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Briggs signs with Bears (1 Viewer)

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/sports/football/bears/cs-070724briggs,1,5604166.story?coll=cs-home-headlines

Briggs, Bears near deal

Teammate says LB will sign, be at camp

By David Haugh

Tribune staff reporter

July 25, 2007, 12:51 AM CDT

One of the biggest questions facing the Bears all off-season has been when linebacker Lance Briggs will end his holdout from training camp.

Maybe it won't even begin.

There were strong indications Tuesday night the two sides either were coming close to an agreement that would end a messy contract dispute or had solved it altogether.

Reached on his cell phone, Briggs said "no comment" when asked if he had agreed to sign the one-year contract tender worth a guaranteed $7.2 million and report on time Thursday to the start of training camp in Bourbonnais.

But earlier in the night a Bears teammate who had spoken with both Briggs and a league source said the linebacker had agreed to sign the deal and avoid a holdout the Bears had been dreading.

Asked about the rumors Briggs had agreed to sign the contract and report on time, the player said, "True."

Efforts to reach his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, were unsuccessful.

Rosenhaus and the Bears have continued to speak even after the July 16 deadline to work out a long-term deal for franchise players passed. After a visit to Halas Hall last month, Rosenhaus said he had presented some creative proposals to the team.

Among them were believed to be the possibility of paying Briggs a large portion of the $7.2 million up front, which would serve as a smaller signing bonus. The Bears also have offered to rescind the franchise tag on Briggs for 2008 if he agrees to end the impasse and begin what they believe can be a Super Bowl season.

A team source said it would be fair to say recent discussions left many in the organization hopeful a resolution could be reached in time for the start of camp.

It has been a busy month of planning ahead for the Bears. Locking up cornerback Charles Tillman to a six-year extension Tuesday came weeks after signing an extension with cornerback Nathan Vasher.

The Bears probably didn't envision making that type of commitment to one position group, but when Briggs turned down a long-term contract offer in 2006, the team said it was moving on to other core players.

Asked about Briggs during a teleconference, Tillman said, "I'm going to miss him."

Perhaps it won't be as long as he thinks.

 
Signing Harris will be a priority-NEXT off-season. Signing Briggs today brins the unit back to full force for the upcoming year. Likely just a one season situation, however this will allow Okwo to acclimate himself with the system. Next year Briggs will find major paydirt. I felt confident all along unlike some from the previous thread about him. Could have had a 1st round pick or 15 FA $$'s yet stood fast and retained his services in my dynasty. This is nice to have him in the fold.

 
Signing Harris will be a priority-NEXT off-season. Signing Briggs today brins the unit back to full force for the upcoming year. Likely just a one season situation, however this will allow Okwo to acclimate himself with the system. Next year Briggs will find major paydirt. I felt confident all along unlike some from the previous thread about him. Could have had a 1st round pick or 15 FA $$'s yet stood fast and retained his services in my dynasty. This is nice to have him in the fold.
I think they want to do it before then so they don't name him a franchise player.
 
Any chance the Bears resign him in the next offseason?
I doubt it. The Bears could have signed him now if they wanted to keep him long term. The deal they made says if Briggs plays 75% or more of the teams defensive plays, then the Bears can't franchise him, so barring an injury he is as good as gone. Should he get hurt and not hit the 75%, then a can of worms is open.
 
most people in Chicago expected this would happen. Briggs couldn't afford to sit out a year.

basically same situation happened in Buffalo with Clements last year. Briggs will cash in with a huge contract next summer and the Bears should be prepared to replace him by then.

 
most people in Chicago expected this would happen. Briggs couldn't afford to sit out a year.basically same situation happened in Buffalo with Clements last year. Briggs will cash in with a huge contract next summer and the Bears should be prepared to replace him by then.
So is Jamar Williams or Michael Okwo worth rostering in deep leagues?
 

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