Bears Blitz

NFL Rumors: Chicago Bears Should Use Franchise Tag on Matt Forte

Published by Zachary D. Rymer on February 2, 2012
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears simply can’t let Matt Forte test the free-agent waters. That would be unacceptable.

The question, obviously, is how they can avoid that fate. To that end, they only have two options: Sign Forte to an extension, or use the franchise tag on him.

It’s no secret that Forte would prefer to get a lucrative extension, but he went on “The Waddle & Silvy Show” on ESPN 1000 on Thursday and said that he would be cool with the franchise tag, but only if it were used as a means to an end.

“It depends on the motive of (the franchise tag),” Forte said, via ESPN.com. “If they are doing the franchise tag just to get more time in order to negotiate a long-term deal then I would be OK with it. But if it’s just to hold me another year and just ‘Let’s throw some money at him right now to keep him quiet,’ that’s not going to solve anything.”

Coincidentally, Bears president and CEO Ted Phillips said on Tuesday on the same show that the team has no intention of letting Forte become a free agent.

Forte certainly deserves an extension. He’s rushed for more than 1,000 yards in two of his four seasons, and he would have shattered the 1,000-yard mark this past season if he hadn’t gotten hurt at the end of the season. As it was, he racked up 1,487 total yards in just 12 games.

He was one of the best running backs in the league at the time he got hurt, if not the best.

Nevertheless, franchising Forte is the right thing to do here. Forte deserves better, but the Bears need to make a smart business decision.

Danny O’Neil of The Seattle Times pointed out on Thursday that there are two good reasons for Forte and fellow free-agents-to-be Marshawn Lynch and Ray Rice to be franchised.

The first has to do with the DeAngelo Williams contract. The Carolina Panthers inked him to a five-year deal worth $43 million last offseason, with $21 million guaranteed. That deal pretty much set the market for running backs, and it will be referenced by Forte’s people.

To boot, Williams didn’t exactly earn his money in 2011. It will therefore be easy for Forte to argue that he deserves more.

Secondly, O’Neil says the franchise tag for running backs is expected to be a mere $7.7 million this season. It was $9.6 million in 2011.

By using the franchise tag on Forte, the Bears can save a lot of money.

It’s true the Bears would only be delaying the inevitable, but they really can’t lose by franchising Forte. He’s already demanding top dollar and that’s not going to change no matter what he does in 2012. If the Bears want to keep him long-term, they’re going to have to start cutting him huge checks either now or later.

However, if Forte underperforms or goes out and gets hurt again, the Bears can either try to drive down his price or let him walk as a free agent.

If that’s the path they choose to walk, hey, there are always more running backs. The Bears know this as well as anyone. They found Forte in the second round. They could find his replacement in the second round, too. They could even score with an undrafted free agent, like the Houston Texans did with Arian Foster.

The sad truth is that running backs are a dime a dozen in this day and age. When you realize that, $7.7 million for a year’s worth of work isn’t all that bad.