David Banks – USA TODAY Sports
Matt Forte, the Chicago Bears‘ no. 1 running back, is coming off of his third 1,000-yard rushing season in the past five seasons and would like to reach that mark again this season. Forte has been a consistent force for the Bears’ offense, but as much as the Bears run the ball, he could afford to gain some more yards. Nevertheless, Forte rushed for 1,094 yards and five touchdowns on 248 carries. Furthermore, Forte, one of the most versatile running backs in the NFL, had 44 receptions for 340 yards and one touchdown.
Forte is one of the most important players in the Bears’ offense, and under new offensive-minded head coach Marc Trestman, his numbers could increase across the board. Furthermore, Forte’s receiving could go up significantly as Trestman runs a pass-heavy offense; this could be beneficial to both Forte and the team. Jay Cutler needs to do a better job of spreading the ball around; if he does, his star running back should become one of his favorite targets.
Heading into training camp, Forte is the clear number one choice for starting running back, as he is such an integral part of the Bears’ offense. Michael Bush does provide the Bears with a great back-up to Forte if he should go down with an injury, but Forte will be carrying most of the load and will be prepared to receive more too.
The Bears need Forte to have a great season if they want to contend in the NFC North, one of the toughest divisions in the NFL. I think with a new offense in place, Forte will flourish and could have one of his most productive seasons since his rookie season.
Alejandro Aviles is the Featured Writer for the New Orleans Saints at Rant Sports @aaviles312
