Bears cutting NT Eddie Goldman

As expected, the Bears are releasing nose tackle Eddie Goldman, a source confirmed Friday.

While it removes yet another remnant of the team’s NFC North-winning 2018 team, the move was obvious. New head coach Matt Eberflus is changing the Bears to a 4-3 scheme, and Goldman fits best as a run-plugging nose tackle in a 3-4. Goldman is coming off a disappointing season, too.

A second-round pick out of Florida State in 2015, Goldman signed a four-year, $42 million extension in 2018. He sat out the 2020 season because of coronavirus concerns. He returned for the 2021 season, didn’t get vaccinated and went on the league’s reserve/COVID-19 list twice.

Nose tackles are notoriously hard to grade with statistics, but Goldman wasn’t the run-stuffing force he’d been earlier in his career. As late as mid-November, his position coach was talking about Goldman finally getting his legs underneath him. In 14 games, he made 22 tackles and recorded a half-sack.

The move creates $6.6 million in salary cap room for 2022, though the Bears will have to pay $5.15 million in dead cap charges.

The Bears will look to spend their considerable cap space — but with an eye on 2023 and beyond — when the NFL’s legal tampering period opens Monday.