[CBFF] ST - Jones, Briggs come for Bears' minicamp

[NEWS ARTICLE]

Jones, Briggs come for Bears' minicamp

June 2, 2006

BY BRAD BIGGS Staff Reporter

Continuity has been a major theme stressed by the
Bears all offseason, with an improbable 22 starters
returning.

All 22 are expected to be on the field when minicamp
begins this afternoon at Halas Hall. Running back
Thomas Jones and linebacker Lance Briggs were at the
facility Thursday, easing any concerns that the
clients of powerful agent Drew Rosenhaus would skip
out on the mandatory weekend.

Jones and Briggs have been absent from the bulk of the
Bears' voluntary offseason program, and for a team
that's looking to win with a formula of defense and
running the ball, the leading rusher and
second-leading tackler are vital cogs.

Had Jones and Briggs chosen to stay away from minicamp
-- a tactic some Rosenhaus clients have used
successfully elsewhere -- the Bears could have fined
them and possibly sought to recoup a portion of their
signing-bonus money.

Now there will be harmony in Lake Forest -- or at
least enough of a good vibe for everyone to be on the
field together.

Jones, with two years remaining on his contract,
expressed a desire to be traded before the draft.
Briggs, seemingly with more leverage, is looking for a
big payday coming off a Pro Bowl season. He is
scheduled to earn $721,600 in the final year of his
rookie contract, and negotiations with Rosenhaus broke
off in April.

Last year's first-round pick, running back Cedric
Benson, has made progress and is expected to get a
greater share of the workload this season. Running
backs coach Tim Spencer said last month that he had
gone back to the basics with Benson in the playbook,
ensuring that he will be up to speed on the nuances of
his pass-protection responsibilities. That's an area
in which Jones excels.

Linebacker, though, is not as deep, and there isn't
anyone who could step in and replace Briggs. The Bears
drafted Arizona State's Jamar Williams in the fourth
round, calling him a Briggs-like player, but he wasn't
selected with the idea of playing instantly.

General manager Jerry Angelo has not been able to add
a veteran tight end, which he said he would try to do
after opting not to draft one five weeks ago. He
suggested that with 10 new head coaches in the NFL,
rosters would turn over as those staffs molded their
teams. No name players have hit the market, though,
and there was hardly a ripple on the waiver wire
Thursday -- the first day players could be cut with a
portion of their signing bonus spread into the 2007
salary cap.

Priority free agents Tim Day (Oregon) and Cooper
Wallace (Auburn) were signed after the draft, but Day
is two weeks away from joining the Bears because
Oregon is on the trimester system and players cannot
join their teams until after they take their final
exams.

And what, if any, production the Bears can get from
those newcomers is unknown. They are far from locks to
make the roster.

Veteran Desmond Clark will be counted on again to
produce more in the passing game, and supporters point
out that the fifth-ranked rushing offense got blocking
help at tight end.

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