Jerry met with Lance and said the team won't franchise tag him next year if he plays this year. Why the fuck would Angelo tell him that. This year the Bears want him to play. They aren't prepared for him leaving. Fine. Makes sense and it's the teams right.

But next year they could tag him again and get a trade for him. By then they'll have two drafts to prepare for his loss. Hell, look what the Redskins offered this year. Even if a trade offer isn't as good next year I'm sure they could at least get a 2nd rounder for him. Why would the Bears not take advantage of that?

You could tell Briggs that you are going to franchise him next year with every intention of trading him to get his desired big contract and bonus. But they don't even need to promise him that.

Why am I the only one who's puzzled by this? I haven't listened to everybody but from what I've heard nobody has questioned this.

You could better your team with a trade next year. Why the hell wouldn't the Bears take advantage of that?

I'm not talking about this year and his demands. That's different. I'm talking about next year and what Jerry Angelo promised him. Saying he won't tag him. Why not? Tag him and get a trade next year.

That's why Angelo offered that compromise - for the upcoming season. I think Angelo is only worried about the upcoming season, and maybe he's thinking he can draft a replacement this season or perhaps using the cap space they would gain from not franchising Briggs again to sign a veteran replacement, and fill some other areas.

Saying that, if Angelo really is going to let him walk after next season anyways, and Briggs is already threating to sit out the 1st 10 games, not to mention be a complete distraction, I would look to move him now (or before the draft).

The Redskins offer is ok, but I don't think the Bears really would want that #6 pick, and it appears Washington has had trouble trying to move it as well.

I'd probably be more in favor of trading Briggs for a 2nd and 4th rounder, and maybe flipping a 3rd rounder. Is that too much to ask or I am placing too much value on Briggs ?

Fine. Then just don't say anything to him. Or you could say that we'll try to negotiate after the season is done. Or you could say we'll tag you with the intent to trade you next year. But don't promise him you won't tag him. Like I said, you could tag him and get something for him. Why wouldn't an organization take advantage of that?

No Nas. Briggs will likely get a 20 million dollar signing bonus. A sixth pick won't get that. Especially if it's not a RB or a QB.

But if that's what they are worried about then get the 6th pick and trade it for a 2nd and a 3rd.

Ok fine. Then use that pick to move down and get multiple picks. Or maybe Jerry would like a player and want to spend that money on that 6th pick. Who knows. He just might not value Briggs that much.

Briggs would be more expensive - he's looking at the $20 million dollar signing bonus over 5 or 6 seasons. A #6 pick is going to get about $14 million upfront on a 4 or 5 year deal.

I do agree that there doesn't seem to be a player at #6 who the Bears could be looking at.

I think the Redskins were trying to move down, and couldn't find anyone to work a deal out with.

Now, as we get closer to the draft, with the Vikings and Dolphins both possibly eying a QB, perhaps Miami will try to move ahead of Minnesota and grab Quinn. That's just speculation though.

QB's are always slotted higher.

Davis got about the $15 million that you said, and the year before that it was, I think, in the low $14 million range. It will go up again this season, but probably no more than $15-$16 million, and the Bears have been known for trying to sign their picks to 5 year deals.

You mis-read my post. I'm saying the $15 million will be the starting point, and that pick will get more this season, but it's not going to rise dramatically - it will be $15-$16 million upfront.

According to Mulligan today, San Francisco 49ers tight end Vernon Davis got more than $14 million guaranteed in a five-year, $25 million deal as the No. 6 selection last year. Tennessee Titans cornerback dam ''Pacman'' Jones got $13.68 million the year before in the same slot.

I think that, believe it or not, the Bears and JA are doing their best to maintain an atmosphere of semi-camraderie, which they hope they can parlay into keeping certain free agents here for less money or signing free agents when it's a choice between two similar offers. The Olin Kreutz situation comes to mind immediately: Kreutz accepted the lesser offer to play for the Bears 4 or 5 years ago, and JA responded by upping his contract last year to reward him. The Bears don't want to be known across the league as the organization one gets screwed out of long-term deals with, Briggs situation notwithstanding.

JA may assume that Briggs will 100% definitely not be on the Bears in 2008, for both salary cap reasons and morale reasons, and so he'll attempt to pacify him in the meantime. Also, a happy Lance Briggs = more likely to sign future free agents, IMO.

A happy Lance Briggs has nothing to do with the Bears signing future free agents. That's BS. The free agent will go to the team who offers him the most money.

Did Moose care how the Bears treated other players when he signed here? Did Adewalye care about mistreated players in Bears history when he took the Bears money? No

Players go to who ever offers more. If it's even they'll go to the team with the better chance of making the playoffs. Bottom line.

I think that when one team obviously offers more money, they player is going to follow the money, but in close calls there are going to be other considerations. And I don't think it's always a question of better team/worst team either- once again I bring up the Kreutz situation, when Miami offered more money and was a better team. At the very least, happy players > unhappy players, no? And wasn't there a big free agent this year- Daniel Graham, perhaps- who turned down more money to play for what he considered to be a better managed organization?

Yeah. But I'll bet at least one player has thought that every team in the NFL has screwed him. Each player, in the end, only cares about himself.

The perfect example is Edgerin James. He went to the Arizona Cardinals. A team with a cheap reputation. An owner who is despised. The team has made 1 playoff in 40 years or something like that.

Yet Edge was more then happy to take their money despite all of the above. Why? Because they offered him the most. LOL.

The Bears ought to refuse the Rosenhaus-proposed Redskins trade on principle alone. No team should capitulate to an agent proposing deals and making them public to the media solely to protect his client and himself because his advice now has his client's career hanging on a thread. No team should give in to this kind of shotgun deal making by an agent. Forget about Briggs. The price of his ignorance will hit Mr. Briggs about August 1. He may not come climbing back to the Bears with his tail between his legs, but no way he is going to sit out. He will be at least as valuable, if not more valuable, in August and September than he is now, anyway. The Bears are holding all the cards in this poker game. Seeing Rosenhaus fail miserably in this gambit will be a long term net plus to the Bears and to the league.

Prediction: Bears don't get fair value offers for Briggs in a trade and thus, don't trade him. Briggs fires Rosenhaus and then resigns with the Bears in August for essentially the same $33 million, 6 year deal he could have gotten a year ago.

Rosenhaus has a pretty good track record for getting his clients the contracts they want though. I don't like his tactics and I'd love the Bears to tell them to shove it. I fully expect to see Briggs doing sit ups on his front lawn next week.

according to some sources....those would his first.

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@audioidkid

Jeff Joniak brought up this point with Steve Dahl on Friday. If Briggs were to sign the one year tender offer with the Bears, Rosenhaus wouldn't receive a dime because it is a non-negotiated contract.

I can see why Rosenhaus wants a long term deal, a nice paycheck awaits.