Bold Trade #2

Chicago Bears trade Jay Cutler, Martellus Bennett and Antrel Rolle to the Houston Texans in exchange for draft picks.

The Houston Texans were destroyed in the playoffs by Kansas City. Brian Hoyer looked awful and proved he is not a worthy starting quarterback in the league. This team won a weak AFC South division and has the opportunity to do so again if they make a few adjustments. They are a few pieces away from being a contender in the AFC. The Bears are looking to find a way to gain draft picks and reboot to start fresh for John Fox and the coaching staff. This trade could bring both of those wishes to reality.

Starting with the Texans, a team on the brink of being a very good team. Their defense looked solid this past season and coach Bill O’Brien did a great job with a makeshift offense, especially at quarterback. They need at least an above-average quarterback to lead this offense. O’Brien could make Jay Cutler into something in Houston.

Former Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase did a great job with Cutler this past season and O’Brien could have taken notice. He knows he has a defense now that can keep him in games and just needs an offense that can put up some points. They do not have a solid tight end and Martellus Bennett could bring that to the offense to help DeAndre Hopkins in the passing game. Speaking of Hopkins, he is just a better version of Alshon Jeffery in Chicago where Jay Cutler thrived. Antrel Rolle brings veteran leadership and a starting strong safety for next season.

The Bears are desperately looking to move on from Jay Cutler. Fox and team management know this team needs a fresh face at quarterback to create momentum for the franchise. The Bears’ coaching staff and management are looking to create their own roster and put their own fingerprint on this franchise and get rid of the predecessor’s team. This trade allows this to happen and creates an optimism for the future. They are heading into this offseason with $56.4 million in cap space and can really form this roster to their preference with free agent signings and more draft picks.

Let’s get to the details of this deal on why this works for both teams. The Texans enter the offseason with $29.5 million in cap space. If they cut Arian Foster, that saves them $6.6 million. Cutting Brian Hoyer also saves the Texans $4.8 million for next season. You add those two with the $29.5 million starting point and it totals up to $40.9 million. This opens up the Texans to take on the salaries of Jay Cutler, Martellus Bennett and Antrel Rolle. Those three players’ salaries add up to a $26 million cap hit. This leaves $14.9 million left to handle free agency and rookie salaries. This is even before they make more adjustments to the roster after accepting this trade which will open up more cap space.

The Texans would give a second-round, fourth-round and sixth-round pick to the Bears, but not all in the same year. Even if they give them the second and fourth round in the 2016 draft, it still works out well for the Texans. Their two biggest needs after this trade heading into 2016 would be a developmental quarterback and running back. They can easily handle that with their first- and third-round picks (Ezekiel Elliott in the first, Christian Hackenburg in the third?).

The Bears win by adding more picks to develop and re-building the roster to re-energize the franchise. They can take their future quarterback with the No. 11 overall pick, or use these picks they gain in this trade to go get one earlier in the draft. Bears’ fans rejoice as they get rid of Jay Cutler and truly get to start over and the Texans go for it all in a weak AFC South division.