Briggs still holding out

Lance Briggs continues to hold out for more money, according to a report from the Daily Herald. Briggs, miffed at his franchise player designation and in the unenviable position of taking advice from Drew Rosenhaus, has yet to participate in even one off-season activity with the Bears and is expected to hold out through training camp and the pre-season at the least. The main gist of the article is that Briggs basically has no choice but to show up and play at some point if he wants to make big money, which is 100% true. The whole idea of sitting out because you’ve been designated franchise player is absolute idiocy.

I’m going to make this short and sweet. The franchise player tag means that a player gets a HUGE raise for one season before that player gets yet another huge raise while playing during their franchise player year. It is given to players who were undervalued and played above their contracts as a way for the team that gave them a shot to say thank you while retaining them an extra year so they don’t lose them to free agency if they can’t afford the jack under the cap one year. Agents like Drew Rosenhaus, with their greedy little agent backwards logic, have somehow convinced players that they don’t owe a team that gave them a shot when they were barely worth league minimum one more year and a chance to re-sign them. This is total bunk. Briggs should lace up, play hard, and then if he wants to follow the money wherever it calls, that’s on him. But for now, man up and take your 1,000% pay increase to 7.2 mil a year. It’s insulting to the rest of us that you’re insulted.

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Permalink - Posted in General on June 18, 2007 - Post a comment