Thread: Angelo: Forte contract talks on hold

name the backs that can replace him. You won't get much past 8.
He's proven durable, and capable of running behind a shit OL, when everyone knows we cannot pass the ball.
And I guarantee he's asking for somthing closer to Gore/D WILL money then CJ..and he is far better then GORE(always hurt) and D WILL.

Originally Posted by 4th and 26

Something tells me Forte is asking for too much money. He is not an elite runningback and he does not deserve money like Chris Johnson. I think he is a hell of a player but I also think he can be replaced with a bunch of backs in the NFL. If you have a good line you don't need a Barry Sanders like runningback.

I've been saying all along that I believe the stumbling block will come down to the amout of guaranteed $$$. Forte knows he's not gonna get anywhere near what CJ or DWill got in that regard but I think the Bears are thinking more around $10 which is close to what Ahmad Bradshaw got for his $18 mil four year deal and my guess is Forte is looking to something in the neighborhood of $15 mil guaranteed like Gore got on his $21 mil three year deal.

Nothing much is being said in public but Forte has been quoted as saying that the Bears opinion of his worth to them doesn't agree with his own and they don't seem willing to meet him halfway. Bradshaw got $9 mil certain and DWill $21 mil certain. I'm betting Forte as his guy are trying to negotiated it up towards DWill's deal while the Bears are only willing to slightly better Bradshaw's. I'm guessing the Bears are sitting somewhere around $20-$22 mil over 4 years with 50% guaranteed while Forte and his guy are looking for something closer to $28-$30 mil over four years with 50% guaranteed.

That's where it may be right now. I think it was either a Biggs or a Haugh article a few days ago the suggested that the Bears weren't close to a $14-$15 mil guaranteed since if they were Forte would be a fool not to take it. I'd agree with that.

He may not be among the very elite RB's in the NFL but he's certainly a top 10 back in my book. How many other backs in the league can put both the running game and the passing game on their backs and carry their teams offense the way Forte has at times? It's been a very long time since we've had as effective a weapon in the backfield as him and I don't think he'd be all that easily replaced. The Packers drafted his clone, James Starks, not us.

No extension, no regrets for Bears’ Matt Forte
By Sean Jensen sjensen@suntimes.com September 7, 2011 11:42PM
Green Bay Packers' Clay Matthews (52) tries to tackle Chicago Bears' Matt Forte (22) during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Jan. 2, 2011, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)


Updated: September 8, 2011 2:14AM



The disappointment is palpable. Bears running back Matt Forte will make $600,000, the league minimum for a veteran with his experience, this season.

The frustration is understandable. Forte hasn’t missed an NFL game, and he clearly has outperformed his initial four-year, $3.7 million contract.

But Forte isn’t going to change his approach with the regular-season opener coming up Sunday at Soldier Field.

“No regrets,’’ Forte said. ‘‘I handled it like I always do. I’m a professional. This is the National Football League, and that’s what I was going to do. Be professional about it, which is come to camp, work hard every day, play in the preseason and get ready for the season. That’s what I’ve done.”

Ultimately, despite both sides wanting to work out an extension, the deal was like a hot potato. Working off his rookie deal, Forte is the one holding the potato, with millions lost if he gets injured or has a disappointing season. If the Bears convince Forte to sign a contract, then the team bears the burden and assumes many of the risks.

That can’t be overlooked at the position, and that’s why running backs rarely land lucrative, long-term contracts.
Forte wouldn’t get into specifics, but the Bears’ offer was between $13 million and $14 million in guarantees.

According to a league source, the franchise tag for running backs is projected to be $9.5 million in 2012 if the salary cap is $120 million. So the Bears can lock up Forte through 2012 by spending about $10.1 million.

“Coming into the league, you feel like this is supposed to be production-based, and when you produce in the offense, you expect the team or the organization to actually notice that compared to other guys,” Forte said. “We just couldn’t meet in the middle.”

Forte downplayed the possibility of injury, but he did admit some concern.

“I’m playing this year just like I play every year,’’ Forte said. ‘‘I’m going into the season with no regrets about what I’ve done, no worries about injuries. But I am human. I am going to be thinking about the contract situation and all that stuff. I already have been. I just have to start playing football.”

General manager Jerry Angelo told the Bears’ website that the team is not closing the door on extension talks with Forte, which is the way the running back is proceeding. “He’s the one we talk to, so the door’s always open on my end,” Forte said. Angelo expressed optimism that a deal could get completed during the preseason, but Forte doesn’t harbor any resentment toward Angelo.

“I don’t think he lied; we tried to get a deal done,” Forte said. “It was just, maybe they have a different view of the type of player I am than the type of player that they think I am.”

Coach Lovie Smith said Wednesday that Forte hasn’t changed since the Bears drafted him in the second round of the 2008 draft. “He is a professional,” Smith said. “That’s how he’s been since Day 1 when he walked into the building. But if there’s something going on on the outside, it’s on the outside. “He hasn’t brought it in at all.”

Just one more piece mostly covering the same ground. If the Bears are willing to offer his a $28 mil deal over 4 years with $14 mil guaranteed I'd jump on it if I were him. Because he hasn't it's hard to say what he's expecting but that's pretty close to where it should be.

He and his agent also need to look at it from the Bears perspective. They can spend an average of about $5 mil per year on him over the next two years which is most likely less than a long term deal offers and they're not on the hook for more if he gets injured next season of his production declines. The Bears can also be sure of getting max effort out of him since he would still need to make himself attractive to other teams as a free agent.

I would like the Bears to be fair with him but as it stands they hold all the cards right now. He's righy when he states that a resolution will be more expensive after this season but with that franchise card to play at least the Bears will know exactly how expensive.