[July 29, 2011] Bears' Forte puts off holding out Tweet BOURBONNAIS, Ill., Jul 29, 2011 (Chicago Tribune - McClatchy-Tribune News Service via COMTEX) -- The NFL lockout didn't prevent Matt Forte from getting to the gym. While the Bears running back showed up with a clean-shaven head for training camp, what stood out more was the chiseled physique he has put together. Forte considered not showing up for the start of training camp as he makes a push for a long-term contract extension, but decided the best place to be was here. A holdout "was a consideration," he said. "I had to weigh my options. I thought about it. I kind of got my mind put to ease by (general manager Jerry Angelo). He had been in talks with my agent since the end of the lockout and even before that, and he kind of said that a deal would get done. He assured us repeatedly that a deal would get done. "Where I'm from and how I was raised, when somebody gives you their word that goes a long way." Far enough to get him to Olivet Nazarene, anyway, with the hope that something will materialize quickly. "What (Angelo) told me was that a deal will get done," Forte said. "He said I am a priority of his. Hopefully that means soon." Asked if he had any parameters in mind, Forte joked, "I have a lot of ideas." One place for him to start would be the $43 million, five-year contract DeAngelo Williams received from the Panthers. That deal included $23 million guaranteed. Showing up probably hastens the deal getting done because the Bears' policy is they don't negotiate with players that aren't here. He's here and looks like a rock. ___ (c) 2011, Chicago Tribune. Visit the Chicago Tribune on the Internet at http://www.chicagotribune.com/. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]