Thread: The Official Matt Forte Thread, Pay Him or Trade Him

Originally Posted by soulman

Fine Benji but that offer was made in September and even then based on what DWill and others had just signed for it was a lowball offer. If you or 4Da want to take the position that it was fair that's your opinion and I can understand that but once it became obvious Forte was grossly outplaying it why didn't Angelo bump his offer???

Well, here's the thing, how do we know he didn't? Agent's for these guys are not exactly pure as the wind driven snow either and hardball negotiations can, and usually are, played both ways.

There was no time during the season when he couldn't have called Forte's agent and told him he was willing to bump it up and ask him to meet with him to discuss some new figures. Angelo was playing the franchise tag as his trump card all along. Now Emery comes along and realizes two things. 1) He's every bit as good an all around back as there is in the NFL and 2) That franchise tag will hurt our cap situation every bit as much as his playing under it. If we want to maximize our cap situation then franchising him isn't the best way to go about it.

No Argument there.

And next time you want to disagree would you at least take the time to offer your own opinion like I do and not just copy someone elses. That's a pretty cheap way out brother.

Like I said above, I am no Angelo apologist, fan or anything of the sort. I am as glad he is gone as everyone else, so please do not think that my opinions expressed above are the result of some deep inner emotional tie to Jerry Angelo.

My point is this. I am a fan of the Chicago Bears and their players, as long as they are Chicago Bears. Occasionally, special players come along that fans will become enamored with and the fandome of individual players can follow them to other teams, but that is rare. Like anyone, I would like the players that play for our team to be treated fairly and equitably. That's only human nature. However, if excessive compensation for a few hinders the TEAMS ability to be successful by limiting the assets to go out and get other players, then I get a little worried. I have nothing against Matt Forte whatsoever, and I applaud him for all that he has meant to this team. I would like him to remain a Bear because he is a very good player, but I would not want Angelo or Emery to spend so much on a position that can be "reasonably" replaced when that money could be the difference between us getting or missing players that can put us over the top.

That's my whole thing. As I said above, Matt had put together three pretty solid to good years prior to 2011 and AT THE TIME THE OFFER WAS MADE, I think it was fair. That's my opinion. Opinions, by definition are neither right nor wrong, only the facts used to develop those opinions can be judged right or wrong. If there are those that feel Matt was being lowballed, I respect that. However, he bet on himself and he won and I say good for him. The man WILL be paid, and paid well. I just don't understand why people get so upset about how many millions their team pays individual players.