Biggs: Lynch's Deal Could Benefit Forte
(WSCR) Next to Marshawn Lynch, the guy who might be the happiest about the running back's new contract is Matt Forte.
Lynch's contract, which is a four-year deal worth $31 million, including $18 million guaranteed, could be used in contract negotiations between Forte and the Bears.
"That'll be interesting because I think Matt Forte is a more well-rounded running back than Marshawn Lynch," Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune and National Football Post told The Mully and Hanley Show. "Lynch has got relatively low mileage for being a guy that has been in the league for (five) seasons, but he's still a pretty darn good back coming off the best season of his career. If you're Forte's camp, you're going to want to grab hold of the deal and say, 'OK, look at this. We're going to need something significantly north of this to get a deal done.'"
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The Bears decided Friday to use their franchise tag on Forte, agreeing to pay the running back $7.7 million in 2012. The two parties could still work out a long-term deal, though.
"I like the idea of a four-year deal for the Bears, because you talk about running backs and you rarely see gradual decline in performance by running backs," Biggs said. "It's typically a deal where they hit the wall. That's just what happens to players at that position. So, if you step back from the situation, the Bears have to do it and I think fans have to do it, and you have to look at it and say, 'OK, Forte has been the running back for the Bears for four seasons. How many more seasons can he be that guy?' You have to ask yourself that question. If you give him a four-year contract, he could do that for four more years. Maybe it's three more years."
