Before the focus shifts to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis next week, Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears have had a busy Friday.
Just before noon, the organization announced the promotion of Matt Feinstein from director of football administration to vice president of football administration. Feinstein joined the club in 2022 and has been a close confidant of Poles since.
In a statement, the Bears’ general manager said, “Matt is an invaluable asset to our football operation, and his well-earned promotion benefits our entire organization.”
Less than two hours later, tight end Gerald Everett took to X, formerly Twitter, alluding to his release from Chicago:
Chicago, it was brief and a learning experience but i appreciate the love the city and the team showed me! Looking forward to the next chapter. On to the next!
Gerald Everett, via X
Everett, 30, signed a two-year deal with Chicago last offseason worth $12 million. However, the tight end’s role dwindled as the season progressed until his usage in Chicago’s disastrous offense became nearly non-existent. After back-to-back 50+ reception seasons, Everett was targetted just 13 times all year, bringing in eight catches for 36 yards.
Already projected to have the sixth most cap space this offseason before the cut, the move saves the Bears an additional $5.5 million.
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Then, just an hour after the news of Everett’s release broke, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported another cap casualty in Chicago: defensive end DeMarcus Walker.
Walker, 30, had one year left on a three-year deal with Chicago worth $21 million. However, with $5.15 guaranteed if Walker was still on the roster come March 16, Chicago acts now to both allow the defensive end to find a new home sooner and the team to save some cash for 2025 in the process.
Walker could’ve been a solid depth piece for Chicago, but as the rest of the defensive line struggled, so did the ex-Florida State Seminole’s production. Without enough elite talent along the rest of the line, Walker was credited with just seven sacks in two seasons, which included 29 starts.
With the $5.5 million that Everett’s release saved Chicago, cutting Walker saves an additional $5.25 against the cap, bringing Friday’s total savings for the Bears to $10.75 million.
How does this impact the Bears’ expected cap?
An additional $10.75 million is a solid start to a massive offseason for Chicago, but it’s unlikely this is where the cap-casualty train stops.
Despite the NFL telling teams that the 2025 cap would be almost $10 million higher than initial projections, the Bears have premium needs that will cost a heavy chunk of change to fix this offseason.
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Players like Ryan Bates, who struggled to get the job done last season, whether it be because of skill, injury or both, are likely candidates for the chopping block.
Walker was a solid role-player in Chicago, but his release is about a reallocation of resources elsewhere. That might mean adding a higher quality defensive end that better fits defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s plan for the resurgence of the unit, or it could mean adding a less expensive stop-gap while putting those savings toward another area of need like offensive line.
As of right now, Chicago is projected to have $74.7 million in Top 51 cap space, which is the NFL’s way of calculating offseason space while rosters are expanded to up to 90 players—only the top 51 contracts count against the cap.
The $74.7 million figure currently ranks the Bears fourth-most in the league, trailing only the Commanders ($79.5M), Raiders ($95.2M) and Patriots ($125.6M).
Cutting Walker and Everett also drops the team’s average age to 26.2, tying them with four other teams for the sixth youngest roster in the league.
Around the NFC North:
As of 4 p.m. on Fri. Feb. 21, here’s where the rest of the division stands against the cap (Top 51):
No. 7 – Minnesota Vikings, $59.5M
No. 11 – Detroit Lions, $48.5M
No. 14 – Green Bay Packers, $44.6M
