Briggs: Bears players, management not on same page

[UOK]

Lance Briggs did nothing Tuesday night to dispel the notion that the gap seems wider than ever between Bears players and management and team morale has suffered as a result.

Taping his CSN show "Countdown to Kickoff," two days earlier due to the Bears' London trip, Briggs suggested the unusual amount of bickering over player contracts since training camp "takes away from wanting to go out on the field and just play."

Briggs lobbied for a raise before the season, Chris Harris requested a trade after being benched and having his preseason request for a contract extension ignored and Matt Forte has been open and vocal about his desire for a new deal. Those are just the contract disputes made public.

Asked by CSN host Pat Boyle if this year was different at Halas Hall in that regard, Briggs concurred.

"I don’t know about where we are right now, in the past things worked themselves out," Briggs said. "There’s a transition going on right now in Chicago, players and management not seeing eye to eye. I don’t know where it’s going to go or pan out, especially for a guy like Matt Forte."

Forte, who makes $600,000 this season in the last year of his contract, has acknowledged that he's "human" but tries to limit distractions over not getting a contract extension. Briggs made it sound like an issue that has crept into the heads of several key Bears.

"I think it takes away from wanting to go out on the field and just play,’’ Briggs said. "Football careers are not like normal careers. Very short, could end on any given day. It's a league about what have you done for me lately. And for (players) it's about getting what you can while you can."

[Boris13c]

"I think it takes away from wanting to go out on the field and just play,’’ Briggs said.

up until that statement, I could see taking Lance's side of things

so, you don't like your paycheck? so it doesn't make you want to go to work? gee ... the rest of the world has that same feeling ... difference being, the rest of the world isn't made up of whining panty wearing pouting bitch millionaires who have absolutely no fucking clue how good they have it

this is a totally shitty attitude, and one that makes Briggs even less desirable to have around

"Football careers are not like normal careers. Very short, could end on any given day.

hey shithead - the rest of us can pretty much be fired any given day as well, but don't have some multi-million safety net like assholes like you do

I want Briggs traded as soon as the season ends

[gaba]

I have a hard time finding sympathy for man that makes more every week than the majority of the world sees in a year. When he's on the field I'm usually glad to have him, but I'm about sick of hearing him bitch about his paycheck. Maybe he could make better money in Carolina or St. Louis.

[wab]

Hopefully he spends the remainder of his career languishing in obscurity for the Panthers. And he can take Chris Harris back there with him.

Matt Forte is thiiiiiiis close to landing on my list as well.

[DaDitka]

Matt Forte is thiiiiiiis close to landing on my list as well.

As long as there are out there giving 100% I could give two sh*ts what they say in the media.


As for Matt, if he holds out....there's the door. I love him to death and he's a #1 weapon right now, but I don't think our production would be any less from 15 different backs (or more) he is replaceable.

Not to say I want him replaced.......I just that he can be.

[Fumblebuck]

Matt Forte is thiiiiiiis close to landing on my list as well.

As long as there are out there giving 100% I could give two sh*ts what they say in the media.


As for Matt, if he holds out....there's the door. I love him to death and he's a #1 weapon right now, but I don't think our production would be any less from 15 different backs (or more) he is replaceable.

Not to say I want him replaced.......I just that he can be.

2nd'ed

He's a good player at a bad position to play.

I hope that Forte understands that the only guys at RB that have any contract leverage are those with an elite skill set and he isn't one of them.

[Boris13c]

there is no holdout for Forte ... he is playing in the last year of his contract ... season ends, contract ends ... the Bears pay him or someone else will

and to put things in perspective, Forte made half of Chester Taylor's salary last season ... and who was more productive and useful?

my question is why the Bears seem perfectly willing to throw a lot of free agent dollars to bring in players of questionable value to the team (Ratshit Williams is this year's version), while seemingly ignoring guys who have proven their worth

I tried to find a link to Forte's exact contract details ... I know he is in the last year of his contract, so does that make him a complete free agent at the end? or can the Bears put the franchise tag on him still while saying they're working a longer deal?

[wab]

I tried to find a link to Forte's exact contract details ... I know he is in the last year of his contract, so does that make him a complete free agent at the end? or can the Bears put the franchise tag on him still while saying they're working a longer deal?

Forte is in the last year of his deal and is making about 600k. They can franchise him or, I believe, tender him as a restricted free agent.

According to multiple reports, they are about 10 million apart in contract talks. I imagine that they'll end up splitting the difference and he'll come back on a 3 or 4 year deal.

[crueltyabc]

This is starting to remind me of the lockout - rich vs rich... fans screwed. On one side you have players that are underpaid now, but will make good money in the future, and on the other side you have ownership with $19 million under the cap.

Briggs needs to stfu so lets put him aside.

Forte and probably other young players should be extended and paid well this year so that in coming years we can underpay them and have extra money under the cap to add free agents. This is exactly what is happening to Briggs... but nobody is taking advantage of this sound decision that was made in structuring Brigg's contract as it is. The Bears need to spend the extra money because it effectively goes away (into McCaskey pockets) if we don't spend it now, and we CLEARLY need money to add talent going forward. Not that we can identify talent, but in a hypothetical future where Angelo is retired we will want some money to spend.