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Bears may fortify behind Forte
Bears may fortify behind Forte
By Bob LeGere
The Bears are completely satisfied with Matt Forte as their featured ballcarrier, and their other needs are such that they are unlikely to consider drafting a running back until the middle rounds, if at all.
But that’s not a bad situation to be in this year.
There are very few runners who are locks to go in the first two rounds, but there might be several intriguing, smaller, change-of-pace backs still on the board in the middle rounds. Forte is a do-it-all type who has the ability to run inside and outside and also is a major factor in the passing game.
But NFL running backs are living on borrowed time from the get-go, and it’s always an advantage to have a solid backup on the roster.
The Bears thought when they signed Chester Taylor last year as an unrestricted free agent that they were adding a complementary back who could fill in for Forte with hardly any drop-off in productivity.
They were wrong.
The 31-year-old appeared to age in a hurry. He struggled all season to get in sync and averaged a disappointing 2.4 yards per carry, although he did have marginal value as a short-yardage option.
Taylor’s return is not guaranteed.
If there’s anything lacking from the Bears’ ground game, it’s the big-play dimension, although Forte showed more burst than ever before last season, averaging a career-best 4.5 yards per carry with 9 runs of longer than 20 yards.
The Bears never have found a niche, other than on special teams, for little Garrett Wolfe, who was seen as an undersized, change-of-pace option when he was overdrafted in the third round in 2007.
Kahlil Bell has been unable to get on the field, and he isn’t a home run threat.
But undersized athletes with big-play potential such as Pittsburgh’s Dion Lewis, Oregon State’s Jacquizz Rodgers or West Virginia’s Noel Devine could be available in the middle rounds and provide a nice change of pace to Forte.
Need: 4 (On a scale with 10 representing a dire need and 1 representing no need at all).
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"Bob LeGere" needs to be smacked upside his head. A pun title? really? Thats amateur hour right there.
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BS. We have Taylor, Bell and Unga. The Bears don't need to waste a draft pick for another RB.
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High Fives / Like - 2 BEAR DOWN!, 0 Dislikes
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Originally Posted by
little bear 
BS. We have Taylor, Bell and Unga. The Bears don't need to waste a draft pick for another RB.
agreed seems legere is reaching for material.. and running out of ideas
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Originally Posted by
dabears54 agreed seems legere is reaching for material.. and running out of ideas
Seems like he's reaching for accuracy too. He claims that Bell isn't a "home run threat" yet he went 72 yards with it in his first game against Philly. I don't know that we've seen enough of him yet to know that but sure as hell Taylor isn't one.
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Originally Posted by
soulman Seems like he's reaching for accuracy too. He claims that Bell isn't a "home run threat" yet he went 72 yards with it in his first game against Philly. I don't know that we've seen enough of him yet to know that but sure as hell Taylor isn't one.
and that he never repeated in his next 39 attempts, doesn't tell us he is a home run threat either and may be fluke..as you said the jury is out for BOTH sides on that one..
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Originally Posted by
dabears54 and that he never repeated in his next 39 attempts, doesn't tell us he is a home run threat either and may be fluke..as you said the jury is out for BOTH sides on that one..
Right, no way of telling but Forte isn't a big time "home run hitter" either. He's got the ability to break the big one when he has the blocking but I don't see him as having the top end speed to outrace the pack in pursuit.
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I'm sick of this. Let's start the damn draft already!!!
Arguing on the internet is like winning the special olympics, even if you win your still messed up.
Restore the roar!
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Originally Posted by
short faced bear I'm sick of this. Let's start the damn draft already!!!
Are you in that much of a rush to be disappointed?
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Originally Posted by
soulman Right, no way of telling but Forte isn't a big time "home run hitter" either. He's got the ability to break the big one when he has the blocking but I don't see him as having the top end speed to outrace the pack in pursuit.
Which is why you'd reall like to have that in your "change of pace" RB, and Bell just doesn't seem (hard to say for sure seeing less than 50 carries) to have anything all that special about him.
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