Chicago Bears move on Matt Forte necessary evil
The Chicago Bears‘ decision to let go of Matt Forte, while not a popular one, was necessary for the team to rebuild and go back to their winning ways.
We were expecting this ever since the season ended. All signs pointed to the Chicago Bears not signing running back Matt Forte to a long-term deal this offseason.
On Friday, the reality of the situation hit us all. Forte announced on his Instagram account that he was notified by the Chicago Bears that they would not sign him.
"Despite my wishes, my days as a member of the Chicago Bears have sadly come to an end. I will remain forever grateful for my time spent in Chicago and being able to play for an organization with such a rich history. My only regret is not being able to win a Lombardi trophy for the best fans in all of sports. I’m excited about the next chapter of my NFL career. But, Chicago will always be home. God bless and Bear down!"
With that post, the bomb was dropped on Chicago Bears Nation. Now we know what we suspected all along.
“These decisions are never easy, especially given what Matt has meant to our team and community,” general manager Ryan Pace said in a statement. “We have a tremendous amount of respect for him. Matt is one of the all-time great Bears and did an excellent job for us on and off the field last season. He was a tremendous teammate. We thank him for his professionalism and wish him the very best as he continues his career.”
Now we have the requisite “The Chicago Bears are cheap” or the “The Chicago Bears don’t want to win” talk going around the city. The move to let Forte go is not popular, and is seen as a bad move.
Part of the reason for the move was to give the Chicago Bears a better shot at winning, and in a shorter period of time.
Yes, the Bears have deep pockets to sign players this offseason. The thing is, however, they need to use their money to improve in a lot of areas.
The Chicago Bears have needs at linebacker, at defensive secondary, at offensive line and perhaps at tight end.
Running back is not an area of need.
The Chicago Bears have Jeremy Langford waiting in the wings. When he filled in for Forte, he showed flashes of what he could do. He has much of the same skills that Forte has (albeit not as refined yet). He now just needs to play more often.
There is also Ka’Deem Carey, who also is ready for more playing time.
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People may say that you already know what you have with Forte. That is not necessarily the case. He is over 30 years old, and that is usually the point where most running backs start to hit a wall.
A couple of years ago, Marshawn Lynch was on top of the world as one of the top running backs in the NFL. Today, he is retired. Forte himself missed three games in 2015 which led to him having the fewest yards rushing and fewest yards from scrimmage in his career (which includes 2011, when he missed four games).
Barring a catastrophic injury, Langford, will get better.
What the Chicago Bears did was a necessary evil. Spending the money on what Forte would command would take money away from the other areas of need. The Bears will still be strong at running back, and having Forte on the roster would hurt Langford’s development.
Next: Ryan Pace Has Chicago Bears In Line To Contend Soon
In the end, a couple of seasons down the road this move will be seen as a great example of foresight on behalf of Pace and the Chicago Bears. It is tough to see him go, and tougher to see him play in another uniform, but it was the right move to make.