The Bears continue to dismantle their veteran front seven. Not long after cutting Danny Trevathan, Chicago is moving on from nose tackle Eddie Goldman.
This comes after the team made efforts to trade Goldman, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Two years remained on Goldman’s $10.5MM-per-year deal. The move will save the Bears just more than $6MM in cap space.
Goldman, 28, returned to the Bears after opting out of the 2020 season. He started 10 games, upping his total to 73 as a pro. Goldman was a part of each Vic Fangio Bears defense, starting all 16 games for the team’s No. 1-ranked unit in 2018, and retained his job after the acclaimed defensive coordinator’s exit. The Bears gave him an extension just before Week 1 of that season. Because his contract tolled after passing on the 2020 season, Goldman was signed through 2023. He should have an opportunity to catch on elsewhere soon.
Goldman and Trevathan, with the Bears since 2015 and ’16, respectively, are hitting the open market early. Akiem Hicks, with the team since 2016, is set for free agency next week. Khalil Mack, a four-year contributor after a 2018 blockbuster trade, hit the trade block and is headed to the Chargers. With Matt Eberflus and Ryan Poles now in charge, Chicago’s defense will look considerably different in 2022.
Bears fan here. Goldman had a mediocre to down year in 2021 but he still has value based on his definitely starting-caliber time here beforehand. Any team’s fan base that gets him should be optimistic of a turnaround.
Agreed and I wouldn’t mind the Raiders taking a run at him to plug the middle of their defensive line.
WHAT ARE WE DOING? (ik it’s a snart move it’s just really weird, it’s like they have no faith in this team, so Fields is just gonna rot here for 3 more years)
Defense is changing to a 4/3. Guess there dumping vets with higher contracts that they don’t think will fit in a 4/3
He’s eating most of the bad money this year to free up money in future years. They’re not going to suck any worse this year with young guys than old washed up losers. Well Played Poles.
Sounds like a future Steeler.
Was coming here to say the same thing. Hicks wouldn’t be a bad addition for them either.
I’m surprised they couldn’t even get a low draft pick for him. Another stupid Pace contract. The money scared teams away especially after he quit on the team in 2020. Never played up to that contract. Shows what the rest of the league thinks of Pace draft picks.
This guy never wanted to play! Good bye.
Got his bag and that was it.
I’m starting to like this guy Poles. He is doing exactly what AK did with the Bulls by getting rid of the GarPax trash and taking the consequences. The Bears are eating most of the dead money this year but still have 37 million in dead cap next year. BUT… Good news is they have 175 million in money to spend next year, minus whatever salaries Poles adds in FA this year. Just hope he drafts as well as clears trash and maybe I’ll live long enough to see it work.