[CBFF] Bears give Griese's agent permission to seek trade - Chicago Bears - Sent Using Google Toolbar

[Tom Shannon]

Bears give Griese's agent permission to seek trade - Chicago Bears








LAKE FOREST, Ill. – With Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton slated to compete
for the starting quarterback job in 2008, the Bears have given Brian
Griese's agent, Ralph Cindrich, permission to seek a trade for the
10-year veteran.

Griese appeared in seven games in 2007, compiling a 3-3 record as a
starter while completing 161 of 262 passes for 1,803 yards with 10
touchdowns, 12 interceptions and a 75.6 passer rating. Griese is due a
$300,000 roster bonus on Tuesday.



 Brian Griese joined the Bears in 2006 after spending his first eight
NFL seasons with the Broncos, Dolphins and Buccaneers. With the free
agency period having kicked off at 11 p.m. Thursday, the Bears
continue to monitor the status of linebacker Lance Briggs, wide
receiver Bernard Berrian and special teams standout Brendon
Ayanbadejo, all of whom have reached the open market.

General manager Jerry Angelo said last week at the NFL Scouting
Combine that the Bears have made "aggressive" offers to all three
players and expect to remain in the mix.

A draft-driven team that believes in rewarding its own players with
contract extensions, the Bears won't overpay for free agents.

"The thing that you have to do is you have to create sobriety in the
marketplace," Angelo said at the Combine. "Because you have the money
doesn't mean you have to spend all the money.

 "You have to put values on players and then you have to stay
disciplined to that, or else what you are going to wind up doing is
you're going to keep all those players at an exorbitant amount of
money—way beyond how you valued the player.

"A year from now or two years from now you're going to look back and
that money shrinks up and you're going to need to [sign] other players
and all of a sudden those players become targets, and we don't want to
get into that cycle where you have those cap casualties. Then you have
that dead money. You have to look at it from a broad picture, not just
isolate this year and how much cash and how much cap room you have."

Last summer the Bears signed Charles Tillman and Nate Vasher to
long-term extensions. The starting cornerbacks were both due to become
unrestricted free agents following the 2007 season.

The Bears recently have also locked up Orton, tight end Desmond Clark
and defensive end Alex Brown with extensions, while signing Grossman
to a one-year deal just six days before he was slated to hit the open
market.
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