Briggs Still Could be Draft-Day Trade

Previously I had been inclined to believe that Chicago Bears general manager Jerry Angelo was determined to play hard ball with disgruntled linebacker Lance Briggs, but I'm starting to rethink my position. Interest seems to be growing by the day, and it is going to be harder and harder for Angelo to justify keeping an unhappy Briggs around when there is so much potential trade interest.

Monday, NFL Network's Adam Schefter reported that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have thrown their hat in the increasingly-crowded ring, which by my count includes at least five teams. Washington, Buffalo, Denver, the New York Giants, and now Tampa Bay have at one time or another shown interest in acquiring the Pro Bowl linebacker. And while Tampa's interest doesn't make a whole lot of sense (both Derrick Brooks and the recently signed Cato June are also weakside linebackers), it would seem, based on the number of teams interested, that a fair deal should be on the horizon. If Angelo has no intention of signing Briggs to a long-term deal, he should do what's best for the team in the long run, which would be to pawn him off on the highest bidder.

Obviously, replacing Briggs' production in the lineup would be no small feat, but it's no secret either that the Cover Two system the Bears run tends to put the weakside 'backer in position to make a lot of plays. And a lot of guys would probably look good lined up next to Brian Urlacher. Maybe not as good as Briggs necessarily, but solid nonetheless. And given Angelo's propensity for pulling solid defenders out of the third round and beyond, using Briggs to move up in the first round and garner some extra picks in the middle rounds could possibly solidify the Bears as contenders for the foreseeable future.

The good thing about running the Cover Two is players that fit this system are often passed on by other teams because they don't have the ideal measurements required in a conventional defense. A small linebacker like New Mexico's Quincy Black might not be worth more than a fifth- or sixth-round pick to a team running a more traditional 4-3 set. But he could be valuable to a team like the Bears as early as the second or third round because of his speed. These types of players (smaller speedy linebackers, slower physical corners) tend to fall to teams that run a similar defensive style, and Angelo has made a habit of benefiting from it.

All in all, the Bears might lose a little ground in the beginning by trading Briggs, but they stand to gain ground in the long run assuming a decent deal can be put together. And they keep the poison this type of situation can generate out of the locker room in the process.

Seems like a no-brainer to me. But hey, maybe that's why Jerry Angelo is an NFL general manager while yours truly simply speculates.