Cutler clearly hasn't seen Allen's cap hit next year. The defensive end is owed $12.5 million despite having a subpar year in 2014. 

What the Bears need to do is stop the free spending. They need to let go of the days when they blindly threw money at a player just to try to fill a hole. By the way, how's that Lamarr Houston deal looking going forward? 

The key to this offseason is finding a general manager who can bring in solid talent without breaking the bank. No one free agent is going to turn this team into a contender, so there's no need for the Bears to invest all their money in a big fish. 

Kansas City Chiefs executive Chris Ballard is rumored to be the favorite for the Bears GM position, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports:

He was part of a Chiefs team that saw a great turnaround in Andy Reid's first season largely by adding midlevel veterans and drafting well. The Chiefs added 30 new players in 2013 and went from a two-win team to an 11-win team. 

When it comes to this offseason, the Bears need to spend smart and avoid trying to win the first day of free-agency headlines. It certainly didn't work for Emery, and it won't get this team back into the playoffs.