Bears Franchise Briggs (1 Viewer)

[Klecko HOF]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/footb...i-sportstop-hed

Bears place franchise tag on Briggs

By John Mullin

Tribune staff reporter

Published February 16, 2007, 4:50 PM CST

The Bears, who have in recent years done one of the best jobs in the NFL of holding onto the players they view as team foundations, took another major step in that direction Friday when they placed their franchise tag on linebacker Lance Briggs.

The franchise tag, the first used by the Bears since its creation in 1993, guarantees Briggs a one-year deal worth $7.2 million and reserves for the Bears the right to match any offer or receive two first round draft choices in compensation if he leaves.

Because it limits negotiating opportunities for players, the tag is typically unpopular with players even as it locks them into a guaranteed contract equivalent to the average of the top five players at their position. But the Bears have taken steps to lock up key players such as center Olin Kreutz and linebacker Brian Urlacher, and Briggs is considered one of the NFL's elite outside linebackers.

Briggs was voted to his second Pro Bowl this season and was a first-team All-Pro last year and second-team this year. He led the Bears with 117 solo tackles this year after finishing second to Urlacher with a career-high 176 total stops.

Meanwhile, Bears strength and conditioning coach Rusty Jones, credited with dramatically improving the health and injury rate of the Bears, has been honored as the 2006 National Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year by the Professional Football Strength and Conditioning Coaches Society.

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

smart move. Teams should be very liberal about using the tag since the cap went up, and is going up again next year.

 

[billymays]

cant wait for every headline at every website

"bears to briggs: tag, youre it"

 

[Hairy Snowman]

smart move. Teams should be very liberal about using the tag since the cap went up, and is going up again next year.

I agree. Smart move - not sure how it affects the draft though. I still think speed and depth is a need at linebacker, but this will free things up in the draft a little.One thing I can tell you is no one I know wants to talk about anything Bears these days. I think the exact words Tuesday were "nothing at all about the Bears, the future or the draft for a while please".Wounds are still way too fresh. Sorry

 

[trader jake]

Ther's talk that Briggs isn't going to sign the tender until the front office takes care of Lovie.

If the Bears hope to have long-term success they need to lock up their head coach and quit trying to keep him on the cheap.

 

[Southside Stosh]

There was no way Da Bears could work out a long term deal with Briggs, who wanted Urlacher money; but they should have let Briggs walk and invest that $$$ in re-signing other players.

Da Bears must think they've got a a small window to make it back to the Show.

 

[Raider Nation]

Doesn't this mean there's no money left for the big extension Jones is looking for?

 

[flapgreen]

 

[flapgreen]

Doesn't this mean there's no money left for the big extension Jones is looking for?

Not if they would cut that #####, Benson.

 

[GRIDIRON ASSASSIN]

There was no way Da Bears could work out a long term deal with Briggs, who wanted Urlacher money; but they should have let Briggs walk and invest that $$$ in re-signing other players.Da Bears must think they've got a a small window to make it back to the Show.

I've got news for you, Lance Briggs DESERVES Brian Urlacher type money. Urlacher's contract extension was signed a few years ago, and he's a 'bargain' by today's standards. It should be interesting. If they give Briggs more money, will Urlacher then demand more? Stay tuned.And what are you talking about "invest the $$$ in re-signing other players"? Briggs and Urlacher are the best two players on defense, and could very well be the best on the team. Your comment 'they should have let him walk' is ridiculous. If somebody thinks he's worth it, they'll trade two first round draft picks for Briggs. It was a wise move by the Bears to franchise tag Briggs.

 

[flapgreen]

There was no way Da Bears could work out a long term deal with Briggs, who wanted Urlacher money; but they should have let Briggs walk and invest that $$$ in re-signing other players.Da Bears must think they've got a a small window to make it back to the Show.

I've got news for you, Lance Briggs DESERVES Brian Urlacher type money. Urlacher's contract extension was signed a few years ago, and he's a 'bargain' by today's standards. It should be interesting. If they give Briggs more money, will Urlacher then demand more? Stay tuned.And what are you talking about "invest the $$$ in re-signing other players"? Briggs and Urlacher are the best two players on defense, and could very well be the best on the team. Your comment 'they should have let him walk' is ridiculous. If somebody thinks he's worth it, they'll trade two first round draft picks for Briggs. It was a wise move by the Bears to franchise tag Briggs.

 

[Hairy Snowman]

There was no way Da Bears could work out a long term deal with Briggs, who wanted Urlacher money; but they should have let Briggs walk and invest that $$$ in re-signing other players.

Da Bears must think they've got a a small window to make it back to the Show.

I've got news for you, Lance Briggs DESERVES Brian Urlacher type money. Urlacher's contract extension was signed a few years ago, and he's a 'bargain' by today's standards. It should be interesting. If they give Briggs more money, will Urlacher then demand more? Stay tuned.And what are you talking about "invest the $$$ in re-signing other players"? Briggs and Urlacher are the best two players on defense, and could very well be the best on the team. Your comment 'they should have let him walk' is ridiculous. If somebody thinks he's worth it, they'll trade two first round draft picks for Briggs. It was a wise move by the Bears to franchise tag Briggs.

I actually think that Alex Brown and Adawale Ogunleye are the best players on the D. Put in Tommie Harris and they are all almost unblockable.I think Urlacher and Briggs are playmakers with speed, but without the D Line they wouldn't be half as good. I can't make that statement the other way around.

 

[Domination]

There was no way Da Bears could work out a long term deal with Briggs, who wanted Urlacher money; but they should have let Briggs walk and invest that $$$ in re-signing other players.

Da Bears must think they've got a a small window to make it back to the Show.

I've got news for you, Lance Briggs DESERVES Brian Urlacher type money. Urlacher's contract extension was signed a few years ago, and he's a 'bargain' by today's standards. It should be interesting. If they give Briggs more money, will Urlacher then demand more? Stay tuned.And what are you talking about "invest the $$$ in re-signing other players"? Briggs and Urlacher are the best two players on defense, and could very well be the best on the team. Your comment 'they should have let him walk' is ridiculous. If somebody thinks he's worth it, they'll trade two first round draft picks for Briggs. It was a wise move by the Bears to franchise tag Briggs.

Urlacher is on record as saying that he would restructure his contract so that they could keep Briggs. He knows how important Briggs is to the defense, and that he can't do it himself. The LBs are very good, but Harris's injury, and other stupidity (Tank), proved that they are able to excel at theri seek and destroy Lb play only because of the solid play of the d-line.

 

[Christo]

Briggs and Urlacher are the best two players on defense, and could very well be the best on the team.

That would be Tommie Harris.

 

[-OZ-]

Briggs and Urlacher are the best two players on defense, and could very well be the best on the team.

That would be Tommie Harris.

I'm not sure how much better the Bears would have done if he had stayed healthy, but I would have liked to see it.

 

[The Kansas Comet]

I'm glad the Bears decided to franchise Briggs. While I agree with other posters that the play of the D-line frees up the linebackers to make plays (of course, you could say that about pretty much any other outstanding linebacker in his heyday - Siragusa and Co. freeing up Ray Lewis comes to mind), I think that Briggs, like Urlacher, makes more plays than the average OLB would playing behind the Bear D-line. Chicago could have tried to go cheap here but I'm glad they took this step to keeping him - he's too young and talented to simply let walk for nothing. Now hopefully the Bears will go give Lovie the new deal he deserves.

 

[GRIDIRON ASSASSIN]

Briggs and Urlacher are the best two players on defense, and could very well be the best on the team.

That would be Tommie Harris.

I guess I missed Tommie Harris in the Super Bowl. He's good, but he's coming back from injury and he's under contract for two more seasons - so why worry about him NOW?And Hairy Snowman, you say Alex Brown and Adawele Ogunleye are the best defenders on the Bears? Where the hell were THEY when Tommie Harris went down? Mark Anderson is better than BOTH of them, and he's a true value right now. When does Drew Rosenhaus sign him up as a client? Anderson almost had more sacks than Ogunleye and ABrown combined.

 

[Bizkiteer]

Briggs and Urlacher are the best two players on defense, and could very well be the best on the team.

That would be Tommie Harris.

I guess I missed Tommie Harris in the Super Bowl. He's good, but he's coming back from injury and he's under contract for two more seasons - so why worry about him NOW?And Hairy Snowman, you say Alex Brown and Adawele Ogunleye are the best defenders on the Bears? Where the hell were THEY when Tommie Harris went down? Mark Anderson is better than BOTH of them, and he's a true value right now. When does Drew Rosenhaus sign him up as a client? Anderson almost had more sacks than Ogunleye and ABrown combined.

I'd just point out that Anderson played more situational plays that allowed him to JUST rush the passer. By all means, I'm not saying that Anderson isn't good or on par with O-Gun or Brown, but stats don't tell the whole story.

 

[Southside Stosh]

There was no way Da Bears could work out a long term deal with Briggs, who wanted Urlacher money; but they should have let Briggs walk and invest that $$$ in re-signing other players.Da Bears must think they've got a a small window to make it back to the Show.

I've got news for you, Lance Briggs DESERVES Brian Urlacher type money. Urlacher's contract extension was signed a few years ago, and he's a 'bargain' by today's standards. It should be interesting. If they give Briggs more money, will Urlacher then demand more? Stay tuned.And what are you talking about "invest the $$$ in re-signing other players"? Briggs and Urlacher are the best two players on defense, and could very well be the best on the team. Your comment 'they should have let him walk' is ridiculous. If somebody thinks he's worth it, they'll trade two first round draft picks for Briggs. It was a wise move by the Bears to franchise tag Briggs.

Lance Briggs deserves what the market will bear. He's earned it. If Briggs insn't willing to take a little less $ to have another chance at a SB ring; then Da Bears should let him walk and keep the cap money for players who WANT TO BE a Chicago Bear.Briggs outperformed his contract. Why keep the man from other $$$ opportunities? Let some other team overpay him. You can't keep every player. Da Bears survived losing Rosie to FA. Angelo will draft another OLB and life will go on.