"I think we can all agree that Matt Forte's 42-yard catch against the Giants was the one and only highlight of his preseason so far. If we can't agree on that — if you believe his four rushes for seven yards are a small package of grace and beauty — then I'm guessing you still pine for the Curtis Enis era.

Don't worry: Forte is not Enis. He's not Rashaan Salaam nor Cedric Benson nor most of the running backs who have tried to fill Walter Payton's white-taped shoes.

But what is he? That's the question in front of the Bears as they try to decide how to pay a guy who believes he should be in line for a huge payday.

Let's start with what Forte isn't: He's not an elite running back. He's not Maurice Jones-Drew. He's not Chris Johnson. He's not Adrian Peterson. He's not going to make something out of nothing along the line.

But he's an excellent fit for offensive coordinator Mike Martz's system. He's very good at catching short passes and making something happen, as he showed on Jay Cutler's screen pass Monday night. He can run the ball, but more than most backs in the NFL, he needs good blocking to get yards.

Forte considers himself one of the best running backs in the league.

"Production-wise, it says I am,'' he said after practice Thursday. "Whether to the media or to the fans, whether I'm underrated or overrated to them, it doesn't matter. If you look at stats, I am.''"