Here is what Mr. Forte Tweeted today after the Bears announced their signing of terrific running back Michael Bush to a four-year contract with $7 million guaranteed:

“There’s only so many times a man that has done everything he’s been asked to do can be disrespected!” Forte tweeted. “Guess the GOOD GUYs do finish last.”

Here are my thoughts. If you follow me on Twitter, I apologize. Some of the following will be repeated.

1. I am good a guy. According to Matt Forte, good guys finish last. I will have to assume “finishing last” to Forte is cashing checks worth a total of $7.7 million over the next nine months. So apparently I am due almost $8 million this year. Nice.
2. Phil Emery’s signing of Michael Bush is not disrespectful to Matt Forte. The Bears are signing a running back to take some of Forte’s workload, to extend his career, to protect his future health. They are not signing Bush in lieu of Forte. They are signing Bush to COMPLIMENT Forte and protect themselves against a prospective hold out. It’s a wonderful move by a very impressive (at least so far) GM.
3. If NFL players hate this franchise tag so much why do they continually allow it to stand in CBA negotiations? The franchise tag allows teams that draft talented players to keep them without long-term extension by paying a hefty one-year sum – above fair market value. Holdouts on the franchise tag should be illegal. Otherwise what’s the use of having them?
4. You know what you never hear? “The Bears 2011 season imploded when Matt Forte went down.” You know why you never hear it? They still ran the ball really, really well.
5. The Bears should not trade Matt Forte. Unless a team comes to the table with a number one draft pick (they won’t) they should tell him to sign the tender or spend the season on the bench. If Forte can afford to leave $7.7 million in the McCaskey bank account, let’s see what kind of fan support he has at that point.
6. Running backs already have the shortest shelf life in the league and its a position prone to significant injuries. The reason the Bears and the Ravens (Ray Rice) are using the franchise tag for that position is because they are smart.
7. Make no mistake about it. The Bears gained significant leverage with the acquisition of Brandon Marshall. The Bears will be passing the ball quite a bit next season and Forte’s % of offense number would have declined naturally.
8. DeAngelo Williams’ contract with the Carolina Panthers was thought to have set the marketplace but teams have not allowed it to happen. Moon Mullin reported the Bears offered Forte a multi-year deal with $12 million guaranteed. He rejected it.
9. For those of you citing the Texans extending Arian Foster, I understand it. They also then released their starting right tackle and starting center for financial reasons.
10. I like Matt Forte. I think he is smart and versatile. I want him to play another half-decade with the Chicago Bears. But I think it’s tough to win in the court of public opinion when you’re using ridiculous language to describe a check for $8 million. Say you want to be with the Bears long-term. Say you believe it’s difficult to go all-in without that long-term security. But don’t, do not, never call eight million bucks “finishing last”.