A lot can change for the Chicago Bears when it comes to building up the roster this offseason, even with limitations regarding cap space. And there’s trade speculation regarding a few star players around the NFL, including Miami Dolphins star running back De’Von Achane.
Achane, 24, is eligible to receive a contract extension this summer and has not been present for the Dolphins’ offseason workout program.
“Those are talks for another time between Achane, Sully (Dolphins GM Jon-Eric Sullivan) and those guys,” Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley said. “I’m not going to dive into those talks right now. That’s part of the business, it’s part of what every team goes through in those situations, and they’ll work it out.”
Now, Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald has provided several tidbits on the trade rumors surrounding Achane.
Bears Receive Trade News Tidbit on Dolphins RB De’Von Achane
GettyDe’Von Achane #28 of the Miami Dolphins is pursued by Sauce Gardner #1 of the New York Jets.
First, Kelly noted that De’von Achane is not expected to accept anything less than $11.5 million per year, which is what RB James Cook signed for with the Buffalo Bills.
“Buffalo’s James Cook, a tailback that’s comparable to Achane in style and production, received the most recent lucrative extension for a tailback, landing a five-year deal that’s slated to pay him $51.6 million, and featured $30 million in guaranteed money,” Kelly said. “Achane likely won’t accept a dollar less, with the goal of becoming the 12th tailback who makes at least $11 million a season.”
A deal above that $11.5 million mark would make him one of the NFL’s top 10 highest-paid running backs.
The Bears, sitting dead last in the NFL in available cap space with just around $200k, would have to make some cuts or restructures to make a trade for Achane work.
Kelly Adds More on the Achane Situation
There’s more to the situation surrounding De’Von Achane, and Kelly maps out the timeline of what could happen.
“One, Achane is too valuable of a player. He’s pretty much, you know what you’re gonna have to pay him. That’s basically five years $50 million with $30 million guaranteed. Question is, can you get a deal done and if you don’t get a deal done before the draft, are you gonna need to move him, and move him for what. Understand Achane’s leverage disappears once the draft is completed and other teams have their new young fresh back that they can inject hope into.
So that means he’s gonna have to wait on the Dolphins to decide if they wanna compensate him. … Achane doesn’t want that. Achane wants the $30 million in guaranteed money. And if you don’t give it to him in the next two weeks, I’m pretty sure you’ll have a disgruntled player on your hands.”
That essentially means if the Bears want to trade for Achane, they have until the draft to make something happen. Because if not, the Dolphins will likely lose leverage and have to either give Achane the extension he’s looking for, or Achane might choose to sit out during the season.
Is this a move the Bears should make? They have two very capable backs in D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai. But Achane is on a different level than both backs and would provide Chicago with more firepower in the backfield.
Something to monitor as the draft inches closer.
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