Pompei: Forte Negotiations Have Gotten Personal
(WSCR) It's safe to say the negotiations between Matt Forte and the Bears haven't exactly gone smoothly.
For almost a year now, the two sides have been miles apart, unable to agree on a long-term extension. Instead, the Bears have slapped the $7.7 million franchise tag on the 26-year-old running back.
Since Forte has started looking for a new contract, the Bears have signed running backs Marion Barber and Michael Bush to multi-year deals - something one Bears expert thinks has started to bother Forte.
"I think there is an element that this has gotten personal in the negotiations," Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune told The Mully and Spiegel Show. "There are some hard feelings probably going on. Maybe the personalities involved don't always get along anymore. That's an issue. It's an impediment, a potential impediment, to getting a deal done, but I think everyone involved is professional enough to overcome that."
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Last week, the Eagles signed 23-year-old running back LeSean McCoy to a five-year, $45 million extension that includes more than $20 million in guaranteed money. Still, Pompei doesn't think that deal is reflective of what Forte is worth.
"He's got a lot less mileage on him," Pompei said. "He's kind of an unusual case, coming out of school really early. That really adds to his value. I think that's why the deal was what it was for McCoy. When this deal is over, McCoy will be 28 years old. ... Anytime you deal with a running back in his upper 20s, you're taking on more risk because these guys A) get hurt more and B) become less effective as they age. That's the issue there."
