Chicago Bears (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Over the next couple weeks, the Chicago Bears have the potential to create even more cap space than they’re currently projected to have when free agency opens up on March 16.
There are quite a few players the Bears may end up cutting ties with in order to create upwards of an additional $20 million in space, depending on the combination of players they part ways with.
One recent article written by Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic mentions a handful of players who could be let go, with nose tackle Eddie Goldman being the most notable and obvious.
But, according to this rumor, Chicago could very well end the waiting period on running back Tarik Cohen.
The Chicago Bears should choose to cut ties with running back Tarik Cohen and move forward with their running back room.
Cohen is set to count $5.75 million against the cap in 2022, and he has not played a game in almost two full seasons. After tearing his ACL, Cohen clearly suffered an unknown setback which the Bears kept fairly under wraps.
Should the Bears choose to cut Cohen, they would save $2.25 million. That doesn’t sound like much, but considering the Bears could use that money to re-sign Jakeem Grant, it makes a whole lot of sense.
Grant is coming off an All Pro season in which he was one of the league’s most exciting return men. After the Bears traded a late-round pick for Grant last year, he took over the return specialist role and never looked back. Grant even went for a couple of explosive plays on offense when called upon.
Not only does it give the Bears flexibility to bring back Grant in Cohen’s place, but it locks in David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert as the team’s one-two punch at running back.
If Cohen returned this season, he would muddle the waters at the running back position. Cohen, when healthy, does present the option to give his offense a quick, speedy offensive weapon. But, Montgomery has become one of the NFL’s top running backs and Herbert proved he was worth giving touches to as a rookie.
The Bears would have clarity at running back, should they cut Cohen loose. Saving the cash is only part of the equation.
Last, the Bears simply cannot wait around for Cohen any longer. It sounds a bit cold-hearted to say something like that, but his return has taken far too long. He deserves a job after Chicago, but the Bears have to move on.