From Mark Potash:
Bears general manager Jerry Angelo said he intends to give running back Matt Forte a contract extension, but hinted it might not be done as easily as Forte would like it to be.
”I told [his agent, Adisa Bakari] … our intent is to do that,” Angelo said Sunday. ”That’s a strong word. When I say intent, then we’re motivated to do something. The timetable is yet to be determined. Just be patient. Take care of your job as you already have and continue to do and we’re going to do our part.
”But again, it’s a negotiation. You’ve got to find that common ground. That part of it will be a challenge. You’re not talking about [an unrestricted free agent], where there’s an open market [and] you bid. These extensions are much tougher, because agents normally look at the UFA market to set their counts. But he’s not a UFA.
”And that’s the challenge. We’ve got a pretty good track record. Cliff [team negotiator Cliff Stein] is the best. I trust him. Adisa Bakari … we’ve dealt with him. He’s a very good agent. So I feel optimistic. But again, we’ll just let that play itself out.”
