The Chicago Bears might have gotten their first win of the season, but that is not stopping the talk around more potential trades for the franchise. Jay Cutler returned in Week 4 to be the hero against the Oakland Raiders, but there is still doubt around whether or not the team is really built to succeed. With several trade pieces on the team, the talk is loud around Matt Forte.
The best asset the Bears have is Forte. He has been the team's safety blanket since his arrival and despite reaching the 30-year-old age hump, Forte is showing no signs of slowing down and might actually just simply be getting better. The issue is that the Bears are not getting better and the running back is in the final year of his contract.
According to NFL Media's Ian Rapoport via NFL.com, Forte is among the players that the Bears would consider trading if they continue their fire sale of players. The team already dealt away high-priced free agent Jared Allen along with former second-round draft pick Jon Baustic. Michael Florio of Pro Football Talk reported Willie Young also requested to be traded from the Bears. Forte might be next as Rapoport writes that general manager Ryan Pace must see where the running back fits in the long-term improvement of the team.
Rapoport writes that while the Bears are not picking up the phones and shopping Forte to the highest bidder, the general belief in the league is that teams should not be afraid to ask about the veteran who is making a well-earned $7.1 million in the final year of his deal. Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com followed up the report by saying the Bears' asking price for the running back would be very high. The question for Chicago is whether or not they plan on re-signing Forte to the multi-year deal he is likely to command. In the coming offseason Chicago must re-sign Alshon Jeffery. They showed no signs of looking to give Forte a new deal this past offseason and that could be a telling sign to what his future holds.
Aging running backs are normally not getting the contract they want regardless of their stats. Forte's numbers have not taken any dips regardless of his age which means he can warrant bigger contract demands. If available, a lot of teams will chase the running back with the demands of his choice. Can the Bears afford to lose Forte?
Chicago has a lot of contract decisions to make in the coming offseason. They must decide their commitment level to Cutler. The quarterback came back and proved the Bears need him in the win over Oakland. The chances of a deal happening for him are highly unlikely. A few more wins will silence the trade talk for now. Getting Jeffery back is a must for the team as they try to make a comeback this season.
