On Thursday, Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles spoke openly about interest in Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby. That is even after Crosby’s trade from the Las Vegas Raiders to the Baltimore Ravens was cancelled at the latter organization’s request. But the reality might be far bleaker than Poles let on.
The Bears are not necessarily in a position to make such a move financially.
This is not a discussion about cap space, either. Instead, it is about ownership’s ability to take advantage of one of the ways other teams skirt salary cap limitations to acquire top talent.
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Poles’ comments about a potential trade for Crosby served as fuel for anyone less than enthused by the Bears’ approach to free agency this offseason. That is particularly true of their inaction at defensive end.
However, ESPN’s Adam Schefter rained on that parade on Friday.
Schefter said he does not see the Bears as potential contenders to land Crosby. The insider called the Bears “broke” and said they “don’t have anymore money right now.”
“I know people love all this, and coming up with concoctions and imaginations and scenarios where a team like the Bears could come up with a player like Maxx Crosby,” Schefter said on “Get Up!” on Friday. “Sorry to be a party pooper.
“The Bears don’t have the money to make a move like that right now. They just cannot afford it.”
Schefter’s remarks come amid others noting how much flexibility the Bears have built into the contracts of players already on their roster.
However, triggering those mechanisms requires liquid assets, of which the Bears have among the lowest standings in the NFL. Crosby has cap hits of $35.8 million, $29.8 million, $27.3 million, and 28.2 million over the next four seasons.
That is where things get complicated for the Bears.
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Clearing the space required to squeeze those hits, or others on a reworked pact, would mean cuts, trades, and converting other players’ future salaries into upfront payments in the form of bonuses.
Schefter’s reporting basically confirms the belief that the Bears cannot afford to clear that much space due to a lack of revenue.
The Bears are the NFL’s charter franchise.
However, the Bears are also among the few whose ownership lacks additional revenue streams beyond the club and related assets. That typically impacts their ability to pay players money up front in free agency.
This time, it appears to be the final and insurmountable hurdle for Poles to get a deal for Crosby done this offseason.
At the very least, it appears to be the longest of shots.