Thread: Angelo: Forte contract talks on hold

Originally Posted by Riczaj01

Bell/Barber cannot replace Forte Blue. The point is Forte is as valualbe to the Bears as Emmitt was to the Cowboys. They needed his abilities like this team did. Dallas tried that same hardline bs w/Smith and started out 0-3 before giving him what he deserves.

And I didn't say he will; merely should if JA is going to play hardball.

I know you didn't say he will. I was just puttin in my 2cents worth based on your premise. If it happened I'd be astonished cuz Forte seems like a real stand-up guy. Peace out.

Didn't we break off communications w/ Urls just before he got his extension?

Originally Posted by Riczaj01

*facepalm*

Forte should pull a Emmitt Smith and sit out every game until he gets his contract. We have no RB able to replace him, and it's going to get ugly real quick w/no RB the other team has to respect on every down.

When Emmitt Smith did it he wasn't risking a $30,000 per day fine. I also wouldn't compare Matt Forte's ethics with Emmitt Smith's either. Sitting out isn't gonna endear him to other teams either. Once a player proves he's willing to go the route of threats it tends to become a habit. Reference our Mr. Briggs.

Maybe it's better to let the season pass and put some time in between the most recent deals and Forte's extension. I would have preferred that they would have gotten it done but as far as the team is concerned Forte can't back off his game one iota this year. He needs to better what he did last season to retain the value he expects to realize in a new deal.

As for Briggs, he's in pretty much the same situation. He couldn't get anyone else to meet his demands last time and he was three years younger so all this comes down to is getting another front loaded deal from another team just like the one he insisted on three years ago. It' pretty easy to see his game now. This whole deal was planned out when he signed the last contract. All this bullshit about taking a pay cut is crap. He knew exactly where he'd be right now and he knew that it was unlikely the Bears would give in to him ergo the trade request. He and Rosenhaus had this little scenario planned all along.

Forte reluctantly resigned to playing out deal


Without extension, running back forced to put game on line at great financial risk


Bears running back Matt Forte. (Jerry Lai / US Presswire photo)

By Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune reporter 6:58 p.m. CDT, September 7, 2011


Matt Forte has been running hard to prove people wrong since he joined the Bears in 2008 as a second-round draft pick.


Now he's three days away from starting the season intent on proving general manager Jerry Angelo wrong as contract negotiations have reached an apparent dead end.
Angelo said July 31 his "intent" was to sign Forte to a long-term extension before the season, but discussions with agent Adisa Bakari were not fruitful and Angelo announced Monday that talks have been tabled to shift the focus to the season ahead — beginning Sunday with the opener against the Falcons. He suggested the Bears will revisit the situation after the season, when they can dangle what could be a pricey franchise tag in front of Forte.

"I don't think he lied about (his intent)," Forte said Wednesday. "We tried to get a deal done. Maybe they have a different view of the type of player that I am than the type of player that (I) think I am.

"(I'm) a little surprised and disappointed it wasn't (done). Coming into the league, you feel like this is supposed to be production-based. When you produce in the offense, you expect the organization to actually notice that compared to other guys. We just couldn't meet in the middle, I guess."

Forte will enter the final season of his rookie contract earning $600,000, and there's far more risk for him, at least early in the season, than there is for the team. Players can secure insurance policies, but they pay out only if injury permanently ends a player's career.

"You can't worry about that," Forte said. "If you play like that, you probably will get injured. I'm playing this year just like I play every year. … But I am human. I am going to be thinking about the contract situation and what happened."

Late in the season, the risk switches to the Bears, who face the possibility of losing the player Falcons coach Mike Smith on Wednesday called their best on offense.

The running back market is tricky. A top wide receiver can shift teams and be paid big like Sidney Rice, who went from the Vikings to the Seahawks. It's not as common for running backs to get new addresses with huge contracts.

DeAngelo Williams reached the open market, and the Panthers brought him back on a five-year, $43 million contract with, of most importance, $21 million guaranteed.Ahmad Bradshaw discovered little interest in his services in free agency and returned to the Giants for $18 million over four years with just $9 million guaranteed. The Titans extended Chris Johnson and the 49ers took care of Frank Gore, but his deal largely was guaranteed against injury only.

Michael Turner went from the Chargers to the Falcons in 2008, receiving a six-year, $34.5 million contract with $15 million guaranteed. His situation was different. As a backup to LaDainian Tomlinson, he had low mileage with only 228 carries in four seasons.

History shows it's harder for running backs to command huge paydays on the open market because teams are concerned about the wear and tear on the back end of their investment. Teams know their own players better and often lock them up early.

The market for running backs hasn't shifted since Tomlinson and Clinton Portis set the bar in 2004 with massive contracts. That complicates matters for any back seeking a deal.

While Angelo shifted the timetable for discussions to the offseason, nothing stops the team and Bakari from striking up talks again. A cooling-off period might be best for both parties. The topic could be revisited in October because Angelo certainly isn't shy about doing contracts in-season. For instance, quarterback Jay Cutler received an extension Oct. 20, 2009.

"I guess it's possible during the season," Forte said. "I'm just focusing on playing and trying not to let it be a distraction, or a huge distraction." Cutler found the silver lining.

"If he has a great year, he's going to get probably more money than he was going to before," Cutler said. "He knows each Sunday we are expecting a lot from him, and he's going to give his best."

For now, that's all Forte can do.

"I've always had a fire underneath me since I came into the league," he said. "This is the last year of my deal. I'll be a free agent. Hopefully if the Bears don't, another team will see the value."

bmbiggs@tribune.com
Twitter @BradBiggs

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Copyright © 2011, Chicago Tribune
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I still don't know why JA is playing such "hardball" over this contract. Beyond Cutler clearly Forte is the heart and soul of this offense. My guess is that where Forte and his agent are looking for something near the Gore deal at a minimum and/or the longer term Jones-Drew deal the Bears are tossing out a deal similar to what Bradshaw got. I underlined that because that's one I hadn't seen before.

All I can say is that we'll have a ton of motivated players this year and those who do succeed will be in line for longer term deal once the season is over. My guess is that somewhere along the line they'll get Forte's deal done even if they end up franchising him for 2012. The money is there and from what I read there's a change in the cap regs this year. Apparently the 2011 cap excess can be carried over to 2012. That's first and at least gives some explanation as to why we're spending carefully.

If this team does have another successful year there will be a lot of guys lining up with their hands out.

If he has another great year, JA will look back on this and regret it.


and in other nfl rb news:

BEREA, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns are "trying like crazy" to extend running back Peyton Hillis' contract, team president Mike Holmgren said Friday.

Mike and Mike in the Morning

Cleveland Browns president Mike Holmgren shares his thoughts on the Saints' decision to run on the final play of the game against the Packers. Plus, Holmgren says his team has realistic expectations for the season.
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Appearing on "Mike & Mike In The Morning" on ESPN Radio, Holmgren said the club wants to wrap up Hillis "for a long time."
The 25-year-old Hillis rushed for 1,177 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, his first with Cleveland after going there in a trade from Denver. A battering ram with the ball, Hillis has become a fan favorite in Cleveland, and last week, he said the city "represents who I am."
Hillis is in the final year of his rookie contract, which will pay him $555,000 this season.
"His year last year, and no one really expected it, if he can duplicate that down the road here for us, we'll have a real sound running game," Holmgren said, adding that contract talks are "an ongoing thing."
Hillis won the fans' vote to be on the cover of Madden 12, the wildly popular video game.
The Browns already have given contract extensions to Pro Bowl tackle Joe Thomas and tight end Evan Moore.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.