Full Court Press

If Briggs doesn't want to play for Chicago, the organization might have to cut their losses and try to move him now. He's insane if he thinks he'll get anything other than a better contract elsewhere--as much as he wants to think he's the man, he most certainly is not. If getting $7 Million this coming season isn't enough for him, he's not going to be happy with any long-term deal the Bears can offer (and, to be fair, does he really expect the team to put that much money into the linebacking corps? he obviously wants Urlacher money.)

Because I don't forsee the Bears being able to get a decent draft pick for Briggs, I say they try and pick up a corner with some speed, or a younger possession wide receiver. That is, unless they can package Grossman (or Griese) in a deal that would give them a marquee quarterback for Orton to understudy (just kidding).

It's going to be painful, watching Angelo bungle this offseason and Lovie taking the blame for it.

I don't think he wants to be part of the organization, no matter what they do....unless of course, they came up with some big money, all of a sudden. He wants them to rescind the tag so he can get on the free agent market. Otherwise, he wants a trade.

7 MILLION A YEAR DISREPECTFUL? C'MON LANCE. YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT DISREPECTFUL IS. HOW ABOUT OUR TROOPS FIGHTING IN IRAQ WHO ARE POORLY EQUIPPED..POORLY PAID...AND MANY TIMES POORLY TREATED AT OUR MILITARY HOSPITALS HERE IN THE STATES. HOW ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE STILL SUFFERING FROM KATRINA. I COULD GO ON AND ON BUT WHAT'S THE USE. I SAY YOU ARE THE ONE WHO'S DISRESPECTFUL. TRY WORKING 40 HOURS A WEEK AT MINIMUM WAGE AND THEN YOU'LL KNOW ABOUT DISRESPECT. STREAMWOOD FRANK!!!

Every other team let players leave who they knew could get better contracts on the open market. If the BEARS couldn't give Briggs what he want and can receive elsewhere they are doing him a disservice. As well as the team because that will be a huge distraction. They're basically forcing him to play without security of a long term contract. If another team wants to pay him 9 or 10 million they really can't even approach him because he's not worth losing 2 first round picks. The franchise tag also is used for good faith and the BEARS really don't want to sign him with any good faith. He was a bargain last year and he's a relative bargain again because he could easily get a 10 million signing bonus and a salary of 6/7 million to go along with it this year. They should've found his replacement this past season. And to know that he's going to be disgruntled doesn't help the team. Be fair,get them happy and make sure they're doing their jobs. If they're not, sit them down and get someone who wants to do it. Urlacher has had a couple of guys play beside him who got big money somewhere else. A couple of them have been worth it to their new team and I think Briggs wants to find out what it's like to be his own man. Or at least to be paid like it. I'm tired of backing a guy for a few years and they end up leaving for more money elsewhere. How many of them actually turn out to be worth what teams pay them? They really need to cap players out altogether. No one is really worth all these millions but since owners pay it why be a fool and not take it.

I understand Briggs wants a long term deal, but being able to franchise a player is part of the collective bargaining agreement the players signed with the owners. If he has that big a problem being franchised, then he needs to take that up with Gene Upshaw and the players association who agreed to it.

Briggs is good because UHRLACHER is there, and Uhrlacher is good because BRIGGS is there.
WOW!!SOUNDS LIKE A TEAM EFFORT TO ME!
P.S.in the long run Uhrlacher WILL survive

Trade him so fast it makes his head spin.

Maybe he is the reason they lost the Super Bowl. If Lance wants to win a ring he should stay put and feel good about the franchise tag. He had guranteed money offered and refused. Tough , Lance.

Wow this sounds like 1985 all over again. Remember Wilber Marshall. The Bears are always going on the cheap one way or another. I wish they would sell the team.

I guess $7 million is really disrespectful. Yep, the heck with the idea of team, it's all about the money and it's all about poor underpaid under-appreciated Lance Briggs. Trade him or drop him like a bad habit and get rid of the distraction.

Urlachler won't survive long next to Hillenmeyer and a new LB.
This doesn't look good...I do think a playoff team with a later first round pick might be willing to sign him and give up 2 first round picks. If not, Briggs will hold out and I don't think he can be fined as a franchise player.
To remind everyone...Hillenmeyer + new guy = BAD NEWS

I hope we don't get around to being offended because he's another athlete trying to cash in on his talent. I've said it quite a few times that players don't play for the fans. If my son was a gauranteed 1st round pick in any sport I'd let him drop out and try it. These guys learn very early that someone is making money off his talent. From high school on someone is paying to see the sport, so someone is making some sort of money off these players. The bigger the market the bigger the payoff. Sure,the fans suffer because we have to pay too much for everything. That's why some people don't invest too much of themselves to sports. But as big as Chicago is,someone will fill a seat even when you won't go. I haven't been to a BEARS game since Fridge gave my mother tickets back in 90-something. My old job gave good discounts on certain days and only then would I go to see the other sporting teams. Do I agree with paying these astronomical salaries,hell no. I don't pay for a lot of things and that hasn't stopped these people ,who own whatever, from becoming rich off of it. Like I said:you'd have to be Amish not to contribute to making someone rich. I remember when they had planB free agency and guys thought that that would be great. It helped to lower the salaries for the older players. And honestly who really worries about becoming old in football. It also allowed teams to dangle the lowest members of their rosters. And honestly who would you see but guys from special teams and guys who weren't starters. The latest agreement allows only 1 player from every team to be tagged with the franchise tag and honestly how many times will they see that. The Bears have used it very sparingly over the years,if at all. So how many times has it pertained to anyone? It's like blaming people for retiring in public life and finding that their 401k is empty. You don't find out some things because you never think about it happening to you. No one thought they would be tagged. No one likes it and I'm sure that it'll disappear at the next agreement if it happens to team delegates enough.

Another Scottie?? Everone disrespects me!! Nobody held a gun to his head when he began his career. If I remember correctly, the Bears gave him the opportunity to show what he could do. True enough he has played his butt off but you must be a man a fullfill you contractural obligations. There are plenty of people that came before him that gave so much more but received so much less so that he (and others) could even play pro football. Appreciate the position that you are in, love your job, continue to do your thing and everything else will fall in place. Be the strong young man that I think that you are!!! Let Lovie be you example.

Whoa--BBB, do we actually agree on something?

*head asplodes*

The Bears simply can't afford to tie more money up in the position than the money already given to Urlacher and the money offered to Briggs last year. It's clear they came to a LB cap number and were unwilling to go beyond it. It's a no win situation right now and the Bears should probably take what they can get in a trade (less than market), because the guy is already a cancer. It's unfortunate the rookie was hurt and on PUP last year. The Bears will have to make some unpopular decisions to keep this team viable in the long term, much like New England. Briggs is a nice linebacker, but he's not worth 10M a year. He should have some gratitude to an organization that helped make him what he is - it's not the Bears' fault he was still there in the third round, nor is it their fault that he's the second best LB on the team.

In my opinion he should have taken the deal last year and they probably could have squeezed a couple more mill from the Bears. Best of luck Lance, recent big name linebackers leaving the Bears have faded away.

Look at the guys who were cut from their teams like Joey Porter in the last couple of days. These guys were honoring their contracts and now have to find a new team. If you wonder about the mentality of getting all you can look no further than that. If you treat people like property they just want to get what they can while they still can. Like I said: I don't agree with the way we have to ante up so much money to be a fan but I do realize that sometimes teams treat the players in an unloyal manner. When they are through with them they put then out like yesterday's meatloaf. The owners will always be wealthy compared to the fans.

It's obvious that Lance knew this was a possibility when he turned down the offer last spring. He turned down the deal and knew that this day might come. I can understand his displeasure as the tag does not come with a lucrative signing bonus, but I don't know why he is acting like this is such a slap in the face. There have been 30 players franchised in league history and none of them have missed a game-check (the penalty for holding out is a fine equaling one game check for each game missed) in their franchise year so I'm sure a lot of this is just posturing but I think he's getting ahead of himself.

BEST MOVE FOR THE BEARS: Trade Benson and do their best to sign Briggs and Jones to long term deals with the extra money saved by moving Benson. You have Adrian Peterson and can address the depth at RB in the draft. You would keep the 2nd most vital member of your defense in the fold and show Thomas Jones the respect he deserves for carrying the offense on his back the past 3 years. There's no doubt in my mind that Benson will never live up to his 4th pick contract while I am sure he will be marginally successful.

BEST MOVE FOR LANCE (assuming he is serious about never wanting to play for the Bears again): He should keep up the trade talk. Right now his only play is to force a trade and it probably wont work unless he really makes things uncomfortable for the Bears. While this may hurt his image some, another Pro-bowl season with a positive impact on his new team will restore his public image and he would have his contract.

So basically what Lance is saying is "good-bye." Well, it was nice knowing you, Number 55. Your time here has been so brief - we've hardly gotten to know you at all. You've made many bone-crushing tackles and big plays over these 4 short years, and 2 Pro Bowl appearances is fantastic. And you do have the coolest picture on the Jumbotron at Soldier Field, with the folded arms, bad-ass nod and sunglasses and all. But still, I am sure I'm not the only one who is not completely over the Super Bowl loss. We don't feel bad for you, buddy. Seven million is a lot of money, and everyone except you thinks you are worth it. I wonder what your "injury" will be if it comes to that. Well, best of luck finding a team that will be more respectful of your greediness. Otherwise, I just saw a "Help Wanted" sign in the window at SportMart on Clark today. Maybe you can sell me some "NFC Champions" swag at a discount.

Guys, I can't believe what I'm reading when people call the Bears cheap in regard to player salaries. They're not being cheap... they're being SMART. It's not like they're not going to pay the full amount of the salary cap to fill their entire roster. They're making the pieces fit, and Briggs is fitting with a salary of $7 million this year. He doesn't like it? TOO BAD. That's the CBA that was agreed upon by both players and owners. Complain to Upshaw... not us. So go ahead and sit for the first 10 games. I hope they franchise him next year as well. And were the Bears cheap when they re-upped Urlacher with a $13 mil bonus with 2 years left on his deal? Were they cheap when they signed Ogunleye away from MIA with a $15 mil bonus? Please.

Now, when it came to Lovie... THAT was being cheap, as his salary (or any other coaches, for that matter) doesn't affect the cap.

I can't believe Briggs is being such a punk about this. It must be really tough to have the chance to earn $7+ million dollars! My heart weeps for him!

I would rather see him NEVER play football again then screw over the Bears fans like this!

As soon as I seen the devil himself, Michael McCaskey, driving Virginia in the golf cart after the NFC Title game, I knew we were in for trouble this off-season. But, there's no reason now to play around with Lance Briggs. Remove the franchise tag and pay him what he's worth. Or, next year will be ONE big headache!

I'm glad Jones is gone, because this will give Benson an oppurtunity to show fans what he's capable of doing. Jones only looked good the past few seasons, because our O-line gave him gigantic holes to run through. He never had, and never will have breakaway speed, he's just a slasher. Benson, on the other hand is a great back, that has just as much speed as Jones, we just haven't seen it yet, because his low amount of reps.

P.S. Let Briggs go, we can fill someone in at LB, but our main problem still remains our offense.

I say trade him. If he doesn't want to play for a team paying him $7 million then he needs to go. I understand the tag doesn't give him a signing bonus right now, however you are making more than most players in the league right now with the tag. Play out the year, and see what happens. But if you're making such a big deal about $$ and you're already getting paid in the top 10% in the league, then what does that say about you.

Is joey porter still available?SERIOUSLY! I understand that briggs was a bargain these last couple of years. I also agree that briggs is the real deal no matter if its playing next to urlacher or anybody else. As much as we "everyday" people couldn't fathom multi million dollar contracts try to put the money into what the average salary for your career is.You got hired by a company and agreed to a salary and that is what you make.Now work for a couple of years and see yourself pass a bunch of other people work quality and work effort.Finally when you are up for a promotion they low ball you,then when you want to go work for someone else they make the other company compensate them an outrageous price for your services ,knowing its very unrealistic that anybody would give up those terms so he's stuck for another year.Makes a lot more sense when you look at it that way. There is more then enough money this year then ever before,its time the bears stop playin around and catch up to the league. It's a players league and they WILL get paid one way or another. Might as well have them on our team.

How exactly does the McCaskey clan driving around in a golf cart mean we're in for a troubling off-season? That makes absolutely no sense. Angelo has shown he can recruit and trade for quality defensive players - how quickly we forget - so get Lance's butt out of here and put the $7MM somewhere it can do some good. The last thing we need to have is one of our top players turn into a clubhouse cancer for the next 10 months.

Come on Briggs give me a break. If you were smart (which your not) you'd of grabed the 5.5 mil and a big signing bonus when the bears offered it last year. You know all the NFL teams "tag" there new players who do above average. What your problem is ...you think your special. Your just another above average LB and can be replaced with another 3rd round pick. Your a dime a dozen plaYer YO! Above average. You want to talk about lack of respect. Turn on CNN and watch some SSGT who got lost his eye and got shot up in Iraq, get's placed in a rat & mold infested barracks and then tell me about respect. You should thank your lucky stars and he pretty dam happy you have 7 million coming this year YO! Frankly turds like you should be running around in Iraq with a M16 instead of them middle class white boys who do it for 50 grand a year and are just happy to have a job. Enjoy your 7 million reasons to be dis'd this year moron.

The Bears have probably already tried to move Briggs for the appropriate draft choices and that's fine with me. He's an above average talent and I wish they could keep him, but this guy is simply unrealistic with his expectations and may indeed just want out of the Bear organization, regardless of the salary. In the end, he'll go to a different team and we all may find out he was more a product of the Bear system than a superstar.
Losing Thomas Jones is more of a hit. I don't understand the logic of this. Benson is still an unknown as far as I'm concerned. Jones is the known commodity. Besides the Bear GM needing to justify his Benson draft pick, perhaps personality conflicts are also motivating this trade of Jones. The guy had great playoff games. I don't get it, but the Jets sure did.
Is losing these players the price of franchise success or the result of organizational ignorance? Let's just hope for an A+ draft.

If briggs really is the bears franchise player then he should be paid the highest salary. The bears didn't slap the franchise tag on good ole number 54 did they? Guess they wanted to sign Urlacher to a long term deal and didn't mind paying him. Using the franchise tag on briggs is just a lame negotiating ploy from a franchise that can't seem to do enough to make itself look bad.

Maybe the bears could raise ticket prices so they have enough money to pay their players what they're worth. If they can't afford to sign briggs to a real contract then they should trade him now. Do you think he's going to risk getting injured by playing for the bears next year with no long term deal (remember how adewale came to bears-same agent)?

By the time angelo is through "negotiatn" the bears won't even get a draft pick for Briggs, let alone a player. Bears will probably just trade for a move up a few measely places in the draft order. (in the same round-it's cheaper that way) Hard to imagine anyone being dumb enough to make that lame of a deal isn't it???

I don't believe it's quite right to say the bears traded thomas jones to the jets for a second round pick. Actually and in fact, the bears traded a second round pick and jones to the jets for a second round pick. So, the headline could just as well, and much more accurately read, "Bears trade second round pick to jets for a second round pick, and the bears throw in thomas jones". Least thats how it appears if you add it all up.

Seems the only adding getting done up at halas hall lately is those big contracts phillips, angelo and smith just got. That and adding up all the money the Mcaskie family will be raking in from those ticket price increases. Guess that don't add up to much for the bears players or the bears fans.

Only good thing is nobody has accused the bears of being racist yet this week. Although, they did slap the franchise tag on briggs and they did give the biggest contract to their real franchise player urlacher...its probably just one of them coincidencers that briggs is black and is getting the hard line and urlacher is white and is getting the big contract and the endorsements and all. Probably nothin to that, just the bears being shrewd negotiators, sure they'd love to have briggs there as long as they dont have to cough up a big signing bonus and real value longterm contract.

Like angelo said, "if you don't play you don't get paid." Unless of course you're one of his draft choices like benson or grossman. Those are angelo's true franchise players and the face of angelo's bears, not urlacher and for sure not briggs. Should be something to see next year.

It is not the 7 Mil. that he is upset about. It is the lack of a signing bonus. That is the only money that is guranteed. If he gets hurt 3 weeks in he gets nothing. He deserves the signing bonus. He has a family to think about. 3/16 of 7 Mil is alot less than 2 Mill. up front plus what ever he plays. All other teams iwll pay. The Bears know it. If they do not re do this deal he will sit out all of camp, play not to get hurt and the D will suffer. Then next year he will get his deal. It is better for everyone if they pay him or cut him loose. You may ask... "Why does he not play and prove his worth for a year so nect yera he gets paid?" That is what he did this year. Don't forget... the Bears can t=ag him again necxt year as well. Heck, they can do it 3 years actually with the 3rd year the average pay of the top 5 of all players in the league, not just LBs.

Be careful what you wish for with Benson. I think a lot of people wanted him in front of Jones until he got hurt in the Super bowl. Now,how can you be certain that with more attempts he'll be better over the whole season. A back that relish contact takes a lot of hits and usually suffer the Earl Campbell syndrome. I think a 2nd round pick for Jones is an absolute steal. Jets had to be desperate. I think Jones is a quality back who did carry this team a lot the last 2 years. I'm not sure that without him we would've had the results we had this year because no one can tell me if Benson would've lasted the whole season. A back closing in on 30 is still closing in on being over the hill.

Also maybe the BEARS can avoid signing players with Drew Rosenhaus as their agent. He sure helps his players to be greedy. Any time he's the agent he put a lot of stuff out there and have his clients do everything in their power to be disruptive. Funny how all his clients talk the same way. Guys like that are the reason players have an inflated idea that they are worth more. Snakes like him are the main reason the fans have to be careful with getting attached to players. Look at how he was the only agent who showed up at training camp. Posturing and letting teams know that he's the puppeteer. Read Yahoo sports and the guy will show you how this off season has been a player's market. Guys that some teams never heard of is getting ridiculus signing bonuses and long term contracts. A lot of these guys I've never heard of myself making more than what good free agents from last year are making. All the while the fans are ask to fund this crap. When will it all end?

Roman responds: Let me play the devil's advocate here, why is Drew Rosenhaus a snake? If you were a player, who would you want as your agent? He plays hardball for his clients. William, your loyalty usually lies with the players, why in this case do you side with the franchise?

The Patriots have the right model that the Bears need to follow. As soon as any one individual thinks he's bigger than the team, he's got to go, regardless of the cost.

Instead of being greatful that Cedric Benson could help shoulder the load and in the process save a lot of wear and tear on his body, thus potentially prolonging his career, Jones whined. Bye-bye Thomas!

Now we have the same deal going with Briggs, who clearly thinks he's worth Urhlacher money when he's not.

One thing that Briggs and Jones have in common is the same money grubbing, snake oil salesman of an agent in Drew Rosenhaus. Rosenhouse is out to make himself into the next super jerk agent like his counterpart Scott Boros in baseball.

That would be fine, except that Tommie Harris also is represented by the same jerk. Wonderful; us White Sox fans know what that means (see ya, Tommie!).

Briggs should follow the rules his union put in place.
The real disaster is losing Jones.Why were they so intent on dealing him?
Can anyone tell me why Benson left the superbowl?It looked like he walked off on his own.I hope it was something serious to miss that game.I guess this is who we got to depend on now.Thank god for Peterson.

Roman responds: Not only do they get rid of Jones, they get nothing in return. A higher second-round draft pick.

One crybaby down, one to go. The high dollar lazy boys are next, I hope. I like the Bears better already. Too bad we didn't take some action a year or more ago. We'd be stronger now and have some new hardware in the trophy case. That's Lovie's style. Too soft, too slow. Maybe he was just giving a partial effort because he felt he wasn't paid well enough. Maybe now we'll see what he's really made of, or have we already seen all there is to see, I hope not. Time will tell. Go Bears!

Bottom line is that Briggs is still under contract and he is to make over seven million this year and that is that. He has to honor that or he can go without a paycheck this year.

So, I say either make him play out the year and develop some talent this year behind him or trade him and get some draft picks and sign someone like Cato June for a lot less.

To win championships you have to spread the money out. Look at Peyton Manning and remember we need money to extend a true difference maker in Tommy Harris. The Redskins spend tons of cash and have nothing to show for it. Some players are worth it and some are not. The difference is Briggs will be paid in the top five percent of LB's this year so just play it out. Then let him get is due.

Lance Briggs should complain all he wants and the Bears should just keep plugging along. He may be another Wilbur Marshall type who didn't know when he had it made.

As to the concept of a "team hoping to get back to the Super Bowl", dream on, it was a gift of fate. The likelihood of a team making it back year after year without a quality