Chicago never liked the proposed trade. But the Bears still opted to think about it. Seven days later, they still don’t like the idea of trading disgruntled linebacker Lance Briggs, and the 31st pick to Washington for the sixth overall choice in this month’s draft.
“The proposal that was in front of us, we turned it down,” Bears coach Lovie Smith said. “That’s saying that we didn’t like it, we needed more. For us to part ways with Lance, he’s a Pro-Bowl player, he’s a good football player. It would take a little bit more than that.”
Bears and league sources said last week that Chicago wanted more for Briggs, perhaps linebacker Rocky McIntosh. However, it’s unlikely the Redskins would agree to such a move. Briggs asked to be traded after the Bears applied the franchise tag on him.
But, league sources said, the Bears did not want to trade him just to appease him, or his agent Drew Rosenhaus. Sources said they feared the precedent this could set. Also, Chicago did not have its eyes on a particular player it thought it could select at No. 6. Nor were the Bears confident they could trade out of that slot.
There’s always the chance that both sides could revisit this topic before, or during, the draft.
