By most accounts, the 2015 NFL Draft is deep at the running back position.
That's good news for a team like the Jacksonville Jaguars, likely searching for another answer at the position beyond last season's surprise success story, Denard Robinson.
It's mediocre news for a team like the Chicago Bears, who already boast one of the NFL's most complete backs in Matt Forte.
With the Bears reportedly eyeing one of the 2015 NFL Draft's top two quarterbacks, Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, would need and value potentially align between the two franchises enough for a deal involving Forte and the third-overall pick in the draft to be consummated?
"If Winston is somehow on the board third or fourth overall, the Bears could open trade talks with the Jacksonville Jaguars with running back Matt Forte and the seventh overall pick," writes Jeff Reynolds of CBS Sports. "Forte is skipping offseason workouts and hopeful of a new deal. The Jaguars need a bell-cow back after kicking the tires on DeMarco Murray in free agency. Chicago could attempt to replace Forte in one of the deepest running back draft pools in at least a decade."
While shipping out Forte seems nearly inconceivable for Chicago, he is seeking a hefty new deal and is already 29. In seven NFL seasons Forte has amassed 1,817 carries and 443 receptions. He's got a lot of mileage on his body and possibly, few seasons of elite play left.
Forte certainly provides an element to the Bears offense matched by few other players in the league, but he's not a franchise quarterback. If Bears head coach John Fox and GM Ryan Pace have already determined that Jay Cutler's not the answer at the game's most important position - and let's be honest, if it weren't for his contract Cutler would likely already be gone - then they must do everything in their power to obtain a player, whether it be Winston, Mariota or someone else, they think can be the franchise's long-term quarterback.
Losing Forte would create another hole on the Bears roster, despite the recent addition of Jacquizz Rodgers and the continued presence of Ka'Deem Carey, but with a plethora of second-day options like Jay Ajayi, Tevin Coleman and Ameer Abdullah, the 2015 NFL Draft really is replete with quality ballcarriers.
The Jaguars already have potential franchise signal-caller Blake Bortles in place and should Winston or Mariota fall past the Titans at No. 2, will be in an extremely advantageous position to trade back and pick up extra draft ammo or, if things work out, a player like Forte.
Of course, the concerns over Forte's long-term NFL future for the Bears would also apply for Jacksonville, but the versatile runner still managed to post over 1,000-yards rushing and over 800-yards receiving last season for Chicago, meaning that it's probably fair to expect at least another two-to-three seasons of elite play out of him before the drop-off really comes.
A front-loaded contract would probably be the best Forte could hope for and would most likely prove mutually advantageous to both sides.
