Daventry Posted January 3, 2010 Report Share Posted January 3, 2010 Hi All, I was just thinking, what is everyone thinking about the RB position? Last year Forte was thought to be the answer, many more questions around that thinking now I would think? Personally, I think we make sure that Jones is going to be sound next year and sign him up, and then think seriously about whether Wolfe is worth keeping. Can he really be a significant part of our offence? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madlithuanian Posted January 3, 2010 Report Share Posted January 3, 2010 Jones is completely unreliable. I'm not sold on Forte, but nor I'm I completely unsold. I think we need to bring someone else in into the mix. preferably a bruiser. Hi All, I was just thinking, what is everyone thinking about the RB position? Last year Forte was thought to be the answer, many more questions around that thinking now I would think? Personally, I think we make sure that Jones is going to be sound next year and sign him up, and then think seriously about whether Wolfe is worth keeping. Can he really be a significant part of our offence? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam Posted January 3, 2010 Report Share Posted January 3, 2010 Forte seems to have lost a little burst. Hopefully he can return to form next year. Also, Bell has looked decent in limited action. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bears4Ever_34 Posted January 3, 2010 Report Share Posted January 3, 2010 Jones is completely unreliable. I'm not sold on Forte, but nor I'm I completely unsold. I think we need to bring someone else in into the mix. preferably a bruiser. I was thinking the opposite. We need somebody with speed. I'm talking about a 4.3 4.2 type of running back. It's too bad Daniel Manning is a defensive player because I think he'd make a pretty good RB.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TerraTor Posted January 3, 2010 Report Share Posted January 3, 2010 I was thinking the opposite. We need somebody with speed. I'm talking about a 4.3 4.2 type of running back. It's too bad Daniel Manning is a defensive player because I think he'd make a pretty good RB.. not a bad idea, we know he cant play corner or safety Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Connorbear Posted January 3, 2010 Report Share Posted January 3, 2010 I agree with Jim Schwantz. Go get a big pounding runningback. Peace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZ54 Posted January 3, 2010 Report Share Posted January 3, 2010 I was thinking the opposite. We need somebody with speed. I'm talking about a 4.3 4.2 type of running back. It's too bad Daniel Manning is a defensive player because I think he'd make a pretty good RB.. Totally disagree, DManning doesn't have the vision to be a RB. You can see that in his kick returns where he's just full speed ahead at the first available hole. It works good on returns but not so well in a running game. I don't think we need to do anything at RB. We need to fix the Oline and we need an OC who knows how to use Wolfe's quickness on the outside. I would like to see us do something at FB. For those who want a bigger RB I'd rather see a FB who is capable of actually running with the ball. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoofHearted Posted January 3, 2010 Report Share Posted January 3, 2010 I was on record as badly wanting us to grab a legit #2 back last offseason, and I feel the same today. I'm not down on Forte whatsoever either, it's just that I believe that strongly in a two feature back system that I wouldn't hesitate to bring in a guy to pick up 150 carries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Buck Posted January 4, 2010 Report Share Posted January 4, 2010 The whole season I kept waiting for a burst from Forte. I will admit it seemed like the line play did not help him but still there never seemed to be that umpf from Matt. I thought in training camp there was a blurb about him having a leg injury/issue. I wonder if he really was healthy this year or if as Mike Mulligan (WSCR and Suntimes) discussed often last year that he had too many touches in his rookie year. He just seemed like a different back this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killakrzydav Posted January 4, 2010 Report Share Posted January 4, 2010 Not only do we need a bruiser to get us that crucial yard to yard and a half we also are in desperate need of a home-run burner. Unfortunately, Forte's regression this year has showed that he is neither and despite our OL problems we will have to address the RB situation very early this off season. Could Travis Best be the answer to both? What could we do to position ourselves to land him. I also would be open to selecting Legarret Blount late, if and only if, the Bears allow me to teach him how to punch. That powder puff he tossed was embarrassing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killakrzydav Posted January 4, 2010 Report Share Posted January 4, 2010 Not only do we need a bruiser to get us that crucial yard to yard and a half we also are in desperate need of a home-run burner. Unfortunately, Forte's regression this year has showed that he is neither and despite our OL problems we will have to address the RB situation very early this off season. Could Travis Best be the answer to both? What could we do to position ourselves to land him. I also would be open to selecting Legarret Blount late, if and only if, the Bears allow me to teach him how to punch. That powder puff he tossed was embarrassing. All in all, I'm not sold on Forte as a feature back and we should look to move him if we can for high(very unlikely) draft picks. Preferably multiple ones. He simply looks TERRIFIED as a runner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZ54 Posted January 4, 2010 Report Share Posted January 4, 2010 Pass on Blount. His problems went way beyond the punch he threw, he was causing all sorts of locker room issues all through the spring and summer. On top of that he is slow. He just doesn't have the initial burst you see out of a guy like Brandon Jacobs. Boise State made him look worthless. Maybe if he lost some weight he'd get some quickness back but at this point I'd pass on him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason Posted January 4, 2010 Report Share Posted January 4, 2010 I hate, HATE, the idea of getting a RB with any pick near the beginning of the draft. The idea is horrible. Forte was a stud in his rookie year, and has been injured this year. Add that to the ATROCIOUS OL, and the incompetent OC. Fire Turner and draft OL, and suddenly Forte will not only be great again, but an all star. As for a complimentary back, Bell has looked good in limited action, and we STILL don't know what Wolfe can do (thanks to Turner). But if we DO get another RB, please let us get a homerun hitter like Chris Johnson, and not a plodding big guy like Brandon Jacobs. Isn't it about time we had a guy who can take it to the house on every play? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearSox Posted January 4, 2010 Report Share Posted January 4, 2010 A part of me wants Toby Gerhart in the 3rd round (early 3rd seems like the most logical place he'll be drafted at). A big strong runner who is extremely tough to bring down, he can be our go to back on the goalline and other short yardage situations. He's a very smart player who is an able blocker. Plays with a lot of heart and always fall forward, never goes down on the first hit. His biggest weakness is his straightline speed, but he has good game speed and hits the whole with a burst. Forte is the primary guy who is the jack of all trades but master of none. Gerhart will be the short yardage power back. All we need is a home run threat like Darren Sproles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Hochuli 3:16 Posted January 4, 2010 Report Share Posted January 4, 2010 I hate, HATE, the idea of getting a RB with any pick near the beginning of the draft. The idea is horrible. Forte was a stud in his rookie year, and has been injured this year. Add that to the ATROCIOUS OL, and the incompetent OC. Fire Turner and draft OL, and suddenly Forte will not only be great again, but an all star. As for a complimentary back, Bell has looked good in limited action, and we STILL don't know what Wolfe can do (thanks to Turner). But if we DO get another RB, please let us get a homerun hitter like Chris Johnson, and not a plodding big guy like Brandon Jacobs. Isn't it about time we had a guy who can take it to the house on every play? I could repeat this as this is exactly what I was thinking, but I'll just say- I AGREE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason Posted January 4, 2010 Report Share Posted January 4, 2010 A part of me wants Toby Gerhart in the 3rd round (early 3rd seems like the most logical place he'll be drafted at). A big strong runner who is extremely tough to bring down, he can be our go to back on the goalline and other short yardage situations. He's a very smart player who is an able blocker. Plays with a lot of heart and always fall forward, never goes down on the first hit. His biggest weakness is his straightline speed, but he has good game speed and hits the whole with a burst. Forte is the primary guy who is the jack of all trades but master of none. Gerhart will be the short yardage power back. All we need is a home run threat like Darren Sproles. LOL, Sproles. The Bears have a near identical player, and he has been wasted. You don't buy a new putter if you've only used your current putter off the tee from 400 yards away; you use the one you have now APPROPRIATELY first. Unfortunately for the Bears, Turner is not much of a "golfer." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Connorbear Posted January 4, 2010 Report Share Posted January 4, 2010 I hate, HATE, the idea of getting a RB with any pick near the beginning of the draft. The idea is horrible. Forte was a stud in his rookie year, and has been injured this year. Add that to the ATROCIOUS OL, and the incompetent OC. Fire Turner and draft OL, and suddenly Forte will not only be great again, but an all star. As for a complimentary back, Bell has looked good in limited action, and we STILL don't know what Wolfe can do (thanks to Turner). But if we DO get another RB, please let us get a homerun hitter like Chris Johnson, and not a plodding big guy like Brandon Jacobs. Isn't it about time we had a guy who can take it to the house on every play? Agreed. I like we have on the roster. Get a true blocking FB and I will be real happy. Peace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearSox Posted January 4, 2010 Report Share Posted January 4, 2010 LOL, Sproles. The Bears have a near identical player, and he has been wasted. You don't buy a new putter if you've only used your current putter off the tee from 400 yards away; you use the one you have now APPROPRIATELY first. Unfortunately for the Bears, Turner is not much of a "golfer." Wolfe does not nearly have the bulk Sproles has. Also, Sproles is quite possibily the quickest back in the NFL and has some of the best acceleration in the game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bears4Ever_34 Posted January 4, 2010 Report Share Posted January 4, 2010 I hate, HATE, the idea of getting a RB with any pick near the beginning of the draft. The idea is horrible. Forte was a stud in his rookie year, and has been injured this year. Add that to the ATROCIOUS OL, and the incompetent OC. Fire Turner and draft OL, and suddenly Forte will not only be great again, but an all star. As for a complimentary back, Bell has looked good in limited action, and we STILL don't know what Wolfe can do (thanks to Turner). But if we DO get another RB, please let us get a homerun hitter like Chris Johnson, and not a plodding big guy like Brandon Jacobs. Isn't it about time we had a guy who can take it to the house on every play? Forte could become a pro bowl running back but we are going to need a great offensive line around him. He is not quick or fast enough to be a special running back. The good backs have a burst when they see a hole and they run right through it. Forte has been hesitant all year even when there were holes. I hate to say it but the guy we probably should have drafted was Jamal Charles who's now putting up eye popping statistics every game; and KC's offensive line is nothing to write home about. With that said, I do think Matt Forte is a better running back than he showed this season. However, we need a speedy guy to compliment him next year to take some carries away from him. Even Forte himself admitted he would like someone to help him in the run game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balta1701-A Posted January 4, 2010 Report Share Posted January 4, 2010 This is perhaps the most interesting question you could ask about any position. WR there's some debate, perhaps OLB, perhaps CB, about whether the Bears need to make changes. This position, wow. Forte is 1 year removed from a very good season behind what was at the time at best an average O-line with at best average-to-poor QB play. On the other hand, he struggled mightily this season, and it wasn't just O-line related struggles; as noted above, he didn't show some of the explosiveness that he showed last year, even though teams were much more likely to be focusing on the pass. He also had the same coordinator calling plays both years, so you really can't blame the OC. I'm inclinded to give Forte at least 1 more year, for 2 reasons. First, I do think he's better than he showed this year. Perhaps some of his struggles were injury-related, perhaps some were conditioning related, perhaps there was something mental going on, not sure, but cutting ties with him completely after 1 down year with a bad O-line seems like overreacting. I'd consider bringing in/drafting competition, but that brings to the 2nd reason; the Bears have no 1st or 2nd round picks and they have other needs for their latter picks. If you find someone in the 7th no one will complain, but it makes little sense to me to spend a pick at this position when the Bears have so few. Furthermore, the Bears have obvious other needs for whatever FA money they're going to spend, and attempting to sign a #1 back would be a very expensive proposition. My prescription; work on improving the O-line. Focus on filling the RT spot and perhaps the LG spot depending on what you think will happen with Beekman; a FA at RT would probably be best. Let Williams develop at LT. See if an improved line and hopefully therefore less of Cutler scrambling also works to bring out a 1300 yard season from Forte next year. If you want to bring in a FA #2 option, that's not unreasonable, but it's also not worth spending a fortune on. If Forte struggles again next season, then you have to look at a replacement in the 2011 draft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dawhizz Posted January 4, 2010 Report Share Posted January 4, 2010 I say we go after Jerious Norwood. I know he's hurt too often, but he's got the speed Forte doesn't have and he seems to have fallen out of favor in Atlanta. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nfoligno Posted January 4, 2010 Report Share Posted January 4, 2010 I agree 100% that we don't use a high pick on a RB. Sad that a 3rd round pick will be a high pick for us next year. I would consider a RB w/ as high as a 5th, but that's about it. I disagree on the type of back we should be looking at though. I want a power back. If we added a speedy back, how does that compliment Forte? I realize Turner has stunk getting Wolfe time, but I think part of the problem is, when do you sub Wolfe for Forte? What does Wolfe do better than Forte? Forte (think more last year) showed solid speed, was an effective blocker, and a very good receiver. Maybe Wolfe has a touch more speed, but Forte is just too much better in the other areas. I don't think it would be that different if we looked at another speedster RB. You often look at those sort of players for 3rd downs, but Forte is an excellent 3rd down back also. I think we are going to add a RB, and likely at the expense of AP. That means we keep Wolfe. What I want to see added is power, not speed. Forte has nice power, but not great power. A power back would better compliment Forte than a speed back IMHO. Ideal would actual be to find a legit FB that can also take short yardage carries. I hate, HATE, the idea of getting a RB with any pick near the beginning of the draft. The idea is horrible. Forte was a stud in his rookie year, and has been injured this year. Add that to the ATROCIOUS OL, and the incompetent OC. Fire Turner and draft OL, and suddenly Forte will not only be great again, but an all star. As for a complimentary back, Bell has looked good in limited action, and we STILL don't know what Wolfe can do (thanks to Turner). But if we DO get another RB, please let us get a homerun hitter like Chris Johnson, and not a plodding big guy like Brandon Jacobs. Isn't it about time we had a guy who can take it to the house on every play? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Controlled Chaos Posted January 4, 2010 Report Share Posted January 4, 2010 I see Matt Forte as a kind of Thomas Jones part 2. Good at a lot of things, but great at none. He doesn't have home run speed, but he can run. He doesn't have all the power, but he can plow. He doesn't have the best cuts, but he can go against the grain. He's not elite out of the backfield, but he can catch. I don't think he will ever be a Top 5 back, but he will give you a good effort and consistency. A lot of RB's like him have had nice careers and that may be all this offense needs with an improved O-line and better QB play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daventry Posted January 4, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2010 If the doctors say he is ok, I would like to see what KJ could do next year. I was really looking forward to seeing what he could do before he got hurt this year. I would not give up on Forte yet either, but he better show something next year because he looked bad this year, even with a bad OLine. Kind of reminded me of my frustration with a great back, Neil Anderson, in his last year with the Bears. He would fall down at the sight of of a dlinesman in his last year...sad way for what was a great back to go out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madlithuanian Posted January 4, 2010 Report Share Posted January 4, 2010 We need a relialbe 2-3 yard getter... I agree with Jim Schwantz. Go get a big pounding runningback. Peace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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