A columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer floated a trade scenario that would send Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb to the Bears for disgruntled linebacker Lance Briggs. The Briggs' rumor mill has been quiet since the draft, but the two-time Pro Bowler was a no-show at minicamp last weekend, so maybe talk will pick up.
I'll explore five possible (although logistically difficult) trade scenarios for Briggs, and I'd love to hear your theories.
1. Briggs for McNabb: The Inquirer story hypothesized the Bears would only do this deal if McNabb was guaranteed to be healthy by Week 1. I think the Eagles would be hesitant to do this, because they traditionally don't like to open up the vaults for linebackers. I think they'd rather have a contract headache at quarterback, even if there is a health risk. Chicago, on the other hand, would probably love to have McNabb even if he wasn't 100 percent, no matter how many positive reports you read about Rex Grossman at minicamp.
2. Briggs for Larry Johnson: Johnson is a free agent after 2007 and wants to be paid like LaDainian Tomlinson. The Chiefs denied they were shopping the star running back, but they also haven't said they're going to meet his salary demands. It's time to rebuild in K.C. and young Pro Bowl-caliber linebacker would be a nice fit. Johnson probably isn't a great long-term fit for the Bears unless they want to give up on Cedric Benson. But for one year a Johnson-Benson combo is intriguing despite being impractical.
3. Briggs for Chris Simms: The Bucs reportedly had some interest in Briggs and they have some spare parts to deal. Obviously, they'd love to ship Jake Plummer to Chicago, although Plummer maintains he's really retired. I think Tampa Bay wouldn't mind giving up Simms, who might interest Chicago if the Bucs could sweeten the deal somehow. Maybe disgruntled cornerback Brian Kelly or soon-to-retire outside linebacker Derrick Brooks could be in the deal. It's probably too late for Tampa Bay to deal Brooks without angering fans, and he's too expensive anyway, but he'd certainly be a nice one-year replacement for Briggs.
4. Briggs for Clinton Portis: The Redskins and Bears couldn't complete a deal around draft time, but maybe talks would resume if Chicago really believes Briggs will sit out the season. We know Washington will satisfy Briggs' contract demands. Portis is the one high-profile Redskin who has been mentioned in trades this offseason. The Bears' running game would be scary with a Portis-Cedric Benson 1-2 punch, and Washington could survive without the running back. And Chicago was also interested in Skins LB Rocky McIntosh in April.
5. Briggs for Michael Vick: This one is as hypothetical as they come -- meaning it's not happening in this lifetime -- but it would cure a lot of headaches. Atlanta wouldn't have to deal with a possible Vick suspension and more bad publicity. And Chicago could wait out any league discipline on Vick. Now that Matt Schaub is in Houston, that would leave Joey Harrington as the Falcons QB, so I'll admit, this plan has some flaws. If you think Vick is a controversial choice to include in this list, be happy I didn't throw out Brett Favre's name.
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how about briggs and alex brown for portis and shawn springs?
JERZEKALEZ
Chicago , IL
Total Comments (1)
briggs for mcnabb would be a good trade. that would be crazy
Support_MMA
Total Comments (52)
These are some of the dumbest trade proposals in history. The only one that makes even remote sense is Briggs for Chris Simms. Even that trade seems unlogical b/c the Bucs want to win in the immediate future and Garcia/Plummer can only play for 1 or 2 seasons at the most (heck, Plummer is already retired).
Briggs for McNabb... riiiggghhhttt. Perloff, do you really think the Eagles think they can win more games with Briggs and a scrub QB?! Their QBs are bearly able to be logical 2nd stringers let alone playoff QBs. I don't care if you said a Philadephia sportswriter orginially wrote the proposal, you are dumb to even consider spreading such stupidity (and I'm not even an Eagles fan).
All the other suggested proposals are equally as dumb to consider that teams will trade Vick/Portis/or Larry Johnson (arguably 3 out of the top 5 offensive players in the NFL... and the heart of their teams' offenses) for a LB that could be the product of his system and the fact that he plays next to the best MLB in the game. Heck, Simms is the only guy that I would trade for even Urlacher.
billy12
Beverly Hills , CA
Total Comments (1)
Briggs for a QB or RB is not worth it. I'd much rather they let him sit for 1/2 the year. Then just to really tick him oof, I'd franchise him again for *next* year.
IUsedOS2
Streamwood , IL
Total Comments (1)
how bout briggs stepping up to the plate and accepting 7.3 million dollars and then working on a long term contract with the bears. instead of him being a giant pain in the **** cry baby and whine on every radio show he goes on....he needs to put his mangina away and fire drew and retire a bear.....he frickin can go to the arena league for all i care if he isnt a bear without urlacher he will never be the impact linebacker he thinks he is in th enfl.
aballer53141
Kenosha , WI
Total Comments (9)
If they wanted a nice 1-2 punch at running back, they would not have traded Thomas Jones for next to nothing this offseason.
TheDeity
Shelbyville, IN
Total Comments (391)
Do not think Philly would go for that. Briggs needs to just play and hit the market next off season.
DWF33
Orlando , FL
Total Comments (4)
The Philly Inquirer article about the Briggs-McNabb deal was written by Don McKee, who runs a weekly article called "Incites." Note that it is not called "Insights" - which would imply that he is making suggestions based on inside knowledge. The article is called "Incites" because he brings up ridiculous stuff that will "incite" arguments, discussions, and stupid blog entries validating said ridiculosity (I dont know if thats a word, and I dont care).
Anyway, the "rumor" was originally a joke. So nice job Perloff. Real good journalism on your part. I agree with the guy who said the only possibility is Briggs for Simms, although I'm not so sure Simms is any better than Grossman. The Bears would be better served trading for Garcia who can show Grossman how to be a quarterback.
But come on....McNabb?!? Larry Johnson?!? Clinton Portis? There's a reason Briggs hasn't been traded yet. No team is moronic enough to trade a franchise player for a weakside LB that has only been good for a couple seasons - seasons where he just so happened to get to play next to the best LB in football. Remember how good Peter Boulware and Edgerton Hartwell looked next to the best LB in football, and then remember what they did after they either left (Hartwell), or after Ray Lewis' play started to slip.
Briggs is a punk. He's not worth the money he's asking for and every team knows it. Some stupid team (like the Redskins) will end up giving him the money he wants and then regretting it. Guys like Briggs are terrible for the game. Bitching about $7.3 million. Give me a f'n break!
adams430
Southampton , PA
Total Comments (1)
How about Briggs to the Chargers for Michael Turner. The Chargers just lost their 2 inside linebackers and their new LB coach is Ron Rivera, Briggs' former Defensive Coordinator in Chicago. Questions: Are the Bears interested in having a second running back in Turner, a guy who can really pound the ball? Is grumpy AJ Smith willing to take a risk on a prima donna linebacker who will have to adjust to the 3-4 defense?
SanDiegoFan
San Diego , CA
Total Comments (2)
I wouldn't trade our 6th round pick for Michael Vick...or his pit bulls.
Adams430 nailed it..he'd just not that good. Did anyone see him at the Super Bowl? He was non-existent...actually that's not true. I did see him many times run down a back he failed to cover after the back had already gained 9 yards.
Muffie
Vernon Hills , IL
Total Comments (25)
Briggs for Chris Henry and AJ Nicholson...
Chris Henry
Cincinnati , OH
Total Comments (1)
Perloff stop giving Dan Snyder ideas, already! I think it is beyond dumb to trade Portis (a top 5 back and tough as nails) for a linebacker especially given the Redskins depth at linebacker right now and the fact that our oldest backer is a MLB not an outside LB. He might hear you and then start thinking and then start talking and pretty soon Redskins 1 is fueled up and ready to go. The only difference from your scenario is I am sure the Redskins would also give up a draft pick along with Portis. I mean we have, what, like 7 of them next year? What the heck are we going to do with 7 picks? Please stop giving our amazing brain trust any ideas.
Agrawog
Agrawog
Alexandria , VA
Total Comments (18)
I think the Bears should trade Briggs to the Raiders for Oakland's 2nd round pick in '08. The Bears should let him make his money, but laugh at him as he flounders on a 2-14 team instead of flourishing on the 13-3 team he shunned. They get rid of a headache of a player who is going to leave the team after this season regardless and they gain a top-40 draft pick. The Raiders get a premier linebacker in his prime.
RP-29
Oshkosh , WI
Total Comments (604)
I think the bears should trade briggs to the patriots for]
a 2nd round draft pick in next years draft
lyle aldridge
Bankston , AL
Total Comments (1)
The bears will not trade for a quarterback OR a runningback. You can put that down in writing.
Lovie Smith and Jerry Angelo have been staunch in their support for Grossman at quarterback. Everyone always forgets that this past year was his FIRST FULL YEAR at quarterback. There is no way Smith and Angelo would bring in another qb and start up more controversy. Besides they already have Griese, Orton, and Leak behind them. I don't know why the Bears would even think about Mcnabb seeing as he's coming off an injury and he would have to learn a new system.
The runningback position is also stacked. The Bears have invested heavily in Benson and said he's the guy. Bringing in another star runningback would just create more problems and more money being spent. Besides Adrian Peterson has been doing a great job spelling the past few seasons. To add even more fire to my argument- the bears have hester and wolfe lining up in the backfield at times. You have two backs that can pound it- and two that are hard to catch.
Briggs is going to stay in Chicago whether he likes it or not (for this year). No trade is going to go down because no one else is going to give up a good trade offer for Briggs. Even if someone did- the Chicago management isn't going to be easily swayed because it doesn't want to be bullied by a player. Kudos to Smith and Angelo for preparing in advance (Williams and Okwo) and letting Briggs be selfish.
timmyboy84
Glenview Nas , IL
Total Comments (1)
Those are horribly unrealistic scenarios! Why don't we trade Briggs for a low-interest rate credit card, Priest Holmes,, and Peter King's caffeine addiction while we're at (plus the Redskins 2nd, 3rd, and 4th picks in '09 - they're so stupid). There is no market for Briggs that'll earn the Bears close to what he's worth, so they should sit back see if Briggs blinks first.
Caster Joe
Total Comments (2)
The only thing the Bears would even bother thinking about trading for is a tackle or a linebacker. Anyone who really thinks the Bears would get another quarterback or running back on the same level as Briggs simply doesn't understand the commitment the coaches and front office have made to Rex and Ced, ill guided though it may be.
And folks need to stop ripping on Perloff, it's his job to do these things, and the negativity just seems like undeserved arrogance.
#1ChiTownFan
Silver Spring , MD
Total Comments (1)
Shouldn't this article be called "10 Possible Trades I Completely Made Up"?
Brigs for any one of these trades would be idiotic...
Riggo#44
Silver Spring , MD
Total Comments (1)
These scenarios are, to put it bluntly, dumb. None of them exactly make sense for the Bears at all... If Briggs were to be traded, it would need to be for a replacement at LB, hence why the 'Skins deal fell apart; youth on the offensive line, particularly at the tackles where Tait and Miller are a combined million years old, or help at cornerback.
Though part of me really hates to say it, Rex Grossman needs one more full year at the helm. And I honestly think that the Bears have some of the most underrated depth at RB with Benson, Peterson and Wolfe.
catch32
Fox River Grove , IL
Total Comments (1)
Briggs for QB Kyle Boller and G Cedric Vincent
Baltimore Sports Fan
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