Diivox
It's the other way.
I don't understand the rationale behind the whole "cap room" or "tie up alot of money into the RB position" argument.
1) Cap room is easily created. Look at the Steelers and the Jets - they've already freed up 10 million by simply converting base salaries to signing bonuses. Bruce Allen, when he was with the Raiders, famously kept a drawer with re-worked contracts ready to go if he needed cap room. The salary cap on the whole is a bit of a myth - theres plenty of ways to generate cap room.
plus...
2) The bears are ALREADY committing a ton of money/cap room to Forte. Franchise tag is not free. That's top 5 money already basically committed to him for the next 2 years. you might as well put that in writing and not deal with the distraction.
3) This isn't the NBA. contracts aren't guaranteed. If he gets hurt, if he doesn't perform well, you cut him. If anything, a fat contract justifies getting rid of him in a way that is alot more, well, justified, than the current situation.
none of the "con" arguments really work against paying Forte. Give him a 7 year kajillion billion dollar contract, backload it, give the guy the ego boost of a kajillion billion dollar contract and make him happy. if 1) occurs, re-work the contract, or build it in such a way that minimizes the cap hit (fat signing bonus) if 2) occurs and he isn't worth the money, re-work it, build in alot of the money as non-guaranteed for injury, or cut him. (See: Peyton Manning. if the Colts don't pay the big bonus, he gets cut, and the team is out nothing it ; was allegedly 5 years 90 million, but 28 of that is due in a couple of weeks) and 3) if he starts to suck, cut him.
Sure you absorb a Salary cap hit by cutting him, but... that is defeated by the fact that the Bears have a ton of salary cap space and can create more if they need to, and can easily write up a contract that protects their cap against any kind of decline.
And if he continues to be the MVP candidate he was playing like before the injury, he is worth every penny regardless of any other circumstances on the team.
Bottom line? Pay Forte. his beyond-any-kind-of-rational situation probably more than anything else cost Angelo his job.
1) Cap room is easily created. Look at the Steelers and the Jets - they've already freed up 10 million by simply converting base salaries to signing bonuses. Bruce Allen, when he was with the Raiders, famously kept a drawer with re-worked contracts ready to go if he needed cap room. The salary cap on the whole is a bit of a myth - theres plenty of ways to generate cap room.
plus...
2) The bears are ALREADY committing a ton of money/cap room to Forte. Franchise tag is not free. That's top 5 money already basically committed to him for the next 2 years. you might as well put that in writing and not deal with the distraction.
3) This isn't the NBA. contracts aren't guaranteed. If he gets hurt, if he doesn't perform well, you cut him. If anything, a fat contract justifies getting rid of him in a way that is alot more, well, justified, than the current situation.
none of the "con" arguments really work against paying Forte. Give him a 7 year kajillion billion dollar contract, backload it, give the guy the ego boost of a kajillion billion dollar contract and make him happy. if 1) occurs, re-work the contract, or build it in such a way that minimizes the cap hit (fat signing bonus) if 2) occurs and he isn't worth the money, re-work it, build in alot of the money as non-guaranteed for injury, or cut him. (See: Peyton Manning. if the Colts don't pay the big bonus, he gets cut, and the team is out nothing it ; was allegedly 5 years 90 million, but 28 of that is due in a couple of weeks) and 3) if he starts to suck, cut him.
Sure you absorb a Salary cap hit by cutting him, but... that is defeated by the fact that the Bears have a ton of salary cap space and can create more if they need to, and can easily write up a contract that protects their cap against any kind of decline.
And if he continues to be the MVP candidate he was playing like before the injury, he is worth every penny regardless of any other circumstances on the team.
Bottom line? Pay Forte. his beyond-any-kind-of-rational situation probably more than anything else cost Angelo his job.
