Biggs: Bears, Forte Have Options
(WSCR) Time is running out for the Bears and Matt Forte to reach a long-term deal.
The two sides have until July 15 to agree on a multi-year deal or Forte will have no choice but to play on the franchise tag or forfeit the 2012 season.
If the sides can't agree on a long-term deal, there might be one other possible solution to get Forte on the field.
"I wonder if there is a solution for these two sides come July 16 if a deal isn't done," Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune told The Mully and Hanley Show. "What I mean by that is, back in 2007 when Lance Briggs had the franchise tag, he didn't want to show up and he wasn't interested in that. Finally, they brokered a one-year deal, which is all you could do because they had passed the deadline, as well. They came up with a one-year agreement in which the Bears agreed not to franchise tag Lance Briggs again in 2008, provided he reached a minimum playing time threshold. ... Could something like this happen with Forte? It's certainly possible. There's no way the guy wants to go through the franchise tag again in 2013."
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Still, Briggs is doubtful the two sides will come to any type of agreement on a long-term deal before that July 15 deadline.
"I don't know that that thing is going to get done," he said. "More times than not, when a guy gets the franchise tag, he plays under it for that year - the sides don't reach an agreement. There's a reason why they end up in that situation in the first place. They've been unable to hammer out a long-term deal. ... Forte wants a big (deal.) I think the Bears are motivated to try and sign him, but the gap between them right now seems like it would be prohibitive to strike a deal."
