[CBFF] Bears designate Briggs as franchise player

[mom2iancal]

Bears designate Briggs as franchise player

By Larry Mayer

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Determined to keep one of the NFL’s top defenses 
intact, the Bears on Friday designated _Lance Briggs_ 
(http://www.chicagobears.com/news/NewsStory.asp?story_id=3079#) as their franchise player, guaranteeing 
him a one-year contract for $7.2 million, the average of the top five highest 
paid linebackers in the league. The 6-1, 240-pounder was due to become an 
unrestricted free agent March 2. 

Lance Briggs led the Bears with 117 solo tackles this past season.Briggs can 
sign an offer sheet with another NFL team, but the Bears would have the 
right to match the deal. If they chose not to match the offer, they would 
receive two first-round draft picks as compensation, a stiff price that most clubs 
are generally unwilling to pay for any free agent. 
The $7.2 million tender Briggs would sign with the Bears is guaranteed for 
the first time in accordance with the NFL's new Collective Bargaining 
Agreement. 
In 2006, Briggs set a career high with 176 tackles and was selected to his 
second straight Pro Bowl. He led the Bears with 117 solo tackles while ranking 
second with 10 tackles-for-loss and nine pass break-ups. A consensus 
first-team All-Pro in 2005, the weakside linebacker was a second-team All-Pro 
selection this past season.

“The sky’s the limit when it comes to Lance and his abilities,” defensive 
coordinator _Ron Rivera_ 
(http://www.chicagobears.com/news/NewsStory.asp?story_id=3079#) said in December. “Last year he just scratched the surface and I 
think this year he’s the same way. He’s scratching the surface a little bit 
more each time and I think it’s just a matter of time before he becomes a 
perennial Pro Bowl player.”

Briggs has not missed a game since joining the Bears as a third-round draft 
pick in 2003 out of Arizona. This past season he reached double digits in 
tackles in a career-high 12 games while leading the team in tackles eight times, 
tying him with fellow linebacker _Brian Urlacher_ 
(http://www.chicagobears.com/news/NewsStory.asp?story_id=3079#) . 
While Urlacher garners more attention, Briggs has developed a reputation 
among teammates and opponents as one of the best linebackers in the league. 
“I think for me, as far as working hard throughout the years, I’ve created 
a lot of respect from my peers and coaches and that’s where it all starts for 
me, especially on this team,” Briggs said last month while preparing for 
Super Bowl XLI. “The guys that I’ve played with, I’ve earned their respect 
earning the starting job and taking it another step getting to a Pro Bowl. Now it’
s going even outside of just the Chicago Bears.”

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