Matt Forte: Why the Chicago Bears’ Front Office Should Not Pay Star RB
Published by Nathan McCarter on April 4, 2012
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
Paying Matt Forte is a mistake.
As this is an opinion piece, let me make a definitive first-person statement: I love Matt Forte. He is an excellent player and one of the league’s best all-around running backs. But an organization with a focus on long-term success cannot afford to throw money at a player simply because he is beloved. It is a mistake.
Can you tell me the last time a team with a premier running back won the Super Bowl? Do not worry, I will wait.
The 2007 Pittsburgh Steelers with Willie Parker? Are we calling Willie Parker a premier back? What about 2000 with the Baltimore Ravens and Jamal Lewis? The league has evolved. You need at least two running backs if not three to succeed.
It is easy to sit back and tell yourself the Bears need to pay him. And he does deserve the money, but it is not that simple. The elephant in the room is the salary cap. Sure, they have cap space, but if they pay Forte that takes a drastic hit. It is remarkably hard to pay top dollar for a quarterback, running back, wide receiver, defensive end, linebacker and beyond.
Why are teams like the New England Patriots successful year in and year out? Because they do not spend extravagantly. They pick up pieces through the draft and free agency who fill needs, and when the price may be too high they look for a trade or do not re-sign them. Signing Matt Forte to a long-term, lucrative deal will hamper the Chicago Bears in the long run.
Brian Urlacher and the defense is aging. A time will come in the very near future where the Bears will need to spend money to replace those pieces adequately. Teams win championships on that side of the ball—not with a running back.
It is easy to make the front office the scapegoat, but they are making the hard decision that fans do not want to admit to themselves: that Forte’s time in Chicago may be near an end. So far this offseason they have made all the right moves. They traded for the No. 1 receiver they needed. They, unsuccessfully, made a play for Mario Williams. And they have not paid Forte.
If Forte is disgruntled beyond repair, there will be a team willing to pay a high price for him. And a deal before the draft could play a huge role in the Super Bowl hopes in the next couple of years.
In the new NFL, running backs are not as valuable as they once were. Fans and pundits alike need to eliminate that thought from their minds. Players are only worth what the market is willing to pay.
The stories of an unknown entering the league and contributing in a huge way at the running back position are no longer few and far between. Forte is a valuable asset, and it would be fantastic to have him shore up that position for years to come at a reasonable price. If the Bears can work out a bargain of a deal, then I would love to see him pull that jersey on every Sunday. But he is not worth giving up the future for.
Hate on the front office all you like, but they are making the best decision for the long-term success of the organization.
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