NFL Trade Rumors: Buzz Surrounding Matt Forte and More as Deadline Approaches

There are impact NFL players out there who could swing the race for the Super Bowl title this season. The only question is whether front offices across the league are willing to part with what is necessary before Tuesday’s trade deadline.

The NFL trade deadline is never the free-for-all that its MLB and NBA counterparts are, but there are bound to be some moves with a distinct pecking order of title contenders and teams below .500 through Week 7. 

Naturally, there are already some rumors circulating around the league. Here is a look at the latest buzz.

Matt Forte Reportedly Likely to Stay in the Windy City

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Matt Forte has been a featured player in the Chicago Bears offense throughout his career, but he is in the final year of a four-year contract and has been involved with trade rumors before Tuesday’s deadline.

NFL.com analyst Ian Rapoport discussed Forte, per Kevin Patra of NFL.com: “It's clear this is a rebuilding year for the Bears with a new regime. They are open, I am told, to trading really a lot of their key parts, mainly because they would like draft picks. At this point nothing is expected from Forte, because of his age, because of his salary.”

Trading Forte makes some sense from Chicago’s perspective. The Bears are not likely to contend this year after a 2-4 start, and they could theoretically get something of value in return before he potentially leaves, especially if his production is taken into consideration.

Forte played all 16 games in five of the last seven years and topped 1,000 rushing yards five times during that span. In fact, he never ran for less than 929 yards in a single season and is also a lethal threat out of the backfield as an extra receiver who caught 102 passes for 808 yards in 2014.

However, as Rapoport mentioned, the 2015 contract ($6.64 million plus $1.05 million in per-game roster bonuses, per the Patra piece) and the fact Forte will turn 30 in December are both factors decreasing his trade value. 

The age is not as big of a deal considering his consistent production and overall durability throughout his career, especially if he will only be a one-year rental in a trade, but that is a lot of money to take on for a running back in this pass-happy league. It would have to be a realistic Super Bowl contender in desperate need of a playmaker in the backfield because of injuries or lack of production. 

Chicago is technically still within striking distance of a wild-card spot in the wide-open NFC, so it will likely continue to use Forte the rest of this season as its best offensive playmaker if those factors limit the trade options.

Jared Cook Could Be on Way Out in St. Louis

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

The St. Louis Rams are 3-3, but they appear talented enough to remain in playoff contention behind breakout rookie running back Todd Gurley and a strong defense. On paper, it wouldn’t make much sense if the Rams were looking toward the trade market as a way of rebuilding like the Bears.

Still, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports noted St. Louis is fielding calls about tight end Jared Cook’s availability, according to league sources.

Cook’s inconsistent production could be one reason his name popped up in rumors, considering he only has 188 receiving yards and hasn’t found the end zone. Cook has not turned in the same steady numbers from the last four seasons, when he averaged 646.75 yards a campaign and caught 15 touchdowns.

He also led the Rams in receptions in his first two seasons with the team after he signed as a free agent following his time with the Tennessee Titans.

While Cook is a proven talent, there is a backup option in place because the Rams have tight end Lance Kendricks under contract through 2018.

Along those lines, Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com pointed out that Cook counts $8.3 million against this year’s salary cap with $5 million of his base salary guaranteed. What’s more, “there are also two years of prorated signing bonus worth more than $2 million left on Cook’s contract beyond this year, meaning that if the Rams dealt Cook, they’d have to take on the accelerated portion of that signing bonus as one lump hit of dead money for next year.”

Perhaps the financial reason is enough to discourage the Rams from pulling the trigger on any trade. Head coach Jeff Fisher doesn’t seem ready to move his tight end, per Nate Latsch of Scout.com:

"

We take calls all of the time. People call. People have injuries. People have interest. That happens all of the time. I have no interest in trading Jared. He’s a big part of our offense. I don’t know where that originated from or came from. I clearly wasn’t aware of it. Jared’s fine. He’s a big part of this. Those kind of things happen.

"

It looks as if Cook will continue to have a chance to prove himself with the Rams throughout the season.