ESPN Conversation

CHARLES42922

Forte was good coming out of the back field ,But with the wideout's The Bears have now ,not so much, I don;t think The Bear will miss him ,This year
315 Days ago

j_s_grey

does no one remember the huge contract we gave to tommie harris, an often injured player who was, when healthy, the best 3 technique in the league, well he hadn't had so many injuries when we extended him to make him happy. we got burned bad! and everybody was talking about how lovie coddled his favorite players too much here's the same situation on the offensive side of the ball. our best player at a position (although not the best in the league like harris, arguably, was; see lack of short yardage production and touchdowns) the bears are smart to work this deal the way they have. would I like to see forte stay a bear till he can't get it done anymore... heck yea but do I want to see the bears lay out 10mill in guarantees to make that happen when they have several key players (including cutler) who will need extensions in the next two years... in short no forte thinks he deserves top 5 back money and he should do what he can to try to get it but 8-9 mill in guarantees should make him happy in the end which, by all accounts, would land him squarely in the top ten highest paid backs in the league, which is right where he belongs
318 Days ago

ajb8765

Has there ever been a time when you haven't sided with a player regardless of the issue? Has a team's stance ever been fair? Continually propping up the players point of view is a bit dubious in this day and age.
318 Days ago

Cantstopbelievin

You know I didn't know that we can "access NFL players" I mean we can certainly assess them but accessing would be a bit difficult. For F***'s sake Scoop you are a writer, grammar is supposed to be your craft. I'm so disappointed with the world I may have to re-access my life.
319 Days ago

jjprender

Agreed 100%...just giving into Forte makes no sense..any employer (not just NFL owners) will pay enough to keep people around, not make them happy in order to control costs and keep a business working.. The franchise tag is part of how this particular industry has been set up so abide by it and still make some good cash...or go into sales or whatever your degree is in and make $50,000 a year...
328 Days ago

JoeSantoro1958

The Bears are absolutely doing the right thing by not simply giving Forte what he wants. He's a good back. He's not great. He can be replaced fairly easily. Heck, Michael Bush is as good as he is and he's already on the roster. Running backs only have 3-5 good years and Forte is already past that. And, plus, he's already gotten hurt so his years of getting hurt have already started. Why should the Bears dump tons of money on him?
332 Days ago

chgogrfx

All NFL players like other professional athletes are way overpaid. It is obnoxious to whine about millions of dollars with so many people stressed about jobs and living conditions, not knowing how to pay bills or put food on their table. Matt Forte is being offered a VERY generous amount to play a game. A game I have played my entire life for FREE. He doesn't have to accept that contract offer if he doesn't want to, but he shouldn't ever even for one nano second complain about the offer or how he feels like he is under appreciated. Appreciation doesn't always come in the form of monetary compensation. When I do a good job at work and outperform my expectations, no one comes around with contract offers for millions of dollars. What really gets me is when Matt Forte and other athletes act if the Franchise Tag is something evil. The Franchise Tag guarantees them an average of the top 5 salaries at their position--and while I really thin Matt Forte is a gifted athlete, I don' think he should make a penny more than the average of the top 5 salaries at his position. Getting "franchised" is NOT an insult and I find it offensive that anyone should ever make this claim. Matt wants guaranteed money to provide for his security. I can understand that given the fact that NFL contracts are not guaranteed. But Matt plays a position where giving long-term guaranteed money is not a wise business investment. As smart as it is for Matt to demand more guaranteed money, it is equally smart for the Bears to refuse to guarantee a long-term financial package with a player who might not be able to play out the entire term of the contract--at least not at peak performance. Matt--look at what the other guys are getting and use these numbers as a base to make your contract demands, but don't make this number the only number you will accept. That is wrong and it is going to hurt you in the long-run.
339 Days ago

dagalo1

In this league, running backs are not valued the same as WRs or QBs. This is a passing league, Forte is a good receiver for a RB, but he will be less of an impact with good WRs on the team. He can't stuff the ball in short yardage, they have had to hire someone else to do that for the last 3 years, he doesn't deserve elite RB money.
342 Days ago

basketbalz

These type of negotiations are why I am tiring of football. The organization makes tons of money and they want to pay the second best player on a team a small amount in comparison to value, with only a small amount actually guaranteed. What a joke. Brees for example means everything to that city, led them to a Super Bowl, and is great in the community, and they want to haggle?! Come on pay the dude!!! I get discretion(Hayensworth), but pay people that produce and aren't headaches. jeesh!
343 Days ago

wilsj67

The GM can only spend the money the OWNERS allow him to spend. The Bears hate to pay running backs and when they do get a good one (example: Jones) they screw them and let them go. I love how Forte plays for the Bears but as much as I love the Bears and would hate to see Forte in another teams colors....If I was him I would just leave while I can get the money you want from somewhere else
345 Days ago

ajb8765

You have the Jones scenario somewhat wrong. Ask Jones, Angelo did him a solid that last year and gave him what he wanted afterwards. Jones walked away content in how the Bears handled his wishes.
318 Days ago

childs0001

The bears are really greedy when it comes to paying players thier due. If he did hold out the whole season atleast he will be healthy and not have one more year of wear and tear on his body. Running backs have 3 to 5 years and then thier done. 3-5 years to get your money that will probably be your source of income for a loooong time (unless he finds another career after his football days). So I def think Forte should get as much as he can NOW.
326 Days ago

scow79

And how do you propose he leaves when he has the franchise tag thrown on him? Hold out for the year and forfeit 7.7M dollars, all while getting a year older? It's going to take a few guys doing this in order to change the way teams operate in these situations and I just don't see it happening anytime soon. Forte has no leverage and the Bears know it.
345 Days ago

Cueil

I love Forte... and I think he should get paid, but this is the NFC North man no one has a running game that is relevant even Forte's most dangerous attribute is his ability to catch the ball and turn 3 yards into 30. As for Payton... I think Forte is the most complete back in the NFL and the only one capable of having a 1000/1000 season, but he's looking at making at least 16.5 million over the next two years... that's not chump change you can live off that for a long time if you don't act like Briggs
345 Days ago

mwyatt787

yeah 16.5 million guaranteed, as long as he doesnt sustain a major knee or lower body injury that will effect his running ability. He should then get a 3-4 15-20 million dollar contract after the two tags. still a solid amount of money.
344 Days ago

Dasradioistkaput

You know, he is not the next Walter Payton, but he might be the next Curtis Martin? He was at least on the ballot for the HOF.
345 Days ago

makos96

Ridiculous analogy. Chefs don't quickly degrade in skills as they age. Chefs also don't normally suffer season ending injuries. What a simple minded grasp of the NFL.
346 Days ago

ajb8765

On the face of it the analogy doesn't work. As a chef I resent seeing my brethren being compared to a professional athlete. I like to think we are far more responsible members of society. We rely primarily on skills we develope, not talent we are born with.
318 Days ago

scow79

Yes. Chefs also don't make guys miss in the backfield or catch passes in the flat for 40 yard gains. In fact, I'd say chefs are nothing like NFL runningbacks. Oh yeah, except for the fact that they both would like to get paid for exceeding expectations. What a simple minded grasp of this analogy.
345 Days ago

Gregb3777

What a great article Scoop! Thank you for shedding some light on this. It's all about respect and that what's some people fail to realize. They have worked hard and dedicated themselves with the mindset that they would be rewarded for their loyalty, their sacrifice. They both (go Ravens!) should stand strong in their beliefs on what is fair and what is just! Good job Scoop!
346 Days ago

ajb8765

Respect? The Bears have treated Forte very well since he has come into the NFL. Worked hard? This argument always amazes me. 99.9% of humans could work just as hard as any football player but come up short because they weren't born with the same talent. Let's face it, he isn't getting paid because he or any other player is a tireless worker, their getting payed because they have rare talents. He has been loyal? Where is the loyalty in holding out when a team is offering you a contract that puts you in the top five at your position for a year? The Bears are being smart and Forte and his representatives resent that they dare to think of the welfare of the franchise they are charged with operating. One thing Forte is in denial about is how running backs are valued in the league presently. The shelf life of a running back in this league is all too predictably short, a situation that makes that player worth less and finds the team in a position of greater risk when entering into a contract. I think he is ignoring this because it doesn't help his cause.
318 Days ago

UndaCuva Brutha

good article.
346 Days ago