[CBFF] Briggs reportedly 'prepared to sit' if Bears won't deal

[Tom Shannon]

I believe that there was one guy who played for the Redskins who sat out a
whole year.  I read it somewhere today, probably in the FOX Sports article
by Jay Glazier that spawned this one.

Tom S.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: cbff-bounces at chicagobearsfanforum.com [mailto:cbff-
> bounces at chicagobearsfanforum.com] On Behalf Of Jerry Madsen
> Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2007 6:15 AM
> To: CBFF
> Subject: [CBFF] Briggs reportedly 'prepared to sit' if Bears won't deal
> 
> 42 Franchise tags have been issued to 30 different players.
> 
> Trades forced by result of the tag?  3.
> 
> Games missed as a result of the tag?  0.
> 
> See you September, Lance.
> 
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---------------
> 
> 
> Updated: March 13, 2007, 2:52 AM ET
> Briggs reportedly 'prepared to sit' if Bears won't deal
> ESPN.com news services
> 
> The glow of a Super Bowl appearance can't extinguish the shadows that
> are creeping up on the Chicago Bears.
> 
> Top running back Thomas Jones was shipped to New York last week and
> now this week, Pro Bowl linebacker Lance Briggs took his war of words
> to the next level.
> 
> "I am now prepared to sit out the year if the Bears don't trade me or
> release me," Briggs told FoxSports.com on Monday night. "I've played
> my last snap for them. I'll never play another down for Chicago
> again."
> 
> Frustrated that he couldn't work out an extension with the Bears and
> angered that the team slapped the franchise designation on him, Briggs
> told ESPN.com a week ago that a trade would be in the best interest of
> all parties.
> 
> Bears general manager Jerry Angelo countered that he felt the $7.2
> million the team would pay Briggs next season was very fair. The
> linebacker reportedly turned down a seven-year, $33 million deal in
> March 2006. Now, he's ready to gamble again.
> 
> "People think I can't afford to sit out the year -- I can take out
> loans to get me through that year just fine because eventually I'll
> have a deal somewhere," Briggs told FoxSports.com. "There are things I
> can do to make sure I'm fine financially if I sit out. I can also
> decide what other course of action I can take as the season gets
> closer. The Bears have shown I'm not in their long-term plans so if
> that's the case, I don't want to be here."
> 
> Money might not be the only reason Briggs wants out of Chicago. He
> said he wants to be the leader of a team and knows he'll never
> overtake Brian Urlacher in Chicago.
> 
> "I've talked to Brian about it," Briggs told the Web site. "I'm a
> competitor and I want the same thing he has. I've learned a lot from
> Brian as a player and a leader and I eventually want to be 'the man'
> somewhere. I want to be like him and have everything put on me too.
> Obviously I'll never be able to do that there.
> 
> "Still, had the Bears made me a long-term offer that I found
> acceptable, I probably would have sacrificed this desire and stayed. I
> don't want to be somewhere I'm not wanted long-term."
> 
> --
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> 
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