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Forte Undergoes Arthroscopic Surgery-- Thu Jan 21 8:30 pm -- Bears RB Hopes To Bounce Back From Disappointing Season
Bears running back Matt Forte had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee within the last two weeks, according to multiple sources.
The clean-up procedure followed a post-season MRI. Forte sprained the medial collateral ligament in his knee during the Bears' 25-19 victory at Seattle in Week 3, but it is unclear if the surgery stems from that specific injury.
Although Forte ran better toward the end of the season, he averaged just 3.6 yards per carry, down from his 3.9-yard average as a rookie. He finished with 929 rushing yards on 258 carries as the Bears ranked 29th in the league. Forte ran for 1,238 yards on 316 carries as a rookie the year before. As a receiver, he had 57 catches for 471 yards in 2009 against 63 for 477 in his first season.
Forte also suffered a partially torn hamstring during offseason workouts before the '09 season.(Chicago Tribune)
FF Today's Take:While the Bears' o-line was horrible at run blocking in 2009 and the team as a whole lost confidence in former OC Ron Turner, it was clear Forte was far from 100%. Chicago has yet to replace Turner, so it is unclear just how much of a bounceback candidate he will be next year. Nevertheless, expect Forte to be on a number of undervalued lists as we enter the 2010 season.
Bears Retain HC Smith, GM Angelo-- Tue Jan 5 8:30 pm -- OC Turner And Five Other Offensive Assistants Let Go
Bears HC Lovie Smith and GM Jerry Angelo will remain in their respective positions, but not every Chicago coach was so lucky.
The moves begin on the offensive side of the ball, where coordinator Ron Turner has been relieved of his duties. Others who won’t return include position coaches Pep Hamilton (QBs), Harry Hiestand (OL) and Rob Boras (TEs) and assistants Luke Butkus and Charles London.
The changes come after the Bears went 7-9 and failed to make the playoffs for the third straight season. Since reaching Super Bowl XLI in 2006, Smith has compiled a 23-25 record. Smith has posted a 54-46 overall record in six seasons as coach.
Acquiring Pro Bowl quarterback Jay Cutler in a blockbuster trade in April created euphoria both inside and outside of Halas Hall. But Cutler struggled with interceptions and didn’t get much help from an inconsistent defense and an unproductive running game.(chicagobears.com)
FF Today's Take:The offense's late surge - 73 points and 781 yards to go along with back-to-back four-TD games from Cutler - wasn't enough to save Turner, who was unable to get his offenses to finish higher than 15th in any of his five seasons and was made the scapegoat for the overall disappointing season that Cutler experienced. While Smith's return was in some question, his contract with a lockout looming likely made him easier to keep around. Angelo, on the other hand, has been under fire for several years now and will need the Bears to have a good season in 2010 to keep his job.
Cutler Unfazed By Injury-- Mon Dec 7 1:00 am -- Throwing Hand
Jay Cutler tried to downplay the significance of an injury to his right hand after the game, but said it did play a factor in him throwing a career-low 17 passes.
Cutler was roughed up midway through the second quarter when he rolled right and couldn't find anything, holding the ball so long that Rams defensive end Leonard Little was able to cleanly drive him to the turf just after he threw incomplete. Cutler got up shaking his hand.
''Yeah, I dinged my hand,'' he said when asked if the offense was more conservative as the game progressed.
(Chicago Sun-Times)
FF Today's Take:Cutler was already a risky play but his injury may benefit Matt Forte owners if any swelling or bruising persists throughout the week. Fantasy owners will want to check back later this week for an update before rolling the dice on any of Chicago's pass catchers including Devin Hester who left the game with a calf injury and didn't return.
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