Brilliant move by Jerry Angelo and well-worth breaking my vacation for. He'll make 7.2 million this year. A few thoughts:
1. This doesn't mean a long-term deal is dead but it keeps Briggs off the market for 2007.
2. The Bears are now going to add Tommie Harris and Mike Brown to the entirety of the best defense in the conference.
3. This officially begins the 2007 season. So let's get focused and win the goddamn world championship.
#2 Max said . . .HA! I am FIRST, way cool... Welcome back Jeff- I see you have a tan.
--Midway00
February 17, 2007
#3 Midway Monster said . . .Doing better Midway? I hope so.
And i hope this doesn't anger Briggs. It always seems that when a player is franchised, he gets angry about it. That could just be that if he is angry about getting franchised then ESPN reports it and we don't hear about all the happily franchised players out there. I hope thats the case. I'd like Briggs long term but i realize thats getting greedy right now.
welcome back jeff
February 17, 2007
#4 jdawg said . . .Max- Doin' good. Still in rehab. Thanks fer askin'. Oh, so how's the x (you did dumper her right)? Oh yeah, we probably ought to talk football huh...
Briggs locked. Way cool. Improved D. I gotta love it. That's the Bears. D first.
--Midway--
(in rehab, wearing stupid NFC Champ shirt from da wife)February 17, 2007
#5 CutCo said . . .I don't know that I'd call this move brilliant, unless picking a $100 bill of the sidewalk is brilliant. What else was Angelo going to do? If he didn't franchise Briggs he'd be gone with zero compensation. This way we either get him all season or get two first round picks from his new team. We've got until July to negotiate a new deal with him, btw.
Sniff Sniff. I think I smell Ogun being cut.
goodbye Ian Scott
February 17, 2007
#6 jdawg said . . .Still stuck with the bum QB...
February 17, 2007
#7 Nicole is miserable in this blue city said . . .bum QB? bum QB!
I am holding up my crystal ball. What do I see?
I see a Grossman-induced 30-response flame special!
You know, I was getting a little misty-eyed, a little sentimental if you will, remembering those days of endless Grossman debate like they were yesterday.
Oh, wait a minute, they were yesterday.
sniffle
February 17, 2007
#8 Chi Town Delight said . . .Midway- ever try that Jello?
February 17, 2007
#9 Midway Monster said . . .Yesss, I agree with JDawg...why is everyone bashing Grossman?? He's the best QB in the NFL...BY FAR. Incredible arm strength, height, excellent footwork, precision accuracy...I mean, he's great!!!
February 18, 2007
#10 Midway Monster said . . .Nicole is miserable in this blue city:
Yes, we have various types of jello on Jello Night here in rehab.
--Midway--
February 18, 2007
#11 jdawg said . . .I never liked this franchised thingy myself. I like open free capitalizm. That said I don't see why Briggs would cry himself to sleep at night since he'll bank $7.2M. Bing-Cha-chang.
So what happens now? He can shop around. If someone makes him a larger offer the Bears need only match it? If the Bears don't match, the offering team has to give up a pick. Yah, who would ever do that?
Of course the risk is if Briggs feels he will never do better, why try harder, why not mail it in (tho I doubt that'll happen).
Oh well, Briggs... all I can say is $hit happens. Take your $7.2M, strap on your helment, pull up your cup, and get out there.
--Midway--
(in rehab)--Midway--
February 18, 2007
#12 CitrixGuy said . . .The Bears would get two first-round picks from any team that signs Briggs this year.
February 18, 2007
#13 jdawg said . . .I like it. Been a lurker here for a while, and after spending "that weekend" in Miami its time to start commenting.
Franchising Brigs was a must. Pay him the average of the Top 5 guys. He gets the money he is due, drew R his agent is happy (another money maker for him) and we get to keep him and have two of the top LBs in the game today. Its smart and pretty much makes his salary 10X what it was. He wont be unhappy.
February 18, 2007
#14 jdawg said . . .I don't know that Lance will get the average of the top five LBs, but you never know. I would think JA will structure any long-term deal with Briggs in a very salary-cap-friendly way, possibly front-loading the deal to make it easier to sign Harris, and one or both starting CBs after next season. The $7.5 million this season all goes right off the top of this year's cap number, so that might be a signal that the McCaskey's are willing to take a crowbar to the old wallet.
February 18, 2007
#15 Midway Monster said . . .Hey Chi Town,
I'm scratching my head after reading your comment, wondering how you could read that into what I wrote?
February 18, 2007
#16 jdawg said . . .Jdawg. "The Bears would get two first-round picks from any team that signs Briggs this year" = aint no idiot team gonna take him, no way.
--Midway--
(rehab)February 18, 2007
#17 DTB said . . .three words
Wilbur Marshall Redskins
February 18, 2007
#18 Chi Town Delight said . . .Does anyone remember how bad Wilbur sucked with the Skins? He was terrible. Which makes me wonder. Everyone claims that Briggs makes Urlacher better, I personally think that its a bunch of bullshit. If it wasn't for 54, Briggs just may emulate Wilburs career after leaving Singletary's side. If he gets the chance to leave of course.
February 19, 2007
#19 jdawg said . . .I'd brick in his mouth.
February 19, 2007
#20 Phil from SATX said . . .I think it took about 3 seasons for Wilbur to get used to the Skins defense and in that third season they won it all.
I read recently that Wilbur is in terrible shape, phisically.
February 19, 2007
#21 jdawg said . . .Hey - I keep seeing on TV these extremely negative comments by Briggs about the franchise tag - are these old comments, or recent ones after the designation? As in, could he really be pissed about this? Also, if the new deal gets done in the off season, does it trump the one year franchise deal? I also heard about Briggs being willing to give a "home town discount" for the Bears - is this now old news because of being angry at the franchise tag? It seems ridiculous that a player could get angry about a tenfold raise for one year, especially when it was Briggs who turned down the Bears deal last year (even if that did turn out to be a good decision). I may be in agreement with DTB - kind of wonder of Briggs is the Scottie Pippen in this deal - would he be as great on his own without #54? (Speaking of Pippen, as a Spurs fan I'm intrigued by him wanting to play again, although I know it's the wackiest of pipe dreams - but I digress).
February 19, 2007
#22 WindyCityPackerFan said . . .As far as I know Briggs hasn't commented publicly on the tag, but expressed his dislike of it earlier in the year.
No player likes the tag because it means they're not getting as much money as they could. If my boss could give me a 10X raise to keep me from going elsewhere to get a 20X raise I'd still be pissed.
Don't forget we took the Knicks to the wire the first year 23 didn't play and Scottie was in contention for league MVP. It took a shitty call on a 3-point play at the Garden to get the Knicks to the finals over us.
The hometown discount comment is true and happend SB week.
If he signs an extension the tag is out the window.
February 19, 2007
#23 BearDown said . . .Yeah, Rex Grossman is the best QB in the NFL....
Favre's back, he has more TD passes in Soldier field than Grossman.
February 19, 2007
#24 WindyCityPackerFan said . . .Hey WindyCityPackerFan:
Hopefully next year the Bears D will do something Favre can't seem to do -- that is make a career-ending decision for him.
97 was 10 years ago -- the cheeseheads have sucked pretty much ever since and as long as #4 can't bring himself to end it they will keep stinking the field up.
February 19, 2007
#25 said . . .Yep Beardown...97 was 10 years ago (good math). I think that 85 was 22 years ago.
Last time I checked, 22>10
Super Bowl Trophy Count
Packers - 3
Bears - 1February 19, 2007
#26 BearDown said . . .Packers have sucked and will continue to suck until they build the new packers (and let go of the old packers) -- it's that simple -- but you keep rooting for the moldy chesse!
February 19, 2007
#27 said . . .Yes . . . I would like to put the 85-86 Bears against the 96-97 Packers -- no contest -- Bears Win (the only single finger Farve would be flashing in the air would be the one to summon the trainer to help him off the field)
February 19, 2007
#28 Boog said . . .Oh, and by the way WindyCityPackerFan, Super Bowl Chances for 2007-08:
Bears = Excellent
Packers = Laughable
February 19, 2007
#29 WindyCityPackerFan said . . .If David Carr is available for a third round pick, then Angelo should do it and guarantee a World Championship.
February 19, 2007
#30 beardown1982 said . . .Great idea BearDown; 85-86 Bears vs. 96-97 Packers.
Which team do you think McMahon will play with?
All time NFL Championships
Packers - 12
Bears - 9February 19, 2007
#31 WindyCityPackerFan said . . .Packers have won more titles, you got that....but you can't dismiss the fact that the Bears 85 team was the best single team either franchise has put together ever. you seem like a good football fan who is smart enough to at least admit to that.
fact is, it wouldn't matter if mcmahon didn't play for the bears, the 85 team would probably still win that game with fuller at qb. Favre is better than most bears qbs combined into one...but that Defense would of ate him up. The only advantage the pack would have in that game is Desmond Howard vs. surprisingly suspect bears coverage unit that year.February 19, 2007
Beardown1982 -
Well stated. It is a shame that they couldn't have finished out the 80's with another Super Bowl or 2.
Like I posted on the other thread, the main thing holding the Bears back from championships is ownership.
Still trying to figure out why they are letting Ron Rivera go. I have to think that is better news for the teams playing against the Bears in 2007.
Load up the 85 Bears vs. the 96 Packers on Madden and let me know what happens.
February 19, 2007
Here at DaBearsBlog, you are free to kill us or the Bears as you so wish. You are not free, however, to be an asshole. So if you spew racism or ill-meaning foul language (cursing about football is just fine) or anything of that ilk, your comments ain't gonna last long, jerk.