Angelo expects Forte to have a big year

Publicly, Bears general manager Jerry Angelo has put a hold on the contract extension talks involving running back Matt Forte.

Privately it wouldn't be a surprise if Angelo and Forte's agent Adisa Bakari continue to talk behind the scenes on an extension. Forte finished 10th in the NFL in yards from scrimmage last season (1,616) and averaged a career-best 4.5 yards on 237 carries for 1,069 yards in his third NFL season.

“We've decided that we're just going to focus on the season and that's something we talked about when we went into the negotiations,” Angelo said Monday night on WBBM 780-AM. “We were hopeful, I'm not saying the door is shut, but right now our focus is going to be on the season.

“There was a mutual understanding. We visited a few times. In our last meeting we felt like with the season upon us that right now we want to focus and Matt wants to focus on the season and having the great year that we all expect and know that he will.”

Barring an extension, Forte will be an unrestricted free agent after this season, although the Bears could place the franchise tag on him, which means he would remain a Bear for the 2012 season but be paid an average of the top 10 salaries at his position. This year it was $9.5 million.

Forte is in the final season of a four-year, $3.78 million deal that he signed after being drafted in the second round in 2008 out of Tulsa. That deal included a signing bonus of $1.533 million and $2 million in guaranteed money. It pays him a base salary this season of $550,000.

Fullback fallback:Fullback Will Ta'ufo'ou was waived Tuesday, leaving one spot open on the 53-man roster. Ta'ufo'ou was an undrafted free agent out of Cal in 2009 and spent that season on the Bears' practice squad. He was in camp with the Bears the last three preseasons and was originally on the 53-man roster Saturday. The Bears are expected to use their remaining spot to add a veteran linebacker, since they have just five on the roster.Ta'ufo'ou's departure leaves the Bears without a true fullback on the roster, although Purdue rookie tight end Kyle Adams has played some snaps there in the preseason. Adams is listed on the Week 1 depth chart as the only fullback and also as the No. 3 tight end.#376; Follow Bob's Bears reports via Twitter @Bob LeGere and check out our Bear Essentials blog at dailyherald.com.FBN11662001Matt Forte, who will make $550,000 in 2011, was 10th in the NFL last season with 1,616 yards from scrimmage.Associated PressFBN