Lance Briggs prepared to sit out

[Da Hammer]

Jay Glazer, of FOXSports.com, reports Chicago Bears LB Lance Briggs, who is the team's franchise player, said he is prepared to sit out the 2007 season if the Bears do not trade or release him. He went on to say he's played his last down for the team and will never play in Chicago again.
http://www.kffl.com/hotw/nfl#380219

Damn i thinks its safe to say that he really really wants out of Chicago badly. He probably wouldnt fit here with our 3-4 but he is a great player.

 

[theogt]

I'd call his bluff.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

Money talks and well bull walks... We'll see when that first check doesn't hit his bank account....

 

[Da Hammer]

Money talks and well bull walks... We'll see when that first check doesn't hit his bank account....

You know its killing him and other players that were franchised that they werent able to hit the market with the insane contracts that everyone is getting. Briggs would have easily gotten around $50 million...

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

Briggs was the number one LB so he would have got paid around $20 million guaranteed money.

 

[adamknite]

I sorta feel bad for players when they get slapped with the franchise tag, because it hinders them for making the type of guaranteed money they deserve, yet at the same time it's hard to feel bad for a guy who's making 7 million dollars a year.

IMO as long as a team doesn't hit a player with the franchise tag in continous fashion then the player should just shut up a play, because if Briggs goes out and has another ProBowl year with the cap rising he'll make even more next year.

 

[t.o.boys81]

I know it won't happen, but I would love to see Briggs wearing the Star on his helmet.:starspin

 

[Rampage]

Briggs was the number one LB so he would have got paid around $20 million guaranteed money.

#1 lb? huh?

 

[TheSkaven]

What he will probably do, and what most franchise players do, is hold out until the first game. Technically he has until then to sign the tender.

The owners deserve what they get on this, Jerry has rarely had to use the franchise tag (Flozell was the only one that I remember). If you like a guy that much, get him signed before he becomes a free agent. It's cheaper that way anyway.

 

[Cochese]

Money talks and well bull walks... We'll see when that first check doesn't hit his bank account....

I was listening to 670 The Score from Chicago this evening, and they had this money grubber call in to interview. They asked him what he would do monetarily if he held out, his brilliant response "Well I could always get a loan, getting a loan would be no problem."

 

[Seven]

I'd call his bluff.

Normally I'd be all over that.

He was quoted on NFL Network as saying he will do everything in his power to not be with the Bears next year. I'd bet he sits.

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

I was listening to 670 The Score from Chicago this evening, and they had this money grubber call in to interview. They asked him what he would do monetarily if he held out, his brilliant response "Well I could always get a loan, getting a loan would be no problem."

And it wouldnt be a bad loan either he could easily take out a $500k or so loan and wait out the year. A banker would look at the NFL market and realize that its money in the bank. I hope he sits and gives the middle finger to whoever it is that runs that trust.

People call him a moneygrubber and then ignore the actions of the Chicago Bears organization.

 

[dcfanatic]

Trade to the Bears.

Our 2007 1st rounder pick for Lance Briggs.

Bears | Briggs says he's done in Chicago
Mon, 12 Mar 2007 15:12:20 -0800

Jay Glazer, of FOXSports.com, reports Chicago Bears LB Lance Briggs, who is the team's franchise player, said he is prepared to sit out the 2007 season if the Bears do not trade or release him. He went on to say he's played his last down for the team and will never play in Chicago again.

----------------------

He's my theory. Briggs is better than Carpenter or Burnett will ever be, that's just me being honest.

Briggs can be the bookend to Demarcus Ware for at least the next 6 years. We keep Carpenter and if Bradie James is again playing like crap this season we move Carp inside to replace James.

Here's why I would give up this #22 pick. Are we going to take an OL, a Safety, A Cornerback, a Wide Receiver? There are no definite guys who will come in at any of those spots and make an impact in 2007.

This draft is loaded at WR and CB. That's not really a spot we need to go after in the first round though. We are going to need a LT and DT soon though and maybe next season OL and DT are loaded in the draft. That's when we need a first round guy to come in and make an impact.

This 34 defense is going to need a playmaker opposite Ware. Merriman had Phillips opposite him last season and they combined for 28 sacks.

I like Carpenter, but he doesn't seem to be the pass rusher that I can see Briggs being in the right situation.

My fallback is that in a 3-4 defense you never have enough LB's...

Am I crazy?

 

[Chuck 54]

No way in Hell do I trade away my first round pick for another freakin' LB.

Just how many #1 picks do you guys want to spend on LB's just so you can pretend on paper that we have a defense that will win a SB all by themselves?

I have a better idea...why don't we stick with what we've got, let Phillips run HIS defense for this season, and then determine where we are.

This year that #1 pick needs to be used on offense or CB.

 

[jimmy40]

No way in Hell do I trade away my first round pick for another freakin' LB.

Just how many #1 picks do you guys want to spend on LB's just so you can pretend on paper that we have a defense that will win a SB all by themselves?

I have a better idea...why don't we stick with what we've got, let Phillips run HIS defense for this season, and then determine where we are.

This year that #1 pick needs to be used on offense or CB.

I agree, I just hope Phillips is 10 times better at coaching defense than Parcells was like so many people around here have convinced themselves he is.

 

[dbair1967]

Normally I'd be all over that.

He was quoted on NFL Network as saying he will do everything in his power to not be with the Bears next year. I'd bet he sits.

its easy to say that in March

come August and September though, he'll take the money

David

 

[dbair1967]

I agree, I just hope Phillips is 10 times better at coaching defense than Parcells was like so many people around here have convinced themselves he is.

dont worry, he is

David

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Briggs is certainly a first round talent but he would not be a good fit here in Dallas. At 240 lbs he is a bit light for the run game out on the perimeter and he is not a sack guy having 3.5 sacks in 4 years. His skills would translate to ILB al la the role Donnie Edwards or our very own Ayodele.

Throw in the fact that he is going to warrant upwards of $20 million guaranteed and you compare that to a modest 5 year deal for our pick at #22 and I like our chances of getting an impact CB, S, WR, OLB or RB as it is.

 

[tunahelper]

I sorta feel bad for players when they get slapped with the franchise tag, because it hinders them for making the type of guaranteed money they deserve, yet at the same time it's hard to feel bad for a guy who's making 7 million dollars a year.

IMO as long as a team doesn't hit a player with the franchise tag in continous fashion then the player should just shut up a play, because if Briggs goes out and has another ProBowl year with the cap rising he'll make even more next year.

Poor guy he was only going to get a 7.2 million.
I am crying as I type!

 

[FuzzyLumpkins]

Poor guy he was only going to get a 7.2 million.
I am crying as I type!

He knows that if it was not for the franchise tag that he would be able to negotiate a lot more money that that and his freedom to choose what he wants to do is also taken from him. Id be pissed to.

You wouldnlt be pissed that someone was making you get about 1/3 of the money that you would be getting otherwise?