Report: Lance Briggs Drawing Interest From 49ers
(CBS) When pressed to answer questions about the futures of long-time fixtures Lance Briggs and Charles Tillman, Bears general manager Ryan Pace has used the party line of "they've been great Chicago Bears." Clearly, this is a sign that the new regime is doing business differently than their predecessors, but reading between the lines tells you that their time in Chicago is over.
Free agent news has been quiet for both players, but it sounds like Briggs is getting some interest from the 49ers, per a report from Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.
The 49ers have unexpectedly lost two inside linebackers this offseason -- eight-year veteran Patrick Willis decided to retire, while his replacement, second-year player Chris Borland followed suit and retired. Both moves came as a surprise to the organization, particularly Borland, who excelled in spot duty as a rookie last season.
Briggs played inside linebacker in a 3-4 in college (Arizona), but has established himself as a weak-side outside linebacker in a 40-front in the pros. Thus, a move back to a 3-4 would be a big change in responsibility for the 34-year old Briggs.