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I don't see Forte being undervalued. He's much more durable than DMC and will maintain RB1 status regardless. But Bush's value as a handcuff is no less than it was in Oakland. It's going to be a dynamic running game in Chicago next year. Everyone will want a piece of that.
Bears fans are starting to tire Forte's whining. He plays the part of the good soldier, but then complains about it to anyone who will listen. I mean really. Disrespected? Seriously? I wish someone would disrespect me by offering me $14 or $15 million guarenteed. Disrespected for signing a quality backup? Did Jay Cutler go pissing and moaning on twitter when they added Jason Campbell? No. Did Devin Hester complain when they added Weems? Did Earl Bennet wimper on twitter when the Bears added Marshall? No.
I concur.
oft-injured? say again? He broke his finger one year and DMC went off and once he did he was relegated to b/u duty. Other than that, he's been very durable.
they brought in chester taylor for $12.5 million dealthey brought in barber for 5 Million
I suppose the players caved too quickly during the lockout because I'm not sure how they are benefiting from the new rules??? Maybe that is to come in the following years which is why I believe some of the deals recently signed are for 1-2 years when they could have signed longer.
Bears offered 15 million guaranteed last season. Arian Foster just signed for 21 million guaranteed, Lynch got 18. I don't think that's too insulting for Forte...This could get ugly though. Is Forte the guy that holds out to the opener, and pulls a hammy week 1?
They have since offered Forte more money - he keeps turning it down, then complaining. I really love it when guys sign a decent contract as rookies, then complain when they're still playing under it a few years later. If he would have gotten hurt or been lousy, would he have refunded the money? Of course not. The Bears brought in Taylor and Barber to back him up - at the makret price at the time. They have offered Forte significantly more money than any of the 3 since - and he continually has turned it down then whined to the press, on twitter, etc. (ala Lance Briggs last year).He has already been franchised for this season (meaning a decent amount, as already stated).
Forte's worth $27M gtd, and they should be locking him up for 5 years. That's fair. And I'll add that the Bush signing was a good deal for the Bears. They got him for market value, and didn't pay the tier one free agent surcharge. The $7.8M gtd he got was ironically what he would have been franchised at if he stayed. Solid signing. The Raiders will miss him, but will move on. Two good backs in Chicago is certainly a luxury.
no, I meant marcel Reese. I like that Taiwan Jones is fast as hell, and quick, I just don't know if he can stay healthy. Go watch Reese. For how big he is, heck of an athlete.
So he's worth more than Arian Foster?
This has nothing to do with their QB situation.
In my opinion, yes. And I like Foster. He's no scrub. But I can't dismiss he's a UDFA that made good behind an incredibly talented OL. Foster turned out to be upper echelon, no doubt. But Forte is very special. Does it all, and doesn't wear down like many others. Great hands, catches a ton of balls. Young too. I'd do that deal and lock him up long term if I was the Bears GM. Weapon/
LOL, no he hasn't.........
He should have taken his millions when he had the chance. Now he's butt hurt......again. Get over yourself Forte, you're not that important to your team or the NFL anymore. The Titans got taken last year by Johnson.
Really not making a good impression on people, Matt. I understand he's been underpaid in his career but he's getting $7.7M this year, which is not exactly chump change.
I could actually see this but it woulda been easier to imagine if they were listed in the same directions.
Agreed. I think the problem is the Bears are stuck in between method 1 and 2. Cutler is a borderline franchise QB while Forte has arguably been their best WR, in addition to being their best RB. So they don't have a great passing game. And they don't have a top 10 defense. But they did rank top 10 in rushing and kicking FGs. So where do you invest the money if you are the Bears? You can reward Forte by paying him more and it seems like the logical thing to do, but there are so many other holes to fill. So far they are on the right track with adding Bush and B.Marshall (assuming he doesn't get suspended again). As much as I like Forte, I think the Bears should continue to offer him a contract that doesn't break the bank and continue to add quality free agents.
In todays NFL you can`t build a team around one RB. Forte is already tagged so he will be a top paid RB for this coming season.From the Chicago Sun Times: “Just Keeping it real ... hate it or love it,’’ Forte tweeted later in the day.
1. His high percentage of involvement only shows the lack of playmakers the Bears had on the team. Now that they are revamping and added Marshall do you think his percentage will stay as high?2. ADP and CJ2K got what the market value was at the time they signed. Its interesting that when some people complain how much athletes earn, others reply that threy earn only what the market value is. Now that the market value has dropped, do people still think they should be paid as much? 3. I don't think the Bears are being cheap (for once), but are being prudent and not trying to overpay. I think they are wisely looking ahead and trying to avoid cap hits down the road on players that are marginal.'Raiderfan32904 said:
Sorry, but this is a fail. Foster is better in every facet of the game and the Houston o-line is not actually uber talented. They are a rag tag bunch aside from Brown who was considered a second rounder that we reached for. That being said, Forte has earned more than 15M gtd. Now that bring said, given the shelf life of RBs and their move to acquire Marshall, I think Chicago would be better off investing in the o-line and moving on rather than giving Forte a 5 year deal.'Raiderfan32904 said:
Foster isn't better in every facet, though I'll admit it's close. Forte is an excellent receiver out the backfield and is very durable if not more than Foster. He's earned his keep. The $7.8M he'll earn once he signs his tender isn't chump change, but he's not received anything close to $15M in his career. He's only 26 and a five year deal for him isn't out of order for what he's produced and what he can produce going forward. And that Houston OL isn't a rag-tag bunch. The right side of that line just got raided in free agency; so that tells you what the league thinks of them. The fact that Forte has as much success as he did behind that Chicago OL speaks volumes. Bears fans seriously underappreciate Forte.
This, plus you get insurance on Forte holding out. This actually makes a holdout less likely as he knows it will have no affect and will only make him look worse to other teams if he ever gains free agency in the future.
Wonderful but if you get Cutler hurt the whole point is moot. If the line can't open up holes, the whole point is moot. We know it all starts up front, and the Bears have serious talent deficiencies, not to mention lack of depth. There were quality guards out there in FA that we havent heard the Bears even sniffing at (granted their biggest deficiencies are at the tackle). Sure, Tice has put a reasonable rushing product on the field in the Martz framework using snot and duct tape, but that isn't exactly the kind of approach that puts you in the elite of the NFL as far as I can tell. Bears are going to draft a tackle reasonable high and hope for the best. How many tackles have they drafted in the past 10 years and how many are still playing the position? If we see Webb trotted out there game 1, we have our answer. If the next best solution is an untested rookie...I don't get this argument- we all agree its a passing league and you cant invest in one big RB... so lets dump a fortune into 2 running backs?
No it wont. NFL front offices understand the business side of everything.He played last year without an extension... played wonderfully... and then got hurt.He needs and wants an extension, he has played terrifically and is deserving of some assurances as such.
But rbs at his age cannot afford to sit out a yr.
Correct, he may be getting bent over the barrel. He would just play the last 6 games (or whatever) to qualify.He should have sat last year when he was only getting 550,000 and got those assurances.But he showed a ton of loyalty, its now time for the Bears to reciprocate.
You are forgetting that this entire time he has had an offer rumored to be somewhere in the neighborhood of $13-$14 million in guaranteed money that he refuses to sign. He wants "Foster/CJ" money...he's good, but not that good. And just becuase the Seahawks are dumb enough to pay big $ to an RB that has had 1 good season in 4, doesn't mean the Bears should follow suit. No offense, but I don't want the Bears to become anymore like the Seahawks.The Bears will likely bump they're offer up to the $15-$17 million range - but if Forte continues his whining and refuses to sign that, then it's his fault, not the Bears.You are right about one thing - he should have pushed harder last year when he was making 550k - but trying to do so this year, when he will make $7.8 million would be dumb and won't win him any sympathy from fans or the press. The fact that he made a bad decision last year, should not force the Bears to make a bad decision this year though. And if living with a bad decision is making $7.8 million for this season, there are a number of RBs that could live with that.
Im not forgetting at all.... That's why I sad he "may". But Im going off of his statements and what other players statements have been thus far, as a starting point.
Rules.'Da Guru said:'TwinTurbo said:
It’s easy to see why the do-everything running back feels that way, especially considering he has made $3.7 million since his rookie year and is set to make $7.74 million this season with the franchise tag.
But here’s a little reminder to Forte. He wants to be treated like an elite back, but he’s more gimmick than go-to. In two of his four seasons, he wasn’t even a 1,000-yard back. He has averaged just over seven touchdowns a season, and that includes all the dump passes and screens he has gotten over the years.
When you think grind it out at the end of a game, you don’t exactly think Forte.
He’s no Adrian Peterson; he’s not Chris Johnson.
He’s just a versatile back who has taken advantage of an offense lacking a real receiver that has had to turn to him out of the backfield.
Now the Bears have a real receiver. And to Emery’s credit, they also have a real backup running back in Bush, a back they could’ve used last season when Forte couldn’t finish.
This isn’t a shut-up-and-play moment for Forte. It’s more of a shut-up-and-prove-you-deserve-elite-running-back-money moment.
Not loving it or hating it, Matt. Just keeping it real.
You're not looking at this the way you need to. To you & me, the money Forte has been offered is huge. But, I'm a teacher (making >$45,000), and I look at my BIL, who is a lawyer, and I want to punch him in the face when I hear him complain that his 6-figure salary is unfair compensation. The fact is, though, that for his job position, in his field, and the number of years he has worked there, he IS underpaid.Another key difference is that you, I, my BIL, we can all shop our skills/services around to the highest bidder. Forte can't. The Bears have paid his back-ups large salaries, while paying him peanuts. He has not held out, which is a legitimate option pursued by NFL players under the CBA. In short, he has honored his contract, while out-performing it. They, in turn, have not given him a (in his view) fair contract. Sure, he is guaranteed $7M with the franchise tag, but in the last year, Foster, Johnson, and Williams all got more than $20M guaranteed. When your career is short, and could end at any moment (as NFL RBs' are, and could), playing on a 1 year deal, with "only" $7M guaranteed, when you could/should have another $13M guaranteed isn't a good option.If the Bears respected what Forte has done (both on the field, and by honoring his contract), they'd work out a deal with him, that is fair to both sides.
