Bears Blitz

Published by Zach Kruse on September 2, 2011
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

Once again unhappy with the way his contract looks, Chicago Bears linebacker Lance Briggs and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, have formally asked to seek a trade from the team. 

Here is what Briggs told the Chicago Tribune:

“The Bears made their decision, now I have to make mine. It’s just how the business works. It’s not going to take away from what I do on the field. I’m 100 percent a Bear, until I’m not a Bear anymore.”

Briggs and the Bears have been down this road once before. Back in 2007, Briggs became unhappy with his deal at the time and told the media he would never play in Chicago again. He ended up signing a $7.2 million, one-year tender with the Bears, but the team had talks with the San Francisco 49ers about moving their linebacker. 

With the Bears almost $20 million under the cap this season, Briggs, 30, saw it fitting to ask for a raise. Fellow linebacker Brian Urlacher was compensated last season to the tune of almost $18 million in new money added.

The deal Briggs is unhappy with is the one he signed in 2008. That six-year deal is scheduled to pay him $36 million over the life of the contract. That isn’t enough for Briggs. 

A six-time Pro Bowler, Briggs is looking to get paid in the range of several other linebackers who were given more attractive deals this summer. Both the Broncos‘ D.J. Williams and the Jaguars‘ Daryl Smith will make more in base salary this season.

There is an argument there for Briggs, but the fact is simple: He signed that contract just three years ago. To bring up complaints again so early in the life of the deal is nobody’s fault but his own. 

On the Bears’ side of this, the decision is easy. You can let Briggs talk all he wants, but there’s no way you’re paying him or trading him.

Briggs whined and complained in the past and the Bears gave him what he wanted. They can’t be as submissive this time around. Briggs and Rosenhaus think they have leverage in the situation.

And to ponder trading Briggs is almost as crazy as paying him. 

The Bears’ success is built on their ability to play defense, and Briggs is an important part of that equation. He’s one of the best 4-3 linebackers playing today and likely one of the best in this generation. Briggs has been selected to the Pro Bowl six times and the All-Pro team three times since being drafted in 2003, and on the NFL Network’s ranking of the Top 100 players, Briggs came in at No. 92.

Obviously, there is a lot of value there with Briggs. Teamed with Urlacher and Julius Peppers, the trio makes up the heart and soul of the Bears franchise.

Even if the Bears did entertain the thought of trading Briggs, who is going to give them fair compensation? Isn’t Briggs worth at least a first-round draft choice to the Bears? I doubt there would many teams in the NFL that would give that up for a 30-year-old 4-3 linebacker.

Overall, this is a pretty simple decision for the Bears.

Let Briggs keep running his mouth about trades and contracts. He shouldn’t get paid and he won’t get dealt. Once Briggs realizes that he has absolutely no leverage in this situation, he’ll back down.

That way he can go back to being “100 percent a Bear.”

That is, until the next time he wants to whine about cash, which could be sooner than you think.   

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