[CBFF] Bears trade Brian Griese to Tampa Bay :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Bears - Sent Using Google Toolbar

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Bears trade Brian Griese to Tampa Bay :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Bears

Bears trade Brian Griese to Tampa Bay



March 3, 2008
BY BRAD BIGGS bbiggs at suntimes.com

 The Bears found a taker for Brian Griese after all.

 Hours before the team was expected to release him, the team struck a
deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Terms of the deal are not known,
but it is expected the Bears will receive a draft pick in 2009.

» Click to enlarge image
Brian Griese is headed back to Tampa Bay.

(AP)




 Griese was notified last Thursday the team would seek to trade him
instead of releasing him before free agency opened. They had a
deadline, however, because the Bears were not going to pay him the
$300,000 roster bonus he is due tomorrow. The Bucs will now pick that
up.

 The 11-year veteran started six games last season and had a 3-3
record. He took over in Week 4 after Rex Grossman was benched. He
helped direct a 19-16 comeback victory at Philadelphia Oct. 21 that
sparked controversy after he said he had been calling the plays
because the headset in his helmet faltered in the two-minute drill.
That didn't go over well with offensive coordinator Ron Tuner, and
Griese made an awkward clarification of events the next day. Griese
suffered a minor injury to his left shoulder Nov. 11 at Oakland and
was relegated to the sideline for the rest of the season.

 The Bears signed Griese to a five-year contract worth between $14
million and $20 million depending on play-time incentives two years
ago. General manager Jerry Angelo hailed it as a major accomplishment
as it brought stability to the position that had been missing. The
team has already announced competition for the starting job will be
between Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton, and the club is expected to draft
a passer next month. Griese has been with four teams and was let go by
the Buccaneers in 2006 for salary-cap reasons. He had a strong
relationship with coach Jon Gruden and Tampa's new quarterbacks coach
Greg Olson has always liked Griese. Olson lobbied for the Bears to
wait for Olson to be cut by Denver in 2003 to sign him instead of
going with Kordell Stewart. That idea didn't go anywhere, but Griese
wound up here eventually.

 His contract calls for a base salary of $1.4 million in 2008, $1.8
million in 2009 and $2.2 million in 2010.