Lance Briggs - Potential Free Agent

[Schneed10]

According to this article, Lance Briggs is considering testing the free agent market. As you'll recall, we almost traded for him, but the Bears wanted Rocky McIntosh and we balked. Pretty good move that we did, as Rocky has turned into a fine player.

But now that Rocky is hurt and won't play for much of 2008 (and if he plays at all he won't be himself), do we consider signing Briggs?

Before we jump on the cost issue, let me say that if the Skins want him, they can make cap room for him without much trouble. That will not be a big issue. Where we'd get into cap trouble is if we tried to sign three or four studs like Briggs.

I think we should go for it. He's had an amazing season in a year when Chicago's D has been off. He's actually been better than Urlacher this year. I'm all for a prudent move here or there in free agency, without overdoing it. He'll be expensive, but the talent is crazy. This should be our one free agent signing, IMO.

SI.com - NFL - Briggs wants to test free agency waters - Wednesday December 19, 2007 7:31PM

[SFREDSKIN]

How about Alan Faneca for the OL?

[theJBexperience]

Originally Posted by SFREDSKIN

How about Alan Faneca for the OL?

I wouldn't be opposed to a Faneca acquisition. The old man's a pro bowler again, and often, OL can continue to play at high level well into their late 30s. I do like the OL talent in the draft though.

[jamf]

Money is limited, We have to spend it on the lines.

[SouperMeister]

Originally Posted by jamf

Money is limited, We have to spend it on the lines.

Amen!!! Start building this team from the inside out so we can win the battles in the trenches consistently. We can always move HB Blades to Rocky's WLB position. I'm more concerned about CB depth with Rogers coming off an ACL and Springs possibly moving on if he's unwilling to restructure.

[Monksdown]

We're going to be renegotiating some big contracts to give us some wiggle room next year. I cant see them doing that for the linebacker corp. I think we need to spend our money on both sides of the line, and maybe the receiving corp.

[skinsfan69]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

Last time I checked, Lance Briggs does not rush the passer. This is why you draft and have guys waiting in the wings. Blades needs to step up and I think he will.

[Daseal]

Absolutely not for Briggs, he's looking for a payday right now. Absolutely not to Faneca too, that guy is ancient.

If we go into free agency, I want us to focus on guys we got like M Washington, Randy Thomas, etc. Guys with lots of upside, pretty young, and preferably someone who won't cost a draft pick. Only thing I'd consider tossing huge cash at would be a blue chip Olinemen that's young, or maybe a chad johnson or stud DE. Jared Allen type of DE.

[That Guy]

briggs aint that great, he's overpriced, and mcintosh is injured, so keeping him or not is pretty much moot since he's proven very little besides his ability to stay out of the starting line up :/


if we play FA, let's get someone that can prove more useful, like CJ or NA (CB oak), or even better, OL/DL. faneca is great, but he's not 25 anymore :/.

[Beemnseven]

Originally Posted by That Guy

briggs aint that great, he's overpriced, and mcintosh is injured, so keeping him or not is pretty much moot since he's proven very little besides his ability to stay out of the starting line up :/


if we play FA, let's get someone that can prove more useful, like CJ or NA (CB oak), or even better, OL/DL. faneca is great, but he's not 25 anymore :/.

Absolutely right. Corner is shaping up to be a huge need for us.

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by Beemnseven

Absolutely right. Corner is shaping up to be a huge need for us.

OK, somebody has to explain the math to me on why corner is a need. We have Carlos Rogers, who was injured like Rocky, but injured early enough in the year to actually play during 2008. Shawn Springs is still a very good corner in this league, and is Fred Smoot not playing like a quality starter?

I don't see salary cap forcing any of our three guys out the door next year. With Carlos hurt, I see the need for some depth, but Asamuwaghwaghwaghwagh will cost a buttload of money (he's very highly thought of).

Entering next season, we'll have 2 good starting CBs in this league, Springs and Smoot. We'll also have a 3rd very good young CB coming back from injury. That seems to cover 2 starting CB positions in my mind.

LB on the other hand, we'll have 2 good starting LBs in this league, Washington and Fletcher. If we stand pat, we'll have either old man Randall Godfrey manning the other spot, or a totally unproven youngster who was drafted with the intent to inherit the Mike position from Fletcher. So we've got two good answers for 3 starting spots. At corner, we have 2 good answers for 2 spots, and another that will get healthy halfway through 2008.

And let's not even talk about what we've got behind our 3rd LB. I just don't get how CB can be considered a greater need than LB.

[rk3025]

Are thrre any Free Agent Conditioning Coaches available? not Briggs
Look at Patten and he is having a healthy great year in Saint land but here could not stay healthy

Originally Posted by Schneed10

OK, somebody has to explain the math to me on why corner is a need. We have Carlos Rogers, who was injured like Rocky, but injured early enough in the year to actually play during 2008. Shawn Springs is still a very good corner in this league, and is Fred Smoot not playing like a quality starter?

I don't see salary cap forcing any of our three guys out the door next year. With Carlos hurt, I see the need for some depth, but Asamuwaghwaghwaghwagh will cost a buttload of money (he's very highly thought of).

Entering next season, we'll have 2 good starting CBs in this league, Springs and Smoot. We'll also have a 3rd very good young CB coming back from injury. That seems to cover 2 starting CB positions in my mind.

LB on the other hand, we'll have 2 good starting LBs in this league, Washington and Fletcher. If we stand pat, we'll have either old man Randall Godfrey manning the other spot, or a totally unproven youngster who was drafted with the intent to inherit the Mike position from Fletcher. So we've got two good answers for 3 starting spots. At corner, we have 2 good answers for 2 spots, and another that will get healthy halfway through 2008.

And let's not even talk about what we've got behind our 3rd LB. I just don't get how CB can be considered a greater need than LB.

[SFREDSKIN]

And Chris Clemons with 7 sacks for the Raiders. I wish they would have kept him.

[That Guy]

Originally Posted by Schneed10

OK, somebody has to explain the math to me on why corner is a need. We have Carlos Rogers, who was injured like Rocky, but injured early enough in the year to actually play during 2008. Shawn Springs is still a very good corner in this league, and is Fred Smoot not playing like a quality starter?

I don't see salary cap forcing any of our three guys out the door next year. With Carlos hurt, I see the need for some depth, but Asamuwaghwaghwaghwagh will cost a buttload of money (he's very highly thought of).

Entering next season, we'll have 2 good starting CBs in this league, Springs and Smoot. We'll also have a 3rd very good young CB coming back from injury. That seems to cover 2 starting CB positions in my mind.

LB on the other hand, we'll have 2 good starting LBs in this league, Washington and Fletcher. If we stand pat, we'll have either old man Randall Godfrey manning the other spot, or a totally unproven youngster who was drafted with the intent to inherit the Mike position from Fletcher. So we've got two good answers for 3 starting spots. At corner, we have 2 good answers for 2 spots, and another that will get healthy halfway through 2008.

And let's not even talk about what we've got behind our 3rd LB. I just don't get how CB can be considered a greater need than LB.

there's a good chance springs won't take a pay cut and will be released... and rogers will be out at least 8 games next year from what i've heard, which leaves either the #3 or the #3 AND the #1/#2 (pick one) spot open for CB(s). that's the thinking there (and with the flood of CBs and a couple RFAs (det's wilson, den's foxworth), there might be a deal in there.

on CJ - can't have too many weapons, and he's a true lock at #1 with all the tools (and none of the hamstring issues).

on LB - briggs will be overpriced and a guy like dansy has a better chance as far as price/performance and letting the team address other needs. decent lbs are always available at vet min, and we've got two at high price tags (depth IS unproven though).

on OL/DL - upgrades to pete kendall, possibly jansen, but the real threat on our OL is age. our line isn't young and our realistic depth is stephon heyer and not-so-young todd wade... draft picks would be best there (2nd-3rd round). at DE, carter has played extremely well... he turned his game around as much as campbell. I mean, it's been shocking, though he stopped playing like crap late last year, he was never all that effective. He's fine, but daniels is ancient and the depth just ain't there. at DT we've got good depth, but the #2 DT isn't amazing, and griffin might go away sooner than later. Our depth is still learning the NFL and can very well get better, but it's never a bad idea to look at backup plans.


the cuts to guys like griffin wouldn't be forced due to cap issues per say, but adding flexibility down the road and making the roster younger might be a good idea, depending on availability and prices (of course). Right now we've got a LOT of old guys that get hurt (a lot).

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by That Guy

there's a good chance springs won't take a pay cut and will be released... and rogers will be out at least 8 games next year from what i've heard, which leaves either the #3 or the #3 AND the #1/#2 (pick one) spot open for CB(s). that's the thinking there (and with the flood of CBs and a couple RFAs (det's wilson, den's foxworth), there might be a deal in there.

I agree with most of what you said in that post, but I have to put this Shawn Springs might be cut notion to bed right now. In fact I should probably start a thread educating the public on his salary cap status so more people see it.

In 2008, his cap number is $7.5 million. His base salary that season is $5 million. We can cut him and save $2.5 mill, but the Skins can also reduce the cap number by $2.5 million by simply restructuring the guy. With the restructure, he wouldn't take one ounce of paycut, he'd simply get his money up front instead of in base salaries. He'd have no incentive to refuse that, and if you're the Skins, what would you prefer? Save $2.5 million with Springs off the roster, or save $2.5 million with Springs on the roster?

On top of that, there's still the chance that they extend his contract another 2 years or so to reduce the cap hit even further, a la Jon Jansen two years ago.

The only way it makes sense to cut the guy at this point is if you think he's going to be an ineffective CB next season. With the way he's playing now, I have absolutely no idea why anyone would think that.