Matt Forte Dynasty Prospects (1 Viewer)

[bigmiiiiike]

I think Forte will have a solid 2009, but what do you guys think of his long term prospects? People should obviously usually be high on good young RBs, but I'm not sold on Forte's talent. Am I the only one? If his talent is mediocre, then isn't it only a matter of time before the Bears find someone else who will at least split time with him (they're already saying they'll be doing this with Kevin Jones, although I think he's still a lock for 300 carries in '09).

Joseph Addai had great success in his first two years, but many FF experts, and several guys on this board had said he was just an average talent in a great situation. Well, we all see how that ends in the long run, as the Colts are bringing in a much more talented RB in Donald Brown. Addai will still get something this year and probably for the rest of his career, but he's far from the top 10 lock he appeared to be, and his talent is to blame. I'm afraid that if Forte doesn't improve this year, that the Bears may bring in someone else to at least split with him, and then the coaching staff will see that this other guy is more talented and Forte could lose out. Thoughts?

 

[az_prof]

I like Forte. He runs with great vision and power and balance. I DO think he will lose some carries this year to Kevin Jones, who is fully recovered from surgery and who is reportedly running well in off season training. But he is not going to drop like Addai has and I think he is a tougher player than Addai. He may catch more passes than last year with Cutler but again, KJ is a great receiver out of backfield and may be used alot in third and long.

 

[pidgeonmanza]

I think that it would help forte if they brought someone else in. He got way to many touches last year, and I think that he will get worn down if he continues at this rate

 

[King of the Jungle]

I think that it would help forte if they brought someone else in. He got way to many touches last year, and I think that he will get worn down if he continues at this rate

KJ is plenty good (when healthy) to be the other guy. I agree with the amount of touches, but do not think it will be as much of an issue this season. Cutler will give the team more ability to move the ball through the air. The opportunities to gain big plays down the field will expand and I think Greg Olson takes big steps forward as well. Forte will not be as relied on as heavily this year.

 

[millertyme1]

JMO Forte's carries & catches will go down quite a bit. Jones is going to play a part in that backfield to help keep Forte fresh.

 

[bigmiiiiike]

Maybe my initial question wasn't clear. I'm wondering if Forte is talented enough to be the man for the Bears for the next several years. Whether he gets 300 carries this year isn't quite my biggest concern. I'm wondering if he has the talent, unlike Joseph Addai, to be the man for the Bears, in whatever capacity they ask him to be.

 

[loose circuits]

use the search function, there i like 9 pages of us discussing this somewhere

 

[massraider]

Maybe my initial question wasn't clear. I'm wondering if Forte is talented enough to be the man for the Bears for the next several years. Whether he gets 300 carries this year isn't quite my biggest concern. I'm wondering if he has the talent, unlike Joseph Addai, to be the man for the Bears, in whatever capacity they ask him to be.

There is a thread started by EBF, all the discussion is there.

 

[Football Jones]

Forte is starting to get his just due, but a lot of people are still leery of him for some reason. I don't know why. Forte is one of those RBs you need to watch to appreciate. His natural God-given running ability is outstanding. I was enthralled the very first time I saw him at Tulane. I remember thinking he reminded me of Calvin Hill at the time. That graceful stride, loose hips, & quick feet did it I guess (he's kinda built like Hill, too).

The fact he's already one the best receiving backs in the NFL, along with being a good blocker, starts to put him in the elite category. This kid is special, IMO.

 

[Knobs]

The EBF thread on this is a good one. I side with EBF and do not believe he's anything special.

 

[switz]

I think Forte will have a solid 2009, but what do you guys think of his long term prospects? People should obviously usually be high on good young RBs, but I'm not sold on Forte's talent. Am I the only one? If his talent is mediocre, then isn't it only a matter of time before the Bears find someone else who will at least split time with him (they're already saying they'll be doing this with Kevin Jones, although I think he's still a lock for 300 carries in '09).

You're smart to not be sold on Forte's talent, because he doesn't have too much of it. He's good as a receiver, not so much as a runner. He's good enough to keep his job, but not a great dynasty prospect IMO.

Joseph Addai had great success in his first two years, but many FF experts, and several guys on this board had said he was just an average talent in a great situation. Well, we all see how that ends in the long run, as the Colts are bringing in a much more talented RB in Donald Brown. Addai will still get something this year and probably for the rest of his career, but he's far from the top 10 lock he appeared to be, and his talent is to blame. I'm afraid that if Forte doesn't improve this year, that the Bears may bring in someone else to at least split with him, and then the coaching staff will see that this other guy is more talented and Forte could lose out. Thoughts?

I disagree with this entire paragraph pretty much. Addai is far more talented than Forte IMO, and I don't think Brown is much of a talent at all.Addai's problem isn't a lack of talent (4.8 YPC over the first 24 games of his career), it's injuries. He simply couldn't stay healthy last season, although even then he averaged 4.5 YPC where there was 0 POA penetration. The OL ha been a large part of Addai's struggles, but his injuries are the reason the Colts drafted Brown. Don't be surprised though if Addai remains the starter through this season and next, until his contract expires.

As for Forte... he's nothing special.

 

[RUSF18]

Link so others won't need to search it out like me:

http://forums.footballguys.com/forum/index...howtopic=459397

 

[Instinctive]

Forte is starting to get his just due, but a lot of people are still leery of him for some reason. I don't know why. Forte is one of those RBs you need to watch to appreciate. His natural God-given running ability is outstanding. I was enthralled the very first time I saw him at Tulane. I remember thinking he reminded me of Calvin Hill at the time. That graceful stride, loose hips, & quick feet did it I guess (he's kinda built like Hill, too).The fact he's already one the best receiving backs in the NFL, along with being a good blocker, starts to put him in the elite category. This kid is special, IMO.

That's because you watched him at Tulane. Did you watch him in the NFL? You know, where he plays now? Because none of his physical tools are elite, his vision isn't elite, and he can't make somehting out of nothing. He's simply an above average guy who gets a massive amount of opportunity.

 

[Football Jones]

Forte is starting to get his just due, but a lot of people are still leery of him for some reason. I don't know why. Forte is one of those RBs you need to watch to appreciate. His natural God-given running ability is outstanding. I was enthralled the very first time I saw him at Tulane. I remember thinking he reminded me of Calvin Hill at the time. That graceful stride, loose hips, & quick feet did it I guess (he's kinda built like Hill, too).The fact he's already one the best receiving backs in the NFL, along with being a good blocker, starts to put him in the elite category. This kid is special, IMO.

That's because you watched him at Tulane. Did you watch him in the NFL? You know, where he plays now? Because none of his physical tools are elite, his vision isn't elite, and he can't make somehting out of nothing. He's simply an above average guy who gets a massive amount of opportunity.

LOL. Yes, I've watched him in the NFL. In short, his tools are without question top-notch. If you don't see what I'm seeing, then you wouldn't understand. You call him above-average, I call him outstanding. Just a difference of opinion.