Lance Briggs...
 

After reading today that Lance Briggs has declared he's played his last snap with the Bears and will hold out the season if Chicago fails to trade his rights, I got to thinking...

By declaring this he has seriously reduced the Bears leverage in any trade since teams know they are between a rock and a hard place. I realize we have Fujita and Shanle at the outside positions, but Briggs is a huge upgrade over Shanle.

And another Bears name is on the tail end of his rookie contract- Nathan Vasher.

My offering is that we trade our 1st round pick, 3rd round pick and Scott Shanle to the Bears for Lance Briggs and Nathan Vasher. We suddenly have a very pleasing LBing corp, a starting CB to play opposite McKenzie and we can use our 2nd round pick on the best TE, DT or CB at the time. Chances are we are not gonna draft a guy as good as Vasher will be out of the gate with the 1st rounder. All we need to do is add a SS in either Kaesviharn or Hamlin and we have a darn solid defense. I don't see a weak point in our defense suddenly.

Thoughts?

RE: Lance Briggs...
 

I thought about Briggs, but, if I were the Bears GM, I'd let him sit out the season rather than trade him for less than his full value. It's all just posturing anyway. 90% chance he'll play for Chicago in '07. 100% if they don't trade or release him.

We would have a much improved D after this if it were to happen. I just don't see the Bears making such moves.

I'd love to have them both too,but I just don't see it happening either.

I truly don't see him playing for them and I see him moved for a pick on draft day.

I'm not sure how the DE situation is in Chicago, but why not see if they'll take Grant for Briggs straight up? Both are unhappy, and I dont see Grant resigning with us after 07. At this point I don't see Chicago being offered anything better for Briggs and its better than letting Grant walk or having to tag him again next year.

If the Saints do make a play for Briggs, the longer they wait the better the deal. No matter what Briggs says, the Bears are not going to give him away, today or in September.

He is worth AT LEAST a first and another pick. We have not upgraded our CB situation yet, so I'd be hesitant to give up a first until we had a replacement for Thomas signed.

Man would we be ripping them off... highway robbery. :nutkick: