Welcome to the world of being unpopular with it’s newest member Chicago Bear Jew. I am going to take the side of Jerry Angelo for a change. Many fans are all over Angelo for the contract issues with Matt Forte, but Angelo isn’t to blame for this situation. If you would like to blame anyone, blame the NFL Player’s Association. And I know, I have called for the Chicago Bears to pay Forte recently. But stepping back and looking at this situation more realistically, it’s not something that the team has to do and Forte will be compensated well and the Bears will keep him for at least two more seasons.
As part of it’s collective bargaining agreement in 1992, the NFL Player’s Association agreed to give players a chance a free agency in exchange for a team being able to designate a franchise (or exclusive) and transitional (or non-exclusive) player. In the case of a franchise player, the team is required to pay a player the average of the top five highest payed players at his position. For a transitional player, the player is allowed to negotiate with other teams. The original team can match the offer or receive two first-round picks as compensation for the player. Teams can use this for two seasons.
All reports indicate that the Chicago Bears are going to place the franchise tag on Forte. This will earn Forte approximately $7.1 million in guaranteed salary. This is quite a raise from his current contract of $500,000. Forte isn’t satisfied with this deal. He wants long-term security and the Chicago Bears and Forte are having difficulty coming to a contract. That being the case, the Chicago Bears are left with the option of placing a tag on Forte. It may suck for Forte, but he should go after the Player’s Association and not the Chicago Bears. If Forte is really that unhappy, he can hold-out or retire. In the latest collective bargaining agreement, Forte will be fined around $30,000 per day of a hold-out. Again, this wasn’t some conspiracy against Forte.
As a person that regularly plays poker, I know that I need to hold a winning hand in order to win. Or even more realistically, create the image to others at the table that I am holding a better hand. In the case of Forte, he’s the short stack at the table with a bad hand. He can try to milk the pot or hang around, but the Bears are the big-stack and holding pocket aces. Can’t blame the Bears for this one…it is the way the game is played.
I’ve heard many fans suggest that this whole process may anger Forte. If he’s going to be that type of guy, do you really want him on the Chicago Bears? Seriously, he’s going to make more money in one-season than approximately 99 percent of us will ever see in our lifetime to work a lot less than the rest of us. I understand the physical risks of football, but ask soldiers on the front-line of war if they’re not risking things too. And they get paid a HELL of a lot less than Forte. All things considered, he’s going to be a rich man. I am sure Forte will play well and hard because he’s that type of player, but to suggest that being paid in the top five running backs in football is going to upset him really isn’t something I am worried about being a catalyst to a new and lazy Forte emerging. He’s using the media to drum up support and it’s working. But the Bears aren’t listening and it’s certainly their right.
I am sure I will hear from many of you. I am prepared…Follow me on Twitter at ChicagoBearJew.
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One thing about that CBA agreement. He can hold out and cost himself $30K/day. The only thing is he has to report to camp 30 days before the start of the season in order to accrue credit for free agency. He can’t just sit out indefinitely and then become a free agent. The Bears are certainly withing their right to not negotiate and just franchise Forte, but Forte is within his right to play out those 2 years and leave when he becomes a free agent without saying a word to them. Doesn’t mean he’ll play soft, because he’s shown so far this season that although he is upset he’s still playing his tail off.
Also, I don’t buy this argument that he’s gonna be rich regardless. It is futile to compare an athlete’s salary to our salaries. They are on a completely different universe than we. Yes, he will get about $7 million or so, but a regular contract would get him MORE guaranteed money.
It’s not like the Bears will be in a bind if they give Forte a contract. They are about $20 million UNDER the salary cap and if his production goes down they can just cut him and only worry about his guaranteed money, which will much less than the rest of the money they would need to pay him otherwise.
I feel the risk/reward is not in the Bears favor on this issue. Other players are looking at what Angelo is doing and when their time comes they will depart. This can lead to the dismantling of the team and force Angelo to use the draft to rebuild and we know how that’s worked out for him lately. Maybe he can draft another safety and move him over to running back.
Carlos thanks for the clarification but slow down my man. Julius Peppers had no issues coming to the Bears and other players will want to play here regardless of this forte nonsense. Do you really think they’re going to lose players because Forte gets the franchise tag? The Patriots cut guys all the time and guys are lining up to play on that team. The bears are a business first and foremost, and to spend unnecessary money because they’re under the cap is irresponsible. Forte will be paid in the average of the top four running backs. That’s guaranteed. If he wants a long term deal, he needs to stop effing around and sign one. The Bears don’t have to sign a guy because of free agents that may choose to leave.
How would spending money on locking up Forte unnecessary? Yes, football is a business, but how is alienating your employees good for business. In the short term, yes, what the Bears are doing is working. As soon as he can, however, Forte will bolt. He’s already hinting at it. I see all these general managers talk about how players just aren’t loyal to teams anymore. Well, how about teams being loyal to players? If you have a player playing at a high level, then pay him what he’s worth. The Bears are content with using up his talent and not paying for it. Basically the Bears will have to look at the freshmen and sophomores in CFB right now for Forte’s replacement. Look at what winning teams around the league are doing. Are the Packers franchising any players? Are the Steelers? Are the Pats? They pay their stars AND are still under the cap as well.
In terms of New England, the front office has a great eye for talent. Who has been let go by the Pats and gone on to play great elsewhere?
The Patriots have guys lining up to play for them because they contend for a title almost every year so you’re talking apples to oranges when comparing them to the Bears. Other players see this and will be leaving when their contracts are up or free agents will not want to come to Chicago and play. It’s not just the Forte nonsense that is the issue. You can throw how they handle Taylor, Harris, Olin and even Briggs into the mix. All of those situations show how backwards the Bears management is! You said if this process were to anger Forte would you want him on the Bears..but if you were on the outside looking in and saw how the organization is treating one of its star players (who has performed since day 1) would you want to play for the Chicago Bears??
You also cannot compare athletes to everyday regular people. If so Forte’s salary of 500,000 is more the most will make over the next 10yrs. The bottom line is the guy is performing and didn’t hold out like some other player did but is getting nothing in return. 2yrs of tagging the guy is a lame excuse and shows the Bears don’t value Forte because they truly believe his career will begin fading over the next 2 years.
I am an outsider looking in, and I think that Forte needs to take his issue to the NFLPA that has been screwing players over for years. But as far as valuing Forte, come on man. The NFL is a big business, and the players are employees. Is Forte’s case sad? kinda… But you cannot say that the Bears are responsible for this whole mess. All we’ve been hearing is Forte’s side of things, not the Bears. As far as I am concerned, there’s plenty of reason for a needed change at Halas Hall, but the Forte negotiations aren’t one of these. Just because other teams are irresponsible and sign crappier running backs to ridiculous contracts does not mean the Bears should sign him to a contract that doesn’t work. Sorry, but this is the economics of the game.