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Dallas Cowboys Should Keep Close Watch On Matt Forte

By Erik Lambert

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Sep 13, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears running back Matt Forte (22) runs against Green Bay Packers cornerback Sam Shields (37) during the second quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

It was a narrow escape for the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night as Tony Romo pull out some vintage late-game heroics to steal a win from the New York Giants.  It was a thrilling enough victory to overshadow a fact nobody wants to talk about:  how underwhelming the running game was.

Keep in mind the Giants were playing without Jason Pierre-Paul, middle linebacker Jon Beason and fielded two new safeties including rookie Landon Collins.  Yet the Cowboys still managed just 81 yards on 22 carries for the game.  Now Dez Bryant could be out from anywhere between four and 12 weeks with a broken foot.  That increases the need for this team to have a ground attack they can rely on.

If a Giants team that ranked 30th in run defense last season can stop them, it means they may not be as set at running back as they hoped.  They’ve already traded for former Seahawks backup Christine Michael but he never saw the field and was never a huge factor in Seattle.

Dallas knows their Super Bowl window is finite.  That was proven from their aggressive off-season moves.  The time may be approaching for them to become a bit more serious about acquiring a legitimate runner.

One name they should consider?

Matt Forte.

The two-time Pro Bowler is off to yet another great start with the Chicago Bears, ripping through Green Bay for 141 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries.  He’s a proven back with a long track record of good health and has rare versatility as a pass catcher.  At age 29 he’s not a spring chicken but isn’t over the hill yet.

So why him?  Two factors are in play here.  Forte is in the final year of his current contract.  He’ll be a free agent next March.  The Bears have hesitated offering him a new deal, perhaps because their new GM Ryan Pace is more interested in building around younger players.

Then there is the team angle.  Most experts believe Chicago isn’t going to go very far in 2015, instead working to figure out which players they wish to keep before another purge next spring so they can really begin an overhaul to build the roster head coach John Fox wants.  That would make a valuable veteran like Forte expendable around the trade deadline next month.

It could be a win-win for both teams.  Chicago gets something in return for an expiring contract and the money that comes back as well while the Cowboys get the bell cow running back they lost when DeMarco Murray left.

More will be known in the next few weeks, but this is a situation to monitor.

Next: NFL Week 1: Mariota Magic And Other Takeaways

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