Bears Cut Kahlil Bell
By Benjy Lipsman in News on Aug 24, 2012 5:10PM
When the Bears take the field in New York (okay, technically New Jersey) later tonight, one player who won't be on the sidelines sporting navy and orange is Kahlil Bell. The Bears cut Bell, their presumptive third string running back, yesterday after he refused to take a $700,000 pay cut.
Bell had been scheduled to make $1.26 million this year, and the Bears were looking for ways to trim payroll. When the fourth-year pro refused to renegotiate, the Bears decided they had other options on their roster who worked better into their plans financially.
Bell ran for 337 yards in 2011 for the Bears, averaging 4.3 yards on 79 carries -- the lion's share at the end of the season after Matt Forte was injured and Marion Barber fell out of favor.
Fighting to earn the spot behind Forte and Michael Bush on the Bears depth chart are Armando Allen and Lorenzo Booker. As a rookie out of Notre Dame, Allen was promoted off the practice squad to the Bears' roster late in the year, and carried the ball 15 times for 48 yards. Lovie Smith has been anxious to see more of what Allen can do after impressing during his late season call-up. Booker played for the Minnesota Vikings last two seasons after stints in Miami and Philadelphia. Both have impressed in camp, and Booker returned a kickoff 105 yards for a TD in the Bears' second pre-season game. But he also has a history of coughing up the ball.
As for Bell, he's likely to clear waivers without anybody placing a claim in on him. After he clears, he'll become a free agent, but he'll be hard pressed to find any other teams offering more than he turned down from the Bears. While being asked to take a substantial pay cut surely stings, Bell may done himself more harm than good.
But the situation also raises questions about the NFL's restricted free agency practices. By making a generous tender offer, the Bears scared away potential suitors for Bell. Now, they wanted to reduce his paycheck after limiting his options during the offseason. Did the Bears act in bad faith with their handling of Bell, or did the play of others and potential for payroll additions like a backup punter change the Bears situation?