Lance Briggs’ latest meeting with Jerry Angelo to discuss a much-wanted salary hike clearly didn’t go quite as swimmingly as Briggs would have hoped (probably something similar to “Pay me more?…”No”). So, now, Briggs’ agent, Satan himself, Drew Rosenhaus, has done what only Rosenhaus does best: formally filed a trade request on Briggs’ behalf.
If you think this sounds awfully familiar, it’s because it is. Back in 2007, Briggs famously proclaimed he’d “never play another down for Chicago“. Of course, he would. And once free agency hit, a cooled market sent Briggs sprinting back Baywatch-slow-motion-style into the arms of Angelo, re-signing with Chicago for six years, $36 million.
A recent slew of more lucrative signings of younger, albeit less accomplished, linebackers around the league has seemingly re-sensitized Briggs’ perennial itchy pockets. And to be fair, it’s not completely unreasonable that Briggs would, to say the least, be a little agitated. Problem is, he has no leverage. Under contract for three more years, it’s difficult to imagine a 30-year old Briggs commanding more value than a 27-year old Briggs did, when even then he couldn’t land “big-time” money.
It’s hard to take someone who says something like “I’m 100% a Bear, until I’m not a Bear anymore” seriously. More so, everyone and their mom thinks it’s a ridiculous notion that, with the Bears currently model-thin deep at linebacker and the season opener a little more than one week away, Angelo could ever, in his right mind, consider moving Briggs right now.
That said, expect Briggs to be traded before the deadline, to the Colts, for two second rounders and some real nice grade-A stadium grass.