Too Many Reasons Not to Deal Robert Quinn

Robert Quinn can supply sacks and the Bears have seen this, but with their current stage of rebuild going on it makes far more sense to part ways with him.

The decision to trade Khalil Mack for a second-round and 2023 sixth-round pick sounded the starting bell for a complete rebuild by the Bears.

GM Ryan Poles has since made it even more clear this truly is a rebuild by signing lower-cost players while loading up cap space for signing players in 2023. 

A strong case can also be made for dealing Robert Quinn, although the market place may not bring as much as some would think after he just set the franchise record with 18 1/2 sacks last year.

It's easier to see any type of move with Quinn—trading him or cutting him—taking place after June 1 because of better Bears cap savings. 

Here are the best reasons for parting ways with Quinn.

1. Not Like the Others

Committed to a rebuild, it's obvious the Bears will not be as concerned about winning this year as with about putting together a core of players they can move forward with in future years. Quinn turns 32 before this season and his age doesn't make him part of the future, anyway. He'll be on a team of young 20-somethings and his remaining pass rush skills would be wasted on a team trying to aim long term.

The Bears have parted ways with four starters in their 30s on defense—Danny Trevathan, Khalil Mack, Akiem Hicks and Tashaun Gipson. Trevathan's backup, Alec Ogletree, started almost all year and is in his 30s. Quinn is the last one from that age bracket left and it's time for him to go, as well, as the oldest team in the league gets younger.

2. Losing with Sacks or Without

In the unlikely event Quinn makes as many sacks as in 2021 it doesn't guarantee the team being competitive in the NFC North. They won only six games with his 18 1/2 sacks last year. What it comes down to is if they couldn't win more than six games with all those sacks, then what's the point of having them when they could just have a less expensive, younger player at the position aimed at the team's future, and possibly an extra future draft pick?

3. Quinn's Mighty Cap Figure

Because he is eating up a team-high total of $17.1 million in cap space, the Bears should naturally be interested in moving him. Freeing up cap space is a huge goal so why have him around if they can get something for him before he has less or no value? 

However, any team interested would probably be more likely to wait out the Bears to see if he is cut so it would be more likely to happen after June 1. 

Quinn's cap cost is comprised of $12.8 million in salary so it is easily consumed by a team in a trade. They can restructure it to their heart's content. Obviously, it's even more easily handled by teams if he's cut since he'd be starting over with no contract. 

From the Bears' standpoint, trading him before June 1 makes little sense. 

If traded or cut before June 1, the Bears get $4.4 million in cap savings but add $12.7 million to their already sky-high pile of dead cap space. They'd be over $60 million in dead cap space then. If traded after June 1, the dead cap hit for the Bears is only $4.2 million and the cap space freed up is $12.9 million according to Overthecap.com.

4. Specialist in Age of Versatility

Mack was a strong all-purpose defender for the Bears and Quinn never has been known as a run stopper with any team. 

There is value as a pass-rushing specialist now at age 32 for this season but an edge who is 6-4, 245 and at his best coming off the edge hard in the pass rush is not in the best interest of the Bears. They are all about getting younger, less expensive and more versatile at end, and in a 4-3 with single-gap responsibilities up front a bit bigger end functions better.

Gerald Everett pancaking Robert Quinn to open up the backside C gap for a touchdown pic.twitter.com/I6n1PKolCy

— mike (@bengals_sans) March 17, 2022

5. Another Strong Season Less Likely

If the Bears hold on to Quinn, they're unlikely to get sack production close to last year. 

Quinn has been a streaky player. He has an outstanding 101 career sacks, but 37 1/2 of those came in two seasons eight years apart. Over the course of his remaining seasons, he has averaged 5.8 sacks.

The Bears have seen both the heights and depths of his streaky play with two sacks in one year and 18 1/2 the next. 

Chances his totals go down drastically are far higher than they would be for staying the same or going up.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven