Thread: Forte considers sitting out exhibition games

Originally Posted by The Benjamin

There is a difference between firings and cuts.... if you are fired, you get paid what you are owed.

Yeah but only because they're coaches and their contracts are guaranteed. Player contracts are not guaranteed beyond one year and even then only a signing bonus is not contingent on making the team. That's why you're seeing many teams getting away from those and substituting roster bonuses.

NFL players can be released in mid contract and get nothing more than what they've been paid to date but you still think that the players should honor their contract 100% even though their team doesn't have to do the same? That's a pretty skewed sense of fairness Benji.

Originally Posted by XaosGorilla

Another thing to be considered is what happens if you don't extend Forte now. Sure, he's a quality person, so he'll go out there and give you that 10-15 mill performance for 550k, but what happens after that? Is he going to come to the table and sit down and negotiate what the franchise thinks is fair market value? Hell no! He's going to give the franchise the right to bid for his services just like everyone else, and if the Bears offer the best deal, then maybe he'll take it. If they only match the best offer, or low ball the bid, Forte goes where the green is tallest. In essence, the Bears can cut him a deal now, without any competition, to keep Forte a Bear for years. Or they can screw around with this, and they will have to let him go to whoever pays the most. Or they will have to put a franchise tag on him and pay him top dollar. The Bears can pay him now, (and maybe get a better deal) or someone will pay top dollar for him later. Who do we have to replace Forte?

One other thought. This is a business, the players, in addition to being athletes, are businessmen. They have a RIGHT to protect their investment, namely themselves.

Well said Fred...er Xaos, LOL.

Originally Posted by The Benjamin

It all depends, each case is different. Players who get say $20M guaranteed, then yeah, cut their ass as soon as they turn into a pumpkin. You paid them a big sum to perform and they aren't, so save money when you can. If they are making small amounts like Forte, then yes, the team should honor their word.

In all actuality Football players always get the short end of the stick. Because of the injury risk of the sport, contracts will never be guaranteed. That is why I think all football player contracts should be one year deals, with signing bonuses for each year. That is essentially what they are anyway right? Teams can cut you first sign of decline and players can bitch and moan about how they are under paid and demand a new deal. I get that.

Does Forte deserve a raise? Sure. But I don't want him sitting out to get it. Makes him look like a whiny little bitch.

My biggest problem with football players and these contracts, is they bitch and complain (for the most part) when teams ask them to take a pay cut because of under performance. But what do they do? Sit out and cry how they are underpaid.

Hypocrites on both sides.

NFL contracts are structured as a series of one year deals, you're right. You can't have a signing bonus paid annually (it's paid upfront and that's why it's a signing bonus, but it's amortized against the cap annually over the life of the contract) but you can have a roster bonus paid annually and as I said that's what many teams are going to in order to protect themselves against a players underperformance or a career ending injury.

If teams can protect themselves that way then players should be able to as well. They do it by not being willing to take a huge risk in their careers playing meaningless preseason games where they may become injured and jeopardize a new contract. That's all Forte is doing. He's in camp practicing everyday and he hasn't even threatened to sit out one regular season game let alone done it. The Bears have promised him an extension so just get the damn thing done and all this becomes moot.

On your last complaint; Brian Dawkins just renegotiated the last two years of his deal with the Broncos. Instead of receiving $6 mil per year over the next two years he gets $2 mil this year only and the deal is done. That's a 66.67% reduction in pay this year and a 100% next year none of which was guaranteed of course but he did get significant money when he signed and felt this was fair for both parties. It may be rare but it does happen.

Originally Posted by The Benjamin

The whole structure sucks. Anyway you word it. The signing bonus is always what the contract is about. Have roster bonuses in the final year or two of the deal so the players don't sit out for a new deal. That should keep them happy til the end of the deal

How about if we have real small signing bonuses in year one and then roster bonuses in year two and thereafter? Look at some of the more recent deals we've done and you'll see that change. That's pretty much how Peppers deal got done. If they want the $$$ then the team has some protection on how it's paid out. That's fair for the player, for the team, and it's cap friendly. No huge unamortized bonus money to rollup if you cut a guy early. It's win/win for all concerned.

When Forte's deal is done look and see if it's not structered somewhat like that too. You're bitchin' about something that's already on it's way out at least as far as the Bears contracts are concerned.

Originally Posted by The Benjamin

Does Forte deserve a raise? Sure. But I don't want him sitting out to get it. Makes him look like a whiny little bitch.

My biggest problem with football players and these contracts, is they bitch and complain (for the most part) when teams ask them to take a pay cut because of under performance. But what do they do? Sit out and cry how they are underpaid.

I can't see it this way as he is grossly underpaid and as was said he's starting in front of 2 guys making more than him. I don't see him sitting out as being "whiny" but preventative. If he goes out and shreds every ligament in his body on a play and is done playing what happens? Chicago goes with back-ups and drafts another young RB for the future and Forte is forgotten in 3 years and has no chance to make money on the field and has to go out with Mike Ditka and the old players tour. The team will be around as will the fans but players become forgotten.

Case in point I had blocked Rashaan Salaam from memory until he just recently sold his Heisman ring.

As far as the under performance thing, I attribute that to ego. Most of these guys have been pumped up and treated special their whole lives and to hear they are not playing up to par well most of them will never see it that way. Rather say well it was a bad game, play, year, blah blah. Point being they always think they will rebound and as a professional athlete I couldn't see why they wouldn't feel that way. I would feel same way if my boss came in here and said you need to take a cut because of performance my first reaction would be to ask why and explain what I have done.

Despite his contract issue it's not Forte who's playing this out in the media day after day either. It's the sportswriters. He brought it up once, said he was satisfied with what he was told, and explained what he might do about it to protect himself until the new deal is done. As far as I'm concerned few guys would have handled it in any classier than he has. I just don't see him as a "I'm only in it for me" kinda guy.