Lack of sacks costs Briggs
http://chicagosports.chicagotribune....4412878.column
As the market for Lance Briggs was drying up like morning dew in the midday sun, the linebacker might have been wondering what he did wrong.
The answer is nothing.
Several front-office men around the NFL believe Briggs' signing represented one of the best values in free agency.
Part of what happened to Briggs on the open market was driven by the circumstances of the teams, but most of what happened to Briggs was predictable given the history of linebacker compensation.
Linebackers who don't get sacks or are not Hall-of-Fame-caliber middle linebackers usually don't set the market with their contracts. Typically, the players who make the most money are those who change the game on third down or who make big plays.
The top six paid linebackers by average salary for the 2008 season:
1. Terrell Suggs, Ravens, $8 million. He's a hybrid defensive end who has had 22.5 sacks over the last two years and was hit with the franchise tag.
2. Ray Lewis, Ravens, $7.8 million. Canton awaits.
3. Julian Peterson, Seahawks, $7.7 million. Puts his hand in the dirt on third downs and has 19.5 sacks the last two years.
4. Brian Urlacher, Bears, $7.1 million. Centerpiece of the Bears' defense in the middle.
5. Adalius Thomas, Patriots, $7 million. He had 20 sacks in the two seasons before he signed a free-agent deal with New England.
6. Calvin Pace, Jets, $7 million. Was signed this year to rush the passer in a 3-4 defense.
The word on the street was Briggs was hoping to land a deal comparable to or better than the deal Thomas signed a year ago. But Briggs, as good as he is, didn't bring sacks to the table. So he had to "settle" for a $6 million per year average over six years, and $7 million less in guaranteed money than the $20 million target Thomas set.
As it stands, Briggs should be the 10th highest paid linebacker in the NFL next year.
There were supposed to be five teams interested in Briggs, but none of them was interested in paying him the type of money the Patriots paid Thomas.
Redskins owner Dan Snyder has been infatuated with Briggs since this time last year, and his team is believed to have made an attractive offer. But the word is Snyder's personnel department talked him out of offering too much.
The 49ers were looking at Briggs since early in the season, when they talked about trying to trade for him. But after losing Bryant Young to retirement and allowing Marques Douglas to leave, the 49ers' biggest priority was defensive end. They could sign only one premium free agent and they decided on defensive end Justin Smith—a sack producer—instead of Briggs.
The Saints would have been more interested in Briggs, but they were able to swing a trade with the Jets for Jonathan Vilma, a cheaper alternative.
The Bucs liked Briggs and thought he would be a great fit in their defense, but they weren't going to pay him like Thomas.
The Browns also thought highly of Briggs but spent their money on defensive linemen Corey Williams and Shaun Rogers.
So as it turned out, the Bears read the market perfectly. Briggs' best option was to return to the defense where he knew he would excel, and to the team that needed him more than it needed any free agent.