Bears fans, is there a cap casualty you’re hoping for?

It’s June 1, and in the NFL that’s a date that holds some significance. And if you want to dive deeper into the specifics of that, you can click on Over The Cap, but the gist of it is, “Starting on June 2 any player who is released will have any future prorations land in the following season (the guarantees would still accelerate) rather than the current season.”

There won’t be a flurry of moves, as many teams have already announced their June 1st designations, but there may be transactions worth monitoring. More players on the market could also jump-start some trade talk, so there will be no lull in the NFL’s summer.

We fired off a quick roundtable to get some Chicago Bears/NFL discussion rolling here at WCG, and here’s topic one.

Of the many players league-wide who can be seen as “cap casualties,” who is the number one player you hope gets cut?

Erik Duerrwaechter - If we’re talking about potential cap casualties who could make the biggest impact, even if the chances are very slim, I’m continuing to monitor DeForest Buckner and the Indianapolis Colts. There is currently an “out” for 2023 built into his contract, and considering they’re in the beginning of a(nother) rebuild, I have a hunch that scenario is on the table. Their preference would certainly be to trade him after June 1, as that frees up north of $14M in space for 2023 alone. Yet they could look to part ways for the sake of getting his contract off their books for 2024. In the unlikely event Buckner is made readily available, the Bears are ready to swoop in and land him to a moderate-sized deal. It’s worth mentioning Ryan Poles took swings at both Dre’mont Jones and Javon Hargrave during free agency, and even with drafting two DTs on day two, there’s no doubt Bucker would be the ideal player to mentor Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens.

Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. - With the Bears needing a pass rusher off the edge, the more on the market, the better for GM Ryan Poles. I already went over a few free agent options here, but if the Buccaneers release Shaquil Barrett, that’d be another mercenary on the market looking for a job. Barrett is coming off an injury, but as a situational pass rusher, there’s value there.

Aaron Leming - I’m not sure there’s one actual name that comes to mind, but Edge Rusher is No. 1 on the team’s current list of top needs. I doubt someone like Chase Young gets released, but I’d be thinking of a name along those lines. I do think the Bears can surprise a lot of people this year, but they’ve got to get their pass rushing situation figured out. Looking at their current roster, there aren’t too many areas that stand out to me as spots where a cap casualty could make more impact than at edge rusher.

Your turn... let us know your thoughts in the comment section.