Briggs/Bears Battle Continues

Monday the NFL released information stating preseason would kick-off with Chicago Bears playing the Houston Texans sometime between August 9th and 13th, 2007, but whether their despondently tagged franchise player Lance Briggs, number 55, will be joining them is a challenge that continues to be under review. General Manager Jerry Angelo is quoted, “I’m not ruling it out 100%, but in all probability, that’s not likely to happen” in regards to his interest of Briggs returning to the team, but showing lack of support to offer the player a long term contract.

Franchise player contract rules require Briggs only attend six games of the next season to qualify the demands of a year’s service allowing him to sit out the first ten games.  He employed this threat as a tactic to gain himself leverage with the Bears.  In effect he would be owed $7.2 million for the season, which is ten times that of his 2006 season salary. This change in contract would launch him into the top five highest paid players in his position. Despite the salary increase Briggs is at odds with the Bears over his franchise label due to the difficulty in marketing himself to other teams in the league making his chances of a trade bleak.

As the Chicago Bears review Briggs’ challenge the Washington Redskins stepped forward with an offer for a sixth overall draft pick for the number 31 overall pick of the Bears with consideration to Briggs. So far the Redskins are the only offer on the table and the Bears are dooming the offer to failure contesting the terms even up to the last day, today. Not ready to make a decision on the exchange, Angelo contacted the Redskins while rumors circulating that inferred they might request an additional linebacker from the Redskins to complete the transaction. Stay tuned for updates and get Bears‘ season tickets for 2007 on StubHub.com.

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