Thread: Forte Gets a Slap Down by Chicago Sportswriter............

Forte needs to realize that most teams do not pay you for what you have done, but what you will do. As you said Soul he likely will not reach near 40% of the teams offense again. Hell, he might be lucky to reach 33%. Not being near 50% of a team's offense will not get you as big of a pay day as he wants. Emery, thus far, appears smart enough to know that and seems to be standing firm with what Angelo was thinking in terms of current worth going forward.

He may not like that, and think he deserves to be paid for what he has done as well as what he will do going forward, but not many teams would do that at all.

Originally Posted by MikesNephew

Joe Cowley sounds confused. Is he trying to badmouth or praise? Does he like the Bears or is he a closet packer backer? Was he just making a splash so his article would get some readers? After all, not too many people even receive a fishwrap any more, so you have to get loud enough for someone to bring up your article on line. Forte is one of the good guys. If he tweets, and speaks his mind while he's tweeting, then good for him. Too many guys are afraid to say what they really mean, and then we have to decipher the nonsense that is thrown together by the "journalists" trying to make a splash.

Disagree. I do not think he should have spoken his mind in this fashion. He comes off poorly with his comments. He lost a lot of Bear fan's support with that rant yesterday. Somethings you should just keep to yourself, and the twitter world has made things a lot easier for quick and harsh reactions getting out that if you had time to think things over you would not have said and made public.

If he wants to do shit like that, just tell the public what you want and what you think you deserve. Because right now a lot of fans think he is being selfish and is wanting more than he deserves. Let them know what you are asking for and what you were offered. If you are trying to negotiate in public, show WHY you are being disrespected instead of just saying you are because they signed someone to better the team before giving you what you feel you deserve

Running back Michael Bush

The signing of running back Michael Bush usually would be a cause for celebration, an obvious opportunity for the Bears to trumpet that their roster is better today than yesterday.
Last season, mostly in nine starts, Bush racked up 977 rushing yards and scored eight touchdowns for the Oakland Raiders, filling in admirably when starter Darren McFadden was sidelined with a foot injury. In four NFL seasons, the 2007 fourth-round pick has averaged 4.2 yards and scored 22 touchdowns.
Choosing between the Bears and the Bengals, Bush decided to head to Chicago, signing a four-year contract worth up to $14 million.
The move, though, didn’t sit well with Pro Bowl running back Matt Forte.
In a self-titled Twitter rant, Forte said he felt “disrespected” because he has done everything he has been asked to do. Later, he clarified that he didn’t have any problem with the Bears adding a running back — “I embrace competition as well as help,” he wrote — but with the Bears “not taking care of [your] own and undervaluing a player under his market value.”
Last year, Forte considered not reporting to training camp on time, which would’ve subjected him to a daily fine. But this year, Forte is unsigned, with the Bears’ one-year, $7.74 million franchise tender on the table. He could skip mandatory camps, if he so chooses, although he does have a hard-and-fast deadline to abide by. His power play is to deny the team one of its most important players from last season during this offseason, in training camp and perhaps into the regular season.
But to get credit for the 2012 season, Forte must sign his franchise tender by Week 10, although he’d forfeit the paychecks from any games he misses.
In an interview with the Sun-Times just before the Super Bowl, Forte said how he’ll react to the franchise tag “depends on the motive behind it.”
“If they franchise me so we can work on a deal, then that’s fine,” he said. “But if they do it just to slap the tag on me to keep me around for a year ...”
He didn’t finish the thought, although he noted “everyone wants a long-term deal.”
That’s the murkiness of this showdown: What is fair market value and how does that affect other players in their future negotiations?
The former isn’t clear because neither Forte nor his agent, Adisa Bakari, has indicated what sort of contract terms he’s looking for, specifically guaranteed money. The ceiling is Adrian Peterson’s seven-year deal, which included $36 million in guarantees. The floor, apparently, is the $13 million to $14 million the Bears offered to guarantee last summer, according to ESPN Chicago. Recently, however, running backs Marshawn Lynch ($18 million guaranteed) and Arian Foster ($20.75 million guaranteed) have scored lucrative contracts.
The latter point (a team taking care of its own) is clear.
Forte has more than justified his second-round draft selection and his four-year, $3.7 million rookie contract. He has carried the ball 1,014 times for 4,233 yards, and he has caught 223 passes for 1,985 yards, missing only four games.
But the Bears paid his backups $13.3 million during that same stretch, while only getting 260 carries for 798 yards, an average of 3.06 yards per carry. Chester Taylor signed a four-year, $12 million contract, but he walked away after one season and collected $7 million.
“Since drafting Matt in 2008, the Bears have signed Kevin Jones, Chester Taylor and Marion Barber, all ostensibly to serve as Matt’s backup,” Bakari said in a statement. “To sign yet another running back, prior to completing a contract with Matt, suggests disregard for Matt and his contribution to the Bears.”
Bakari didn’t elaborate any further.
Because Forte is not under contract, the Bears can’t trade him. But, according to a league executive, the Bears could grant Forte and his agent an opportunity to find a suitable trade partner. That, of course, would entitle the Bears to some sort of compensation.
For the most part, players were diplomatic about Bush’s signing and Forte’s situation. But fullback Tyler Clutts forwarded along a Twitter post from a retired NFL player.
“My point on Forte is, the organization continues to say how big a part of their plans [and] he’s the future at RB, then pay him like that,” Cameron Worrell wrote.
Once again, though, the fundamental issue arises. The Bears are willing to pay him, but the question is, how much and would it satisfy Forte.
The drama continues.


I think this gives a more diplomatic view from both sides.

Originally Posted by soulman

Benji there are now three deals out there all arrived at in the last year and all with backs who I would say have had a comparable or better career than Forte as had. An offer with somewhere between $18-$20 mil in guarantees with some of the guarantee coming in the form of salary puts him in line with what DWill, Lynch and Foster got. To me this seems simple. If the Bears are offering significantly less they need to up their offer. If Forte is expecting more then he's over valuing himself.

This is pretty much like slotting draft choices based on what guys drafted just before and after a guy got. It should be as easy as shooting ducks in a barrell if both sides are being realistic. Unfortunately we don't have any idea of exactly where each side has drawn their line.

Those contracts were paid out thinking they would earn the money they were paid, not for what they have done in the past. That is my line of thinking, that the Bears do not want to pay him the big bucks because they do not think he will earn that big bucks guaranteed money.

And we do have an idea, several reports are the Bears were offering 13-14M. And didn't Forte mention a back or two that he thought he should earn as much as? Pretty sure I heard both of those confirmed at one time or another