With the Lance Briggs saga unlikely to be resolved anytime soon, he is getting support from his teammates. ''Players are for players,'' guard Roberto Garza said. ''We've got to stick together and have each other's backs. But it's a tough situation for everybody. He's a great player and we want him back. It's tough.'' 'Why shouldn't he be selfish?'' asked guard Ruben Brown. ''The team's going to go on whether Lance is on the field or not. I'm sure the team wants Lance on the field and will welcome him back with open arms, but I don't think they're going to cancel any games because Lance isn't out there on the field. ''I don't think he should feel guilty for trying to optimize his earning capability. Everybody does that. Every stockbroker, businessman, you name it. You're in the business of making money; you've got to make as much as you can. Why not?''

While a proposal has yet to be formalized, the Redskins will make a trade offer to the Bears aimed at acquiring two-time Pro Bowl weakside linebacker Lance Briggs, agent Drew Rosenhaus and two league sources told ESPN.com late Monday night. Washington will propose a swap of first-round draft picks in this year's draft -- the Redskins own the sixth overall selection and Chicago has the 31st choice in the lottery -- in exchange for Briggs. The potential deal, which is expected to pick up steam on Tuesday morning as the annual NFL meetings continue here, would be contingent on the Redskins signing Briggs to a long-term contract.

The Bears solidified their offensive line Sunday, agreeing to terms with left guard Ruben Brown on a one-year contract. Brown, 35, started all 16 regular-season games for the NFC champion Bears in 2006 and made his ninth career appearance in the Pro Bowl. A first-round pick in the 1995 draft, the 300-pound Brown has made 173 career starts in parts of 12 seasons with Chicago and the Bills. The Bears also bolstered their defensive line Sunday, agreeing to terms with defensive tackle Anthony Adams on a four-year contract at undisclosed financial terms.

The Washington Redskins have agreed to trade safety Adam Archuleta to the Chicago Bears for a conditional sixth-round draft pick. Archuleta restructured his contract to soften the salary-cap hit the Redskins will have to take this season, and now Washington will get back a draft pick for him. Bears coach Lovie Smith was Archuleta's defensive coordinator in St. Louis and has coveted the safety since he took over as Chicago's head coach in January 2004.

A judge on Thursday sentenced Chicago Bears defensive lineman Terry "Tank" Johnson to 120 days in jail for violating his probation in a 2005 gun case. Cook County Circuit Judge John Moran said Johnson, 25, must spend four months in the Cook County jail and pay a $2,500 fine after Johnson pleaded guilty to violating his probation. The judge could have put Johnson behind bars for up to a year.

The standoff between Chicago's Pro Bowl linebacker Lance Briggs and the Bears is officially moving to the next stage. "I am now prepared to sit out the year if the Bears don't trade me or release me," Briggs told FOXSports.com via cell phone Monday. "I've played my last snap for them. I'll never play another down for Chicago again." Briggs was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent earlier this month but the Bears slapped him with the Franchise tag, which pretty much keeps him as their property for next season at a one-year salary of $7.2 million.

The Chicago Bears confirmed that they have traded running back Thomas Jones to the New York Jets for a second-round draft pick. The Bears acquired the 37th overall pick and sent the 63rd selection to New York in a deal that was agreed to on March 5. Jones gives the Jets the No. 1 running back they've been seeking since Curtis Martin -- who is expected to retire -- was sidelined a year ago by knee problems. And his departure from Chicago gives Cedric Benson the opportunity to carry the load at running back.

Under the restrictive terms of the franchise designation with which the Bears have marked him, Lance Briggs said Sunday evening that he doesn't want to play another day for the club that brought him into the league in 2003. "There's a difference between the Chicago Bears team and the Chicago Bears organization," Briggs told ESPN.com, when reached Sunday evening at his home in suburban Chicago. "The Chicago Bears team? The coaches, players, city and fans? Yeah, I could stay there forever. I love it. But the Chicago Bears organization? I don't want to be there anymore. I won't play for them and I'll do everything in my power to keep from playing there."

Lovie Smith got a contract extension and a raise, nearly a month after a Super Bowl appearance and a week after his agent said negotiations were so stalled the Bears coach would probably leave after the 2007 season. After meeting Wednesday with team president Ted Phillips, Smith signed a four-year contract extension through 2011. The deal was announced by the team Wednesday night as was an extension through 2013 for GM Jerry Angelo. The lowest-paid coach in the NFL last season at $1.35 million when he led the Bears to the Super Bowl, Smith's deal will average about $4.7 million per season over five years.