The Chicago Bears and running back Matt Forte are apparently re-opening contract negotiations in the shadow of the 2012 NFL Combine. The deadline for teams to apply the franchise tag is March 5, and Albert Breer of the NFL Network reported on Friday that Forte's representatives will meet with the Bears this weekend to discuss a long-term contract.
Forte doesn't exactly have great leverage, because the Bears have the right to apply the franchise tag for two consecutive seasons even if the two sides can't agree on a long-term deal. Despite his pending unrestricted free agency, Forte is effectively under team control regardless. According to Mac's Football Blog, he would receive somewhere between $7.7 and $8 million in base salary if the Bears do indeed franchise him.
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