Bears 2011 Report Card thus far...

[nwfisch]

Make the secondary grade a little lower with the release of Harris....

[Rush]

Fuck Chris Harris and fuck the Bears Front Office.

I would have much preferred to keep Danieal Manning and let this bum go.

[Herm]

Fuck Chris Harris and fuck the Bears Front Office.

I would have much preferred to keep Danieal Manning and let this bum go.

@chrisharrisnfl
I was just released this morning by the Bears. Thank u for the opp to play football n do what I luv. I'm looking toward my next venture

[webbi]

im hoping we can end up 9-7.. ride forte.. i really hate the cover 2 though

[Diivox]

Forte is only a 4th year player, and every season he's played for the bears he's accounted for more of their total offense than any player in that same time span for any other team. Played himself out of a contract? That's retarded, he's arguably more valuable to the Bears than any other non QB player in the league is to their own team. Let Forte get hurt for a game or two and see what happens to this Bears offense.

Show me a running back in the last 10 years who put up astronomical numbers like this and was still doing it 3 seasons later.

Ride the dude out this season, Franchise him next season (which, BTW, is going to be worth a sizable chunk of change, not quite signing bonus money, but signing bonus 4 or 5 years ago kind of money, so it aint like Forte is going to starve) and then you're in 2013, and you got a 27 year old running back with a 30 year olds mileage who someone else will happily overpay, 7 year style, for a guy with maybe a season or two left.

Either that or pay him and take a bajillion dollar cap hit when he inevitably tears an ACL or something and is never quite the same or when he simply slows down. Who knows, maybe we are watching the greatest running back ever and he can produce these numbers over the life of an 80 million dollar contract. The odds just arent there though. Running backs don't last in the NFL anymore, and this is not to take away from Forte who is a joy to watch play, and is far and away the most valuable player ive seen so far this season, but nowadays you can reliably bring in young legs every 3-4 years and be totally fine.

[Saluki]

Show me a running back in the last 10 years who put up astronomical numbers like this and was still doing it 3 seasons later.

Ride the dude out this season, Franchise him next season (which, BTW, is going to be worth a sizable chunk of change, not quite signing bonus money, but signing bonus 4 or 5 years ago kind of money, so it aint like Forte is going to starve) and then you're in 2013, and you got a 27 year old running back with a 30 year olds mileage who someone else will happily overpay, 7 year style, for a guy with maybe a season or two left.

Either that or pay him and take a bajillion dollar cap hit when he inevitably tears an ACL or something and is never quite the same or when he simply slows down. Who knows, maybe we are watching the greatest running back ever and he can produce these numbers over the life of an 80 million dollar contract. The odds just arent there though. Running backs don't last in the NFL anymore, and this is not to take away from Forte who is a joy to watch play, and is far and away the most valuable player ive seen so far this season, but nowadays you can reliably bring in young legs every 3-4 years and be totally fine.

Fred Taylor: Was never putting up Forte numbers his 1st 4 years, and despite being injury prone was a 1000 yard rusher for 5 of the next 7 years of his career.

Warrick Dunn: Another RB never even near Forte's level of production in his 1st 4 years, had 1000 yards every time he got 200 touches, including a 1500 yard season, in the next 6 years after that.

Priest Holmes: Another RB who didnt do alot in his 1st 4 years, had all his memorable season the 4 years AFTER that, where he was arguably the best RB in the league. Never avg less than 4.4 a carry and 60 catches until he had his neck injury

Marshal Faulk: His 1st four years and Fortes 1st four are pretty comparable (fortes 4th year, if he keeps up the pace, will end up actually being much better) and his next 5 years put him in the hall of fame.

Tiki Barber: Had 1300, 1200, 1500, 1600, and 1800 rushing yard seasons AFTER his 4th year in the league.

Edge James: Started off his career as a BEAST 2000 yards from scrim his 1st two years in a row, after his 4th? two 1500 yard seasons, two 1200 yard seaons and a 1000 yard season, all in a row, and between 1500-1900 yards from scrim in those years.

Ladanian Tomlinson: Had an amazing 1st 4 seasons, after that? four more thousand yard seasons in a row, including his record breaking 1800 yard 31TD season.

All of these RBs put up great numbers after thier 1st four seasons, and some of them had even more carries and better years than forte in their 1st four years and still put up great numbers after that. So your saying, eh, so what if he has the potential to put up ridiculous numbers for us for 4 more years, fuck him, we'll take a gamble on a new RB that may or may not pan out (cedric benson, curtis enis anyone?)
Of course you take the risk when paying him that he may turn into Larry Johnson and never produce again, or that he tears up his knee and is never the same, but you take that chance on EVERY player you sign. You saying good RBs shouldn't get paid just like everyone else? That's retarded.

[FedEx227]

I'd absolutely say that good RB's shouldn't get paid like everyone else.

RB's are the most prone to fluctuations and most easily break down.

It's no coincidence that the past, what, 4 Super Bowl champions didn't have one, highly-paid running back but instead a committee of guys.