The Chicago Bears made strong moves on offense in the NFL draft by taking Kevin White and Jeremy Langford and now the team will move forward under John Fox after a Jay Cutler trade was considered with the Titans and after some talk came up about a Matt Forte trade following his reported unhappiness with his contract situation.
The Bears went for an offensive weapon in the first round with White and he filled a need after the team traded away Brandon Marshall. White was the seventh overall pick and second wideout to get drafted and he was able to greet Bears fans on stage in Chicago. White is going to give the Bears a strong one-two punch with Alshon Jeffery, as he has blazing speed and was very productive at West Virginia.
According to Pro Football Talk, the Bears considered a trade with Cutler to the Titans for the number two pick and Marcus Mariota, but a deal never came close to happening. The Titans were not very interested in Cutler and they ended up sticking with the pick and taking Mariota. There were also reports from the Chicago Tribune and ESPN Chicago that Matt Forte could be a trade option after staying away from offseason workouts.
Forte later came out on Twitter and said that there were no issues with his contract and that he wanted to be with the Bears as long as they wanted him. Forte is a very productive player, but he will be 30 when the season ends and now the team has some potential replacements with Langford and Ka'Deem Carey from the draft last year. Forte is the starter as long as he is healthy and after the way he was worked last season, the Bears could use some depth at the position.
Langford is a strong option for Fox, as he is considered a solid pass blocker, receiver and runner coming out of Michigan State. Langford came in for Le'Veon Bell and didn't miss a beat and he finished his career with 40 touchdowns and an average of over give yards per carry. That type of production could be huge for the Bears, as Forte was on the field a ton last season, rushing for over 1000 yards and adding over 100 receptions. Langford can help keep forte fresh as he gets up there in age.
The Chicago Bears have thought about a Jay Cutler trade this offseason multiple times, but now it looks like all of that talk is over. At one point, John Fox and Ryan Pace were noncommittal about the quarterback and now it looks like he will be staying in Chicago, at least for the short term. The Titans were a potential option, but they are now set with Mariota.
Marshall was traded to the Jets and that came as he coming off of a bad season and Forte was an option to get moved, but he likely will be staying, as he is in the final year of his deal. Forte was one of the most productive backs in football last season, but ESPN.com reports that he could be on the block at 29 years old and heading into a contract year at $6.65 million. Forte has played his whole career for the Bears and he questioned his future in some tweets that mentioned trade rumors and while a deal is unlikely, it could be considered.
