NFL Free Agency

[-Jrabbit]

they get TJones and our second -- and we just get their 2nd rounder?

WTF???????

[Jaguar]

Jones was really mad about his contract and he wanted to leave, so the Bears had very little leverage.

[-Jrabbit]

It looks like a classic "sell high" startegy. Jones' value will never be higher. The Jets will give him a long-term deal, and the Bears move from #63 to #37 in a draft alleged to have plenty of RBs and overall strength.

Briggs today said he would "play out the year and see what happens."

[-Jrabbit]

Better hope the kid stays healthy...

Cowboys agreed to terms with Brad Johnson on a three-year contract. NFL.com's Adam Schefter reports the deal is worth $7.5 million.

[SlowwHand]

I just as soon have him on the sideline as any, I guess.

[-Jrabbit]

He was terrible in the last half of the season.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by -Jrabbit
they get TJones and our second -- and we just get their 2nd rounder?

WTF???????

Yeah, doesn't look all that good for the Bears. It's due to Jones being ultra unhappy. Sure it is a RB heavy draft, but the Jets are PISS POOR in the RB department and would rather go for a relatively sure thing in Jones than a rookie. AND they get a second.

[SlowwHand]

Originally posted by -Jrabbit
He was terrible in the last half of the season.

At standing on the sideline?
What they should do now is draft a QB if they can, and have him on the sideline with Johnson, talking; after we take a CB.

[-Jrabbit]

He had 14 starts, Sloww. Totals include: 9 TDs, 15 INTs, and a 72 (worse than Rex!) rating. I can only assume he's going to be a "do as I say, not as I play" mentor.

I expect Dallas to draft a safety first.

[Lord Avalon]

Porter to get $20M guaranteed in deal with Dolphins

By John Clayton
ESPN.com

The Dolphins didn't want to wait for Joey Porter to make a five- to six-team tour of prospective new teams.

While Porter, the former Steelers outside linebacker, was spending Monday trying to map out his trips to selected NFL cities, the Dolphins came in with an offer he couldn't refuse. Porter agreed to a five-year, $32 million contract that includes $20 million in guarantees.

The Steelers released him a week ago because they didn't have plans to sign him after his contract ran out in 2007. With several key starters entering the final year of their contract, the Steelers had to be selective and Porter became a salary cap casualty.

The minute he became a free agent, his phone was ringing. Porter had enough offers to visit most of the teams that run a 3-4 defense and few, including Cincinnati, that run a 4-3. He chose to play for Dom Capers' 3-4 unit in Miami.

Porter wanted to take the weekend to settle himself and find a new spot. On Monday, he started to put together a plan of trips. Then the Dolphins entered the picture and worked out a contract. Knowing he was one of the top defensive players available, Porter accepted a deal from the Dolphins before making other visits.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2789401

I was just reading in my Dolphins update that Coach Cam Cameron & GM Randy Mueller went to visit Porter at his home in CA. They didn't waste any time in making a deal.

[Lord Avalon]

Rather than matching the offer sheet, the Dolphins traded WR Wes Welker to the Pats for a 2nd & 7th.

TE Randy McMichael & QB Joey Harrington were waived.

TE David Martin, formerly of GB, was signed.

[Lord Avalon]

Chiefs have asked Trent Green to restructure his contract, which pays him $7.2M next season. If he doesn't, he'll likely be traded. Dolphins are one of several teams interested per Miami Herald.

Bears GM Angelo thinks they're treating Briggs well.

Briggs not happy with Bears; Angelo feels salary is just

LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Disgruntled Pro Bowl linebacker Lance Briggs wants out of Chicago, saying the Bears should remove his franchise player tag or trade him.

General manager Jerry Angelo had a message for Briggs on Tuesday: The Bears are expecting him to play with them this season, with a one-year, $7.2 million deal, the average of the top five salaries at his position.

"We have his rights, so he's on our football team," Angelo said Tuesday during a conference call to discuss the trade of leading rusher Thomas Jones to the New York Jets.

"We feel that we're treating him very good. That's a lot of money he's making on a one year-deal. The strain really comes to us in terms of our cap and what we have to do for a one-year deal."

Angelo said he had no calls about Briggs from other teams.

"Most of the times when you franchise a player they don't get traded," Angelo said. "We will always listen to anything that we feel will be in our best interest. But when we did this, it was with the intent for him to a Bear this year."

Briggs and the team could not come to agreement on a contract extension last spring -- reports say he turned down a six-year, $33 million deal.

Briggs has made his unhappiness known in a couple of interviews, one with ESPN.com and another with a Chicago radio station in which he said "I'll do everything that's within my power to not be with this organization."

"What it really comes down to, it's not about the money. It's about you've played long enough and you think you've earned a certain position on the team that you would be here for a long time."

Briggs said the Bears have no intention now of working out a long-term deal to keep him.

"We did go to Lance in the spring to try to do a long-term deal. So that was our intent as it has been with other players that we had under contract before their contracts expired," Angelo said.

"We gave it what we feel are our very best efforts. We thought we put a very good deal on the table. And we also told them that the option of the franchise tag was there and they decided to pass the deal up and play it out. We certainly have to respect that. And we also told them that we were going to move on."

Briggs, who's been selected to two Pro Bowls, just completed his fourth season with the Bears and was a third-round draft choice out of Arizona in 2003.

Briggs made $721,600 last season when he led the Bears with 117 solo tackles.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2790088

[Ming]

After reading post #100, you can see why Briggs wants out. If Porter can get 20 million guaranteed, just picture what Briggs thinks he's worth

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Ming
After reading post #100, you can see why Briggs wants out. If Porter can get 20 million guaranteed, just picture what Briggs thinks he's worth

Yep . Though seriously, $20 mil guaranteed for Porter? Can you imagine what Briggs would make in the Free Agency market?

[Ming]

Let's see...

Porter 2006
Games - 14
Tackles - 40
Assists - 15
Sacks - 7
Interceptions - 1
TD's - 1
Pass Defended - 3
Forced Fumbles - 0

Briggs 2006
Games - 16
Tackles - 109
Assists - 21
Sacks - 1
Interceptions - 2
TD's - 0
Pass Defended - 8
Forced Fumbles - 4

You make the call
Personally, I don't think either one of them is worth that kind of money. But I guess the salaries just continue to escalate in the NFL.