The Chicago Bears may consider a Matt Forte trade at the deadline this season if the team continues to struggle, according to a report from CBS Sports. The Bears just got Alshon Jeffery back from a hamstring injury and the team reportedly has released Jeremiah Ratliff and signed Ziggy Hood.
The Bears are coming into a bye week after losing in overtime to the Detroit Lions and they will have another divisional game with the Vikings coming in Week 8. The team is just 2-4 on the season and in the bottom half of the NFC North and they have to start playing more consistently on both sides of the ball to turn things around. Jeffery returned last week after dealing with a hamstring injury for the first part of the season and he made an immediate impact.
Jeffery had not played since Week 1 and he finished the game against the Lions with eight catches on 11 targets for 147 yards and a touchdown. The extra time off after coming back from the hamstring injury should only help Jeffery stay healthy and that is key if the Bears want to turn things around. Jeffery is the clear number one receiver with Brandon Marshall gone and while Marquess Wilson was solid in his absence, he does not have the field presence that Jeffery does.
The Bears may consider making a trade at the deadline this year with Matt Forte, according to CBS Sports, but Jason La Canfora reports that if they do, the running back will not come cheap. La Canfora reports that the Bears are "not averse" to trading Forte this season and while they are not currently shopping the running back, sources report that "he could be had for the right price" in a trade. Forte is one of the most productive running backs in the league and he is having another strong season for Chicago.
The Bears have made some trades already this season with Jon Bostic and Jared Allen and now Forte could be a target. Forte fits the bill for a trade target, as he is going to be 30-years-old as a running back and is in the final year of his contract on a team with a losing record. The Bears likely will want a second or third round pick for Forte and if they ask for something that valuable, it may keep a deal from happening.
Kevin White has not played a snap for the Bears this season after dealing with a shin injury that put him on the PUP list to start the year. According to ESPN Chicago, Jeff Dickerson reports that White has started doing light running and that "there is a chance" that he could be "medically cleared" by Week 11. White was the number seven overall pick in the draft this year.
According to Pro Football Talk, the Bears have released Jeremiah Ratliff and have signed Ziggy Hood at defensive tackle. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Ratliff and general manager Ryan Pace had an "animated exchange" and later Pace said in the release that the move was in the "best interest of the team."
