The Chicago Bears lessened their load on the salary cap by dropping one of their big-salary players. Veteran defensive end Julius Peppers was cut in favor of cap relief, according to Jeff Dickerson of ESPN. The move will clear more than half of Peppers' $18.1 million cap number off the Bears' 2014 books.
Bears release Julius Peppers
Four seasons after signing him to a $91.5 million deal, the Bears released Julius Peppers on Tuesday. The move will free nearly $10 million in salary cap space.
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Here’s a closer look at Peppers’ career thus far and how the move will impact the Bears.
Career
Peppers was the second overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers. He was dominant from the start, with 12 sacks and five forced fumbles in just 12 games in his rookie season. Peppers went on to play and start in 64 games while collecting 41.5 sacks and 12 forced fumbles.
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Peppers’ final three years in Carolina were a bit up-and-down. He had just 2.5 sacks and three forced fumbles in 2007, but had a career-high 14.5 sacks and five forced fumbles in 2008. Peppers’ final season was spent on the franchise tag and he appeared in all 16 games, but he was forced to come off the bench in two outings and finished with 10.5 sacks. He made five Pro Bowls during his time with Carolina.
Peppers signed a blockbuster deal with the Chicago Bears at the start of free agency in 2010. In his first season with Chicago, Peppers finished with eight sacks, two interceptions and three forced fumbles. He followed that up with 11 sacks and three forced fumbles in 2011. He then produced 11.5 sacks and a forced fumble in 2012. He made trips to the Pro Bowl in all three of those seasons.
The six-time All-Pro had an off-year in 2013. Peppers finished the year with 45 tackles, seven sacks and two forced fumbles in 16 games. He was not selected to the Pro Bowl for the first time in five seasons.
Contract, Salary Cap and Cap Savings
Peppers signed a six-year, $91.5 million contract with the Bears in 2010. He was going into the fifth year of his deal and was set to make $13.9 million in base salary next season. The Bears saved $9.81 million by cutting Peppers this offseason, due to a $4.18 million prorated bonus that was assigned to the season. His cap number for the season was set to be $18.18 million, according to Over The Cap.
The extra space will give Chicago more room to operate in free agency.
Roster Depth
Despite the move to drop Peppers, the Bears still have several quality players at defensive end. Starter Shea McClellin may have to deal with the double teams that Peppers once received. The Bears also have second-year ends Dave Bass and Cornelius Washington to go along with journeymen Austen Lane and Tracy Robertson.
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