Forte to the Patriots?

[svtballa 8]

Thoughts? I like the move for both Forte/Brady. If Brady goes into the season with Gronk/Edleman/Forte hes a top 3 QB in my book

[R8RMick 242]

Oh Jesus Christ I like the following players to the Raiders with their whopping $84 mill in cap space:

 

Kelechi Osemele G/T

Danny Trevathan MLB

Tashaun Gipson FS

George Iloka SS

Malik Jackson DT

Lamar Miller RB

 

What does everybody think?

[redsrback 30]

Thoughts? I like the move for both Forte/Brady. If Brady goes into the season with Gronk/Edleman/Forte hes a top 3 QB in my book

NE needs to rebuild

[redsrback 30]

Oh Jesus Christ I like the following players to the Raiders with their whopping $84 mill in cap space:

 

Kelechi Osemele G/T

Danny Trevathan MLB

Tashaun Gipson FS

George Iloka SS

Malik Jackson DT

Lamar Miller RB

 

What does everybody think?

Do you think Lamar Miller is an upgrade from Latavius Murray, Mick?

[weepaws 2,452]

Oh Jesus Christ I like the following players to the Raiders with their whopping $84 mill in cap space:

Kelechi Osemele G/T

Danny Trevathan MLB

Tashaun Gipson FS

George Iloka SS

Malik Jackson DT

Lamar Miller RB

What does everybody think?

You need to join the staff is what I think , just win baby .

[weepaws 2,452]

Forte to the Patriots is a move I would like to see take place .

[svtballa 8]

ESPN Boston's Mike Reiss believes free agent Matt Forte "could be a perfect fit" with the Patriots.

The price would have to be right -- the Pats aren't the sort of team to pay top dollar for a 30-year-old running back -- but on paper there isn't a better fit across the league than Forte in Foxboro. Reiss previously suggested the Patriots will "explore the possibility" of signing Forte. LeGarrette Blount is a free agent, while space back Dion Lewis is rehabbing a torn ACL.

Related: Patriots

[svtballa 8]

This is why I made the thread ^^^^

[IGotWorms 3,302]

Reiss knows his stuff. Now this is the time of the year when you have to just kinda make up draft/free agency stories but still, there could be a little something to it

[R8RMick 242]

This is why I made the thread ^^^^

I knew that, just busting your balls. Every off-season is filled with conjecture from experts. I actually think Forte stays in Chicago on a team friendly deal. Do any Pats fan actually see them spending the needed $$$ to bring him in?

 

And think about it, does he truly fit Belichick's system? Much of what they do on offense is based on unpredictability. This has been the primary bane of fantasy players with him. If you bring in a Matt Forte, no matter how talented, then opposing defenses have a focal point. Of course on the flip side, seeing Forte's dual threat ability, does it matter lol...?

[Patriotsfatboy1 1,432]

This was discussed earlier in week locally. I think that the challenge with it is that you have Lewis that they like (albeit coming back from an ACL) and they still have White for short money as the 3rd down back. What they need is a power back as Blount is iffy to come back and I don't think that Forte is that type of guy.

 

It is going to come down to whether Forte is going to get someone to pony up some primary back $ for him. If not, and he is willing to take a shot to get a ring, then it is a possibility. They have needs at RB, but they do have other needs as well.

[IGotWorms 3,302]

Forget Dion Lewis. Has never one stayed healthy in his career, his body just can't take it I hate to say. Electric player but you cannot rely on him

[weepaws 2,452]

Think Forte would resume the roll of both Blount and Lewis in one person . I think Forte would be a great add to the Patriots , it's about winning today and Brady is not going to get younger .

[R8RMick 242]

Do you think Lamar Miller is an upgrade from Latavius Murray, Mick?

Oh most definitely. Murray has huge holes in his game that couldn't really be ascertained until he received a full season sample size of work.

[jaxjag 43]

Oh Jesus Christ I like the following players to the Raiders with their whopping $84 mill in cap space:

 

Kelechi Osemele G/T

Danny Trevathan MLB

Tashaun Gipson FS

George Iloka SS

Malik Jackson DT

Lamar Miller RB

 

What does everybody think?

 

No WR to restore the vertical passing game?

[jaxjag 43]

 

ESPN Boston's Mike Reiss believes free agent Matt Forte "could be a perfect fit" with the Patriots.

The price would have to be right -- the Pats aren't the sort of team to pay top dollar for a 30-year-old running back -- but on paper there isn't a better fit across the league than Forte in Foxboro. Reiss previously suggested the Patriots will "explore the possibility" of signing Forte. LeGarrette Blount is a free agent, while space back Dion Lewis is rehabbing a torn ACL.

Related: Patriots

 

 

The price would have to be right....

 

Stopped reading right there.

[Patriotsfatboy1 1,432]

 

The price would have to be right....

 

Stopped reading right there.

 

Exactly

[tanatastic 2,061]

 

No WR to restore the vertical passing game?

They already have 2 good wrs and can get Marvin Jones if they really want one.

[R8RMick 242]

 

No WR to restore the vertical passing game?

I'm looking at your avatar, featuring your mutt of a team, and laughing at you laughing at me.

[redsrback 30]

Oh most definitely. Murray has huge holes in his game that couldn't really be ascertained until he received a full season sample size of work.

I owned Murray this year and thought he was under-utilized due to the direction of passing game. When you say Miller I see no change - apples and oranges due to same style.

[redsrback 30]

They already have 2 good wrs and can get Marvin Jones if they really want one.

Cooper is a mystery, will he just be a possession receiver or will he vault into a top 2 rounds, any thoughts?

[R8RMick 242]

I owned Murray this year and thought he was under-utilized due to the direction of passing game. When you say Miller I see no change - apples and oranges due to same style.

Don't sleep on the Oakland RB in 2016, whoever it is. I'm hearing nothing of a change, it's just my personal speculation. The team will probably stick with Murray, though they want to get him SOME rotational help. And by the way their use of Roy Helu is a big mystery that the team has not discussed. My guess is he got behind early in camp due to injury, never caught up, and fell out of favor.

 

Getting back on point...

 

No RB in the league last year saw a greater percentage of his team's carries than Latavius Murray. His 266 carries were third in the league. He was also used greatly in the passing game. That's been Bill Musgrave's mantra for years, most notably in his time at MN with Peterson.

 

Secondly, the Raider offensive line is vastly underrated. It finished tenth overall in the league according to PFF, 18th in run blocking. The team needs to make some adjustments on the right side, and in fact has a young mauler named Jon Feliciano out of the U they drafted in the fourth round last year. He cracked the starting lineup in the Green Bay game, and while he struggled in some areas he held his own. It should be noted that MANY rookie offensive linemen struggled from the get-go last season, with limited exceptions being Scherf and perhaps Rob Haverstein. Reggie McKenzie snatched a young beast named Gabe Jackson out of the third round in 2014, and some are looking at Feliciano in the same light.

 

Lastly, the Raider offense was kept off the field last year by the defensive unit. I expect huge upgrades this off season, both through FA and the draft. This, coupled with Carr's growing prowess at QB, leads me to believe the running game will improve in 2016. If anything the time of possession shift will see it so.

 

Oh and on the two backs. Murray stands 6'3" and has a very high upright style of running. Of course, other great backs like Eric Dickerson and Eddie George were tall as well. But Murray does not possess the toughness and physicality of George and is light years from having the vision and instincts of Dickerson. I watched Eric play for years while in LA, and nobody ever got a clean shot on him. Murray on the other hand has already been concussed twice in his career. Both incidentally leading to fumbles. On the second shot, an open field tackle in the flat by Pittsburgh's Mike Mitchell last year, there is absolutely no excuse for Murray to have not protected himself. He took a shot straight to the facemask from a guy he saw coming 10-15 feet away. That alarms me.

 

Murray also has a penchant for being brought down very easily in the open field, often by defensive backs and slower linebackers. He did force 42 missed tackles, fifth in the league, but I swear he left massive chunks of yards on the field. He possesses no stiff arm move whatsoever. I just don't see a very polished running back, even at this stage of his career.

 

Lamar Miller is actually younger, just as big at 225 pounds, almost as fast running a 4.40 forty to Murray's 4.37, and hits the tape at 5 feet 10 inches. I actually see Miller's height as a plus. He averaged almost a full half per carry more than Murray, and finished fifth in PFF's overall RB rankings opposed to Murray's 42nd.

 

Again, I don't see the Raiders making a switch from Murray, but if they do I would jump all over that runner next year. And if not, Murray will see an uptick in effectiveness through the upgrade in the Raider defense and Carr's growing maturity.

[R8RMick 242]

Cooper is a mystery, will he just be a possession receiver or will he vault into a top 2 rounds, any thoughts?

 

If you refer to Amari Cooper, go back and look at the top ten Wrs from last year and what they did in their rookie seasons. Other than OBJ the year Coop had was probably better than most. He's going to be good, Raider fans are talking a mix of Cliff Branch and Tim Brown. What's more, he has a fantastic young QB he's building a rapport with.

[Groundhog 24]

Forte over the last four seasons had cap hits in the range of $6m - $9m per year. He's 30 yrs old of course now, so with the wheels slowly coming off the wagon, you could see those cap hits starting to come down.

 

LeGarrette Blount is 29 and last year, his cap hit was < $1m.

Steven Jackson is 32 and last year, his cap hit was also < $1m.

 

In the last three seasons, 2013-2015, the Patriots ranked 25th, 20th and 19th, respectively, for total cap $$ allocated to running backs. It's a position that they just do not prioritize. For 2016 they are currently expected to rank 20th again. Found this on overthecap.com.

 

It seems like a nice positional fit - Forte can do a little of everything at the RB position - but the gap between what the Pats pay, and what Forte recently earned, seems like a really big stretch.

[R8RMick 242]

Just heard on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas it's official Forte not returning to Chicago. I've got Langford as a keeper so great news for me.

 

Can anyone confirm?

[redsrback 30]

 

If you refer to Amari Cooper, go back and look at the top ten Wrs from last year and what they did in their rookie seasons. Other than OBJ the year Coop had was probably better than most. He's going to be good, Raider fans are talking a mix of Cliff Branch and Tim Brown. What's more, he has a fantastic young QB he's building a rapport with.

You make good points with Murray but he played in every game and only averaged 16 carries, I still don't share the sentiment for Miller. I like your Branch reference but don't see anyone in the league who dives for a ball like a Tim Brown, Carl Pickens, Isaac Bruce, and jerry Rice. Good conversation as always with you thanks.

[Patriotsfatboy1 1,432]

Just heard on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas it's official Forte not returning to Chicago. I've got Langford as a keeper so great news for me.

 

Can anyone confirm?

 

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2016/02/12/matt-forte-makes-it-official-hes-out-in-Chicago/

 

The veteran running back just sent out word via social media that he wouldn’t be back, as the team won’t pursue extending the free agent.

 

“Despite my wishes, my days as a member of the Chicago Bears have sadly come to an end,” he wrote on Instagram. “I was informed earlier this week from the GM that they will not be attempting to re-sign me in free agency. I will remain forever grateful for my time spent in Chicago and being able to play for an organization with such a rich history.

[weepaws 2,452]

How about Jerry Jones , can anyone see him going after Forte ?

[Mike FF Today 607]

How about Jerry Jones , can anyone see him going after Forte ?

 

I can. As of now, I see New England, Dallas, Baltimore and maybe even the Colts (depending on if they see Forte as a significant upgrade) as teams that will likely have an interest. If Doug Pederson and the Eagles want to clean house at RB, then I could see them having an interest in a pass-catching back like Forte.

[weepaws 2,452]

Yeah Baltimore is another good pick , and I think the Jets would be in the running . Forte with the Colts would be I good match up with Luck and fill two needs at rb , he would be an upgrade over Gore and of course the always injured Bradshaw .

[Patriotsfatboy1 1,432]

 

I can. As of now, I see New England, Dallas, Baltimore and maybe even the Colts (depending on if they see Forte as a significant upgrade) as teams that will likely have an interest. If Doug Pederson and the Eagles want to clean house at RB, then I could see them having an interest in a pass-catching back like Forte.

 

How can the Eagles really do that? From a cap standpoint:

- Sproles is an option as they save $3.5M and he has only $1M in dead cap space. He is not a bad value, though.

- Murray is not really a good option unless they are able to trade him. They would have $4M in cap savings and $4M in dead money, but no Murray. If they cut him, then there is a ton of dead money and negative cost savings.

- Ryan Mathews - if they cut him, they have $3m in dead money and $1m in cap savings, but no Mathews. They could try and trade him, but it would be $2m in dead money and $2m in cap savings.

 

I think that Chip still has his mark on the Eagles backfield.

[Djgb13 2,338]

Would love to see Forte go to the Pats but I just don't see that happening. They aren't the type to pay for a RB. I think they will be content with Blount and Lewis. Will try to fill in gaps on the O line and get someone to replace Lafell. Those to me are their biggest priorities. They've proven they can win with Blount and Lewis so despite my best wishes they just won't pursue Forte heavily. I see Forte going to either Baltimpre, Dallas, or possibly the Green Bay.

[IGotWorms 3,302]

This is an awful lot of take for a 30 yr old RB who struggled to hit 4 ypc in his younger years

[weepaws 2,452]

Forte has avg over 4 yards per carry five of his last six seasons 5 of the 8 seasons he has played and two of the times he avg less than 4 per carry he avg 3.9 , so I think he still has a little left .

[Djgb13 2,338]

Forte has avg over 4 yards per carry five of his last six seasons 5 of the 8 seasons he has played and two of the times he avg less than 4 per carry he avg 3.9 , so I think he still has a little left .

With his pass catching abilities I think he does too. However, I doubt he will get what he wants money wise and the patriots just won't pay millions of dollars for a rb. Even the best RB in the game they won't pay for. It's not their game plan. They know they are a passing team and can win with their current rbs. They will focus on Oline and WRs.

[PJ_Abyss 0]

After the embarrassment my Broncos defense gave them I think they will want someone to protect Brady. Cause they went through that line like they were a highschool team

[sirensong 111]

 

I can. As of now, I see New England, Dallas, Baltimore and maybe even the Colts (depending on if they see Forte as a significant upgrade) as teams that will likely have an interest. If Doug Pederson and the Eagles want to clean house at RB, then I could see them having an interest in a pass-catching back like Forte.

 

 

i'm going to disagree on DAL. i don't know enough about forte to assess his scheme fit, but i just don't see the personnel fit. DAL already has their mature guy in the room, who clearly demonstrated starting ability. they need another well-rounded back, but it doesn't make sense to bring an even older guy into what looks to be a rotation. IMO, even if forte was an upgrade, he would be an incremental one, and would be looked at as a 'progress-stopper'.

 

with randle and dunbar in the fold, DAL had a solid justification not to draft an RB. but with those pieces gone or broken, DAL is almost compelled to draft a back this year. otherwise there's a big break in the 'conveyor belt' of new talent.

[R8RMick 242]

You make good points with Murray but he played in every game and only averaged 16 carries, I still don't share the sentiment for Miller. I like your Branch reference but don't see anyone in the league who dives for a ball like a Tim Brown, Carl Pickens, Isaac Bruce, and jerry Rice. Good conversation as always with you thanks.

 

 

And there you go...

 

http://www.rotoworld.com/headlines/nfl/331452/raiders-expected-to-pursue-running-back-help?ls=roto:OAK:topheadlines

 

 

Of course I'm not saying this clown has any insight into the thought process of the Raider coaching staff, not many people do. Just pointing out I'm not the only one seeing this angle of a possible upgrade there.

 

I will say though, if Forte goes to the Raiders grab him. He may be 30, but the man has kept himself in excellent shape, proving such when he came back quickly after that knee sprain. He saw Langford coming on, and willed himself back out there. Lol... a knee sprain like that keeps a guy like McFadden on the shelf half a season. And Forte is an outstanding blocker. Couple that with his receiving and open field skills and you have a very poor man's Walter Payton. I'm amazed the Bears didn't keep him, in lieu of a kid they drafted in the fourth round last year.

 

What's happened with running backs in the NFL is simply amazing... Check Sportrac's list of the top ten RB's salary-wise and respectively you'll get the 36th (Peterson), 7th (Lynch), 31st Charles), 66th (D Murray), 32nd (McCoy), 8th (Stewart), 35th (Vereen), 42nd (Spiller), and 39th (Ingram) ranked RB's on the overall Pro Football Focus list. And Arian Foster didn't even make the list. Listening to a couple Cowboys homers on sports radio today laughing how they should just take some kid in the fourth round and throw him out there. They have an excellent point. It's a young man's game, and especially so at the RB position.

[weepaws 2,452]

And there you go...

 

http://www.rotoworld.com/headlines/nfl/331452/raiders-expected-to-pursue-running-back-help?ls=roto:OAK:topheadlines

 

 

Of course I'm not saying this clown has any insight into the thought process of the Raider coaching staff, not many people do. Just pointing out I'm not the only one seeing this angle of a possible upgrade there.

 

I will say though, if Forte goes to the Raiders grab him. He may be 30, but the man has kept himself in excellent shape, proving such when he came back quickly after that knee sprain. He saw Langford coming on, and willed himself back out there. Lol... a knee sprain like that keeps a guy like McFadden on the shelf half a season. And Forte is an outstanding blocker. Couple that with his receiving and open field skills and you have a very poor man's Walter Payton. I'm amazed the Bears didn't keep him, in lieu of a kid they drafted in the fourth round last year.

 

 

 

What's happened with running backs in the NFL is simply amazing... Check Sportrac's list of the top ten RB's salary-wise and respectively you'll get the 36th (Peterson), 7th (Lynch), 31st Charles), 66th (D Murray), 32nd (McCoy), 8th (Stewart), 35th (Vereen), 42nd (Spiller), and 39th (Ingram) ranked RB's on the overall Pro Football Focus list. And Arian Foster didn't even make the list. Listening to a couple Cowboys homers on sports radio today laughing how they should just take some kid in the fourth round and throw him out there. They have an excellent point. It's a young man's game, and especially so at the RB position.

Good call .

[weepaws 2,452]

With his pass catching abilities I think he does too. However, I doubt he will get what he wants money wise and the patriots just won't pay millions of dollars for a rb. Even the best RB in the game they won't pay for. It's not their game plan. They know they are a passing team and can win with their current rbs. They will focus on Oline and WRs.

Yeah I can see it your way .