Lance Briggs has gone to seven straight Pro Bowls in nine seasons. He has been to a Super Bowl as a Bear. He endured the 7-9 final season of Dick Jauron and the 5-11 first under Lovie Smith. So he has more than a little perspective. And he is blunt.
When I talked to him at the outset of training camp last year, he declared the 2011 team good enough to reach a Super Bowl. At 7-3 before Jay Cutlers thumb broke, the Bears were as good as Briggs assessed and were being talked about as one of the elite of the NFC along with Green Bay and New Orleans, despite having lost to both early in the season.
And as far as Briggs is concerned, this team is better.
On paper we have the most talented team that Ive played with on the Bears, Briggs said Wednesday. Then he added the clear caveat. Now, how that translates to the field this season is yet to be seen.
Briggs evaluation actually should not be a complete surprise. Seldom in recent seasons has a Bears team been built so clearly to win now, with Michael Bush, Brandon Marshall and other additions, including myriad backups (Bush, Jason Campbell, cornerbacks Kelvin Hayden and Jonathan Wilhite, guard Chilo Rachal) all with starter experience.
But the euphoric civic sports wave that came in with Marshall in particular needs to be tempered, and Briggs is the first to say so.
Guys, this is June, he said. Lets have this conversation in training camp or after our first preseason game.