Matt Forte: Five Teams Who Should Trade for Bears RB

By Dan Schmelzer | Sep 29, 2015

1 of 6

Sep 13, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte (22) runs past Green Bay Packers free safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (21) during the first quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

The second leading rusher in franchise history, running back Matt Forte is undoubtedly a Chicago Bears legend. With incredible balance as both a runner and a receiver, Forte has been the focal point of the Bears’ offense throughout his eight-year NFL career. He is a great player, who still appears to have some left in the tank.

More from NFL

A struggling franchise like the Bears placing a player of Forte’s caliber on the trading block may seem crazy on the surface, but it is a move that the franchise simply must make. The Bears entered this season with little playoff hopes. After an ugly 0-3 start and many extremely important players missing time with injuries, the Bears do not look anything close to competitors for this season.

They started their in-season sell-off on Monday with two moves that signalized a new beginning. First they sent pass rusher Jared Allen to the Carolina Panthers, and later in the day linebacker Jonathan Bostic was traded to the New England Patriots.

The Bears received a 2016 sixth-round pick in both of those trades. It may not seem like much, but getting anything for players who clearly do not fit their into their future plans is a major plus for the Bears right now. This franchise needs to be looking forward, very little about the 2015 season matters for Chicago. They simply are not going to be competitive.

There are plenty of players who the Bears should be looking to trade, but it is Forte who tops the list for me. He is still proving to be a productive player, but Forte’s value to the organization right now is extremely limited.

He will turn 30-years-old at the end of this season, and that is usually the tipping point for running backs in today’s NFL. Running backs losing their elite ability happens fast, and with Forte taking on such a huge load for so long, I do not think he will be an exception.

Also, his contract runs out after this season. We already know that the Bears are not serious contenders this year, why not see what you can get for him before he likely leaves via free agency to a contending team anyway? It would also not hurt to get an extended look at fourth-round rookie Jeremy Langford.

Forte is proving to still be a productive player, and he would be a much more valuable piece to a contending team. He is still a productive runner, and is still one of the best receiving backs in the entire NFL.

There would undoubtedly be many teams interested in acquiring Forte’s services, but these five teams make the most sense.

Here are five NFL teams who should be approaching the Bears with trade offers for running back Matt Forte.

Next: Baltimore Ravens