Matt Forte announces he's leaving the Bears

I want this signing to happen badly but have the Patriots ever made a signing that was deemed as so obvious that it had to happen?

VectorPrime said:

I want this signing to happen badly but have the Patriots ever made a signing that was deemed as so obvious that it had to happen?

Click to expand...

Revis Island

Marqui said:

Revis Island

Click to expand...

That really wasn't...so obvious. We all sat here going...HAHA revis? Then reports started to come out we all were like"....wait...what...really?!"

I think the Welker one was pretty obvious.

If Heath and Willie did in fact take to Forte during the SB..then contact BB about him. You know there is interest. But as always in FA...will a team come in and offer say 2 mill more a year or $6mill more overall...and will he leave it on the table. Many players don't. So him saying he only cares about rings now. Ill have to wait and see because 90% it's $$ related. Has he come to the light like some other players?

Brady_to_Moss said:

Is that what Gore got? 4 a year?

Click to expand...

Yup, Gore got a $12M / three-year deal with about $7.5M guaranteed. The tough comparison is that Gore was 31 years old when he signed it (so a little older) and maybe wasn't thought to be as dynamic as Forte, so I see that contract realistically as maybe even a bit low? But it's the same general range of what I think Forte can set.

I just have no idea whether Belichick would commit to that much guaranteed, versus an incentive-laden deal, which the Patriots prefer. IF they even negotiated, I would suspect the amount guaranteed might be the sticking point, since Gore has to think about his age/ injury issues, and probably needs some security....

VectorPrime said:

I want this signing to happen badly but have the Patriots ever made a signing that was deemed as so obvious that it had to happen?

Click to expand...

Brandon Lloyd

Yeah, for as much as the narrative is that we don't go out and spend money on FAs, the Pats have, several times, gone out and got guys we all thought were obvious fits.

I'm not sure an aging RB is someone we should use significant cap space on though.. Not when so many teams are finding really capable backs late in the draft and even undrafted guys.

IMO they do need an every down back, but like I just said, that can be had elsewhere than an aging big name.

If they are going to actually make a splash, I would prefer it be another weapon for TB or an O lineman.

Bill doesn't like to give rookie running backs large roles because he wants to spend at least a year drilling ball security into their skulls.

VectorPrime said:

Bill doesn't like to give rookie running backs large roles because he wants to spend at least a year drilling ball security into their skulls.

Click to expand...

And rightfully so.

That said, there have been some instances where guys like 1)BJGE contributed with 5 touchdowns, 2)Woodhead (technically had 15 previous carries, but still basically an unknown second year player) with 6 touchdowns and almost 950 total yards, and even 3)Ridley with close to 500 yards in a limited role that should've been bigger had it not been for his fumbling.

I don't think we'd necessarily need a rookie RB to act like a 3 down bellcow back, but there's reason to believe that he can't contribute on some level. I'm expecting a guy like Lewis to hold down about 55-60 percent of the RB production, while the other RBs (vet/rookie/FA pickup) split the rest of the production.

I'd be fine with any number of FA running backs. Miller, Forte, Morris, Ivory--even Blount (with other additions, of course) would all be fine with me. The biggest part is obviously the value and money.

VectorPrime said:

I want this signing to happen badly but have the Patriots ever made a signing that was deemed as so obvious that it had to happen?

Click to expand...

I seem to remember a pretty strong consensus about Adalius Thomas.

AvocadoIceCream said:

Yeah, for as much as the narrative is that we don't go out and spend money on FAs, the Pats have, several times, gone out and got guys we all thought were obvious fits.

I'm not sure an aging RB is someone we should use significant cap space on though.. Not when so many teams are finding really capable backs late in the draft and even undrafted guys.

IMO they do need an every down back, but like I just said, that can be had elsewhere than an aging big name.

If they are going to actually make a splash, I would prefer it be another weapon for TB or an O lineman.

Click to expand...

Aging, yes, but still very productive. He had an injury this past season but not serious.

So MF does not qualify as a "weapon"? Even before Dion got hurt TB was starting to get pounded. And after Dion and Solder went down Blount could not run the ball and TB got pounded even more. I don't want to see that again. Forte can not only run but is a "great" receiving back and, oh, I think he can also block a little better than average. If that's not a weapon then I don't know what is (Calvin Johnson maybe?)

Forte is very likely to fall off a cliff though

AvocadoIceCream said:

Forte is very likely to fall off a cliff though

Click to expand...

EVeryone said the same about Dillon. And he gaves us 2 really good years. 1 great year

Brady_to_Moss said:

EVeryone said the same about Dillon. And he gaves us 2 really good years. 1 great year

Click to expand...

I'd say one fantastic year and one decent year but your point still rings true.

I see your Dillion and raise you a Frank Gore..

But the reality is, most backs are DONE at that age

AvocadoIceCream said:

I see your Dillion and raise you a Frank Gore..

But the reality is, most backs are DONE at that age

Click to expand...

Gore is a much different back than forte though. So it's tough to compare. Would i pay him 3-3.5 mill a year for 3 years? Defiantly

AvocadoIceCream said:

I see your Dillion and raise you a Frank Gore..

But the reality is, most backs are DONE at that age

Click to expand...

Except Gore didn't really fall off a cliff though

From '07 to '14 he finished with 1000-1200 yards. This past he ran for 960 yards with Luck missing 9 games.. Gore has a better year if Luck plays a full season, defenses would have had to respect the passing game more which open up stuff for Gore.

Hardly call that falling off a cliff.

Also Forte showed no signs of decline this year amassing 1300 total yards

Looks good in a PAts uni. He changed his IG description to "trying to win a championship"

I will be so pissed off if there is mutual interest but we don't sign him over something stupid like 500k a year.

Brady_to_Moss said:

Looks good in a PAts uni. He changed his IG description to "trying to win a championship"

Click to expand...

Realistically is Green Bay, Denver,Seattle and us who have a legitimate chance at a title and also need a back.

Patriots double dip at rb and wr sign Forte and Ivory as well as trade for Gordon and sign Marvin Jones it would be incredible.