WT: Bears will put Franchise tag on Forte

[BIGGIEsmalls 23]

The Chicago Bears will use their franchise tag on running back Matt Forte barring a contract breakthrough between now and February, sources have told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

If the Bears apply the franchise tag on Forte, it means he would be paid the average of the top five 2011 running back salaries for the 2012 season.

But making it worse for Forte, even with the megadeals handed out to Minnesota's Adrian Peterson and Tennessee's Chris Johnson, the franchise running back number is projected to drop this coming offseason from last season's $9.45 million to $7.71 million.

After failing to reach an agreement during the preseason, Bears general manager Jerry Angelo said the sides agreed to table the talks until after the season. ESPNChicago.com has reported the Bears' best offer to Forte maxed out at between $13 million to $14 million in guarantees.

Forte said last week the franchise tag would make him feel undervalued.

http://espn.go.com/chicago/nfl/story/_/ ... ources-say

Give Forte a new multi-year contract now, McCaskeys. Discuss.......

[heir_jordan22]

I think it's absolutely crucial that Forte doesn't get the franchise tag. He is playing his heart out this season. If he gets the tag I think he will play more tentatively next year. And anyone who has played organized sports knows that the quickest way to get injured is to play timidly or below full speed.

[emperorjones]

I think this is a really smart negotiating move by the Bears. they can franchise him twice. After that he would be heading into free agency at 29 years old. He definitely won't want that. So waiving that out there will get his camp to come back to the table. My upstanding is that they were asking for crazy money. Whatever it takes to get them talking and get him under a 5 year deal I'm all for it.

Oh, and while we're all saying Forte is so great (and he absolutely is), lets give JA some credit for drafting the guy next time we start blasting his draft record. Lol

[Chris-R]

Oh, and while we're all saying Forte is so great (and he absolutely is), lets give JA some credit for drafting the guy next time we start blasting his draft record. Lol

A broken clock is right twice a day...

[Chewie]

I think this is a really smart negotiating move by the Bears. they can franchise him twice. After that he would be heading into free agency at 29 years old. He definitely won't want that. So waiving that out there will get his camp to come back to the table. My upstanding is that they were asking for crazy money. Whatever it takes to get them talking and get him under a 5 year deal I'm all for it.

It's really Forte taking the risk by not signing a long term deal here. If the money's reasonable, he needs to take pen to paper ASAP.

Oh, and while we're all saying Forte is so great (and he absolutely is), lets give JA some credit for drafting the guy next time we start blasting his draft record. Lol

BAZUIN BAZUIN BAZUIN BAZUIN

Angelo apologist!!

[BIGGIEsmalls 23]

Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte said the organization's plan to apply the franchise tag after the season rather than sign him to the contract extension he had hoped for may guarantee he will remain a Bear through 2013, but it does not leave Forte with a feeling of loyalty from the team.

“I know I'm loyal to my teammates and my team are my guys, but it doesn't seem like the organization is (loyal) to me.”

"I know I'm loyal to my teammates and my team are my guys, but it doesn't seem like the organization is to me," the Bears' running back said Tuesday after practice. "But that doesn't keep me from going out on the field and putting my best out there."

Forte said while it did not make sense to him to apply the franchise tag since the Bears will end up paying him approximately the same as his original asking price, and despite the fact that general manager Jerry Angelo promised him a new contract would be a top priority in training camp, it was not unexpected.

"It wasn't a shock. I knew it was an option," he said. "My agent informed me about that before we started negotiating with them. (But) we were looking to get a deal and the franchise tag is not going to be a solution."

The franchise tag will guarantee Forte's salary for 2012. The Bears then can, and in all likelihood will, apply another franchise tag with a slightly higher one-year salary for 2013.

http://espn.go.com/chicago/nfl/story/_/ ... yalty-team

[WEFFPIM]

This is getting rather needless.

[emperorjones]

BAZUIN BAZUIN BAZUIN BAZUIN

Angelo apologist!!

Bazuin suffered a knee injury and had surgery in his first year. You can find better examples. But as of last year, I'll just say this:

ANGELO’S DRAFTS NEAR MIDDLE OF PLAYOFF PACK

Of the 12 playoff teams from 2010, the Bears ranked ­seventh with 24 drafted players on their roster.

Team Total

Packers 28
Ravens 28
Falcons 27
Steelers 26
Colts 25
Eagles 25
BEARS 24
Patriots 22
Chiefs 22
Jets 21
Saints 21
Seahawks 19

If you take in account that the Bears gave up 2 first round picks (2009 & 2010 that would have been on the roster at the end of 2010) for Cutler- they would have been 4th on the list of playoff teams.

[Chewie]

I refer you to my post in the 'Fire Jerry Angelo' topic further down the list - I don't want to rehash it here but he's been god-awful. I'll stick with my Bazuin example. He was a huge overdraft and showed nothing pre-injury to merit it being selected where he was. I didn't see anyone league-wide caring a lick about him after he rehabbed that knee, either. Garrett Wolfe would be exhibit 1a, though.

Barring a Super Bowl win ( ) at season's end, I want Angelo, Lovie, and esp Martz gone. Angelo's a bad drafter and talent evaluator. Lovie's a bad clock manager and one of the worst red-flag throwers in the biz. And Martz's system had its chance and failed. Give me a system that makes the TE and FB part of the scheme, allows the QB to audible, and protects the QB when an all-out blitz is called.

[emperorjones]

I'm not a fan of keeping JA and my guess is he steps down at the end of the year. I would have no problem with Martz leaving at the end of the year and I'm positive he will be shown the door absent a huge showing by the offense. My guess is that Tice gets bumped up to OC at years end and we go back to a run run run offense.

What's most interesting to me is Lovie. If JA is as bad as he is made out to be at putting talent on the team and the Bears FO is as cheap as it is made out to be at bringing in FA talent, then at 67-52 with 3 NFC North 1st place finishes and a Superbowl appearance- Lovie must be one hell of a coach. That said, I hate our defensive scheme so it would not bother me if he was shown the door, but my guess is he's back next year no matter what.

[WEFFPIM]

Jerry Angelo is too...Jerry Angelo to step down.

[Chewie]

I'm not a fan of keeping JA and my guess is he steps down at the end of the year. I would have no problem with Martz leaving at the end of the year and I'm positive he will be shown the door absent a huge showing by the offense. My guess is that Tice gets bumped up to OC at years end and we go back to a run run run offense.

What's most interesting to me is Lovie. If JA is as bad as he is made out to be at putting talent on the team and the Bears FO is as cheap as it is made out to be at bringing in FA talent, then at 67-52 with 3 NFC North 1st place finishes and a Superbowl appearance- Lovie must be one hell of a coach. That said, I hate our defensive scheme so it would not bother me if he was shown the door, but my guess is he's back next year no matter what.

I don't even care if we become a run run offense. I want to be a "take what the defense gives you" offense.

The 1st place divisional "titles" are all fine and dandy but there's all of 4 teams in our division. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then. Two of those first place finishes came when the rest of the division was just putrid with 17-31 and 18-30 records. And frankly - this is really going to sound really glass half empty - I never thought we belonged in the Superbowl under Lovie. I couldn't even get up for it and I still can't figure out how we got there.

I think the problem is the Bears are really going to have to take a complete nose-dive for radical changes to be made. It's just how things work @ Halas Hall and I get the impression Virginia @ friends loooove Lovie.

[WEFFPIM]

I think Forte should get his money. But after seeing him on Sportscenter and NBC Sports Talk last night, my God does he come off sounding like an ***.

[Chewie]

After seeing Chris Johnson and DeAngelo Williams suck it up this year after getting big contracts, it has to give you pause.

[emperorjones]

Also, if you were JA and you knew that Martz was getting the boot at years end, wouldn't you take that into account? Without Martz's offense, IMO Forte's numbers scale way back. Maybe you go franchise tag in the year without Martz, see what that gets you and negotiate from there?

[Chewie]

Also, if you were JA and you knew that Martz was getting the boot at years end, wouldn't you take that into account? Without Martz's offense, IMO Forte's numbers scale way back. Maybe you go franchise tag in the year without Martz, see what that gets you and negotiate from there?

I suppose if I was JA and I knew Martz was getting the boot, I would've maybe held onto Greg Olsen, too.

Back on topic, I don't blame the Bears for taking this approach w/Forte. They're offering what they think to be market value and Forte's agent is probably holding up the unreasonable contracts of CJ and DeAngelo as comps.

Bears have the tag on their side to figure this out unless Forte decides to hold out. In the meantime, I'd nab a RB fairly high in the next two drafts as an insurance policy. The next Garrett Wolfe is just waiting to hear his name called....

[emperorjones]

I actually think the Olsen thing was everyone being tired of him not blocking. I can't imagine Tice was in favor of keeping him either - and since I think he's our OC in waiting, I bet he signed off on that too.

I heard the Bears offered Forte $15-18m guaranteed and his people want $30m guaranteed. If true, they are nuts.

In any event, we get to roll unused cap this year into next year- which would make it easier to dump a big bonus for him in there. He's nuts if he tries to go another year with no insurance

[Cliff Levingston]

Bears have the tag on their side to figure this out unless Forte decides to hold out. In the meantime, I'd nab a RB fairly high in the next two drafts as an insurance policy. The next Garrett Wolfe is just waiting to hear his name called....

We need another back regardless of whether or not we have Forte long-term. Problem is, what position do you ignore to take what amounts to an insurance policy? We need an infusion of young talent at so many positions on the roster.

Cliff Levingston doesn't blame the Bears for playing a little hardball and they can't cave in to media pressure. Forte definitely deserves and extension, but if they caved in and gave him what he wants, fans calling for a Forte extension would say "why'd you give him so much?" the next year when Forte's numbers come back down a little bit. Be reasonable and fair and use the tag if needed.

[chitownsports4ever]

Also, if you were JA and you knew that Martz was getting the boot at years end, wouldn't you take that into account? Without Martz's offense, IMO Forte's numbers scale way back. Maybe you go franchise tag in the year without Martz, see what that gets you and negotiate from there?

Fortes numbers arent a product of Martz offense he was doing the same thing under Turner his rookie year before the line totally fell apart his second year

[Chewie]

Bears have the tag on their side to figure this out unless Forte decides to hold out. In the meantime, I'd nab a RB fairly high in the next two drafts as an insurance policy. The next Garrett Wolfe is just waiting to hear his name called....

We need another back regardless of whether or not we have Forte long-term. Problem is, what position do you ignore to take what amounts to an insurance policy? We need an infusion of young talent at so many positions on the roster.

Well, like you said we need another back regardless so I guess it's not accurate to call it an insurance policy. It's still a need position in my book.

I can't honestly think of a single position aside from maybe DT that I'd want to ignore in the draft (or free agency). We've got needs aplenty. The Olsen trade got us an extra 3rd rd pick - that's a start I suppose. Now if we just had a GM that had an eye for talent....