Not only does the recent Donovan McNabb-for-linebacker Lance Briggs trade rumor, which has lost considerable steam in the last few days, fail to make sense from a football standpoint, but it seems just as unlikely due to the business aspect. The last time the Eagles reached out for someone who was unhappy with his contract was in 2004 with Terrell Owens.

Was the recent drafting of quarterback Kevin Kolb a sign that the Philadelphia Eagles might trade Donovan McNabb before the 2007 season? That's one theory, anyway. As for a possible destination, the Chicago Bears are ready to win the Super Bowl. They might have won it last year except for a glaring weakness at quarterback. The key to this scenario is Bears linebacker Lance Briggs, who has said publicly that he will never play for Chicago again and who refused to report to minicamp on Friday.

Disgruntled Lance Briggs was a no-show as expected Friday when the Bears opened a three-day minicamp. In March, the Bears tagged Briggs as their franchise player, prompting him to threaten a holdout, at first for the entire season and then for 10 games so he could report for the final six to qualify as serving one year as a franchise player.

Still without a contract and apparently without much hope of landing an agreement anytime soon, Lance Briggs will not be in attendance when the Bears begin a mandatory three-day minicamp on Friday morning. Briggs was named a franchise player by the Bears three months ago but is one of four such designated veterans around the NFL who has yet to sign a contract. Three other franchise players have signed contracts. Without a deal in place, Briggs is technically precluded from participating in the minicamp. Since he is not currently under contract, Briggs, who has not attended any of the offseason conditioning sessions, cannot be fined for skipping the mandatory minicamp.

The Bears expect to see Alex Brown at their minicamp this weekend even though Brown says he's seeking a trade. Brown told Sirius NFL Radio on Wednesday that he asked the Bears for permission to work out a trade. But Lovie Smith plans to have Brown at the three-day minicamp beginning Friday. "I just know we have a minicamp coming up this weekend and Alex has been working awful hard with our program," Smith said. "We'll see him there this weekend working out with us. So that's about all I can tell you right now." Brown admitted he's comfortable with the Bears, but is eager to explore other opportunities.

Make it the Bears 2 and the rest of the NFL 0 on the draft pick signing scoreboard. The defending NFC champions on Wednesday signed fifth-round selection Kevin Payne, a safety from Louisiana-Monroe, to a four-year contract. It marked the second straight day in which the Bears, the only team in the league to have any of its draft choices under contract, reached an accord with a 2007 selection.

Garrett Wolfe does not believe in procrastinating. The record-setting running back from Northern Illinois became the first player in the 2007 draft to sign a contract, inking a four-year deal with the Bears on Tuesday. Financial terms were not disclosed. A third-round pick, Wolfe finished 11th all-time in NCAA Division I-A history with a school-record 5,164 rushing yards. His average of 156.5 yards per game is surpassed only by Ed Marinaro, O.J. Simpson and Herschel Walker. But the 5-8, 183-pound Wolfe did not get selected until the Bears took him 93rd overall because many scouts were concerned with his slight frame.

Bears DT Tank Johnson could become the third player suspended by commissioner Roger Goodell when they meet Wednesday, three days after Johnson was released from jail. The meeting in New York comes two days before the Bears hold a mandatory mini-camp that Johnson is expected to attend.

Devin Hester is taking his game-breaking skills to the Bears' offense. Hester set an NFL record last year for kick returns for touchdowns, and he started off the Super Bowl with a 92-yard kickoff runback for a touchdown. He rarely played on anything but special teams, though, and when he did, it was as a cornerback. Now, the Bears will try him as a wide receiver. Coach Lovie Smith said Monday the All-Pro return specialist will make the switch beginning with the upcoming minicamp.

The Bears have been showing up in droves to visit Tank Johnson during his 120-day sentence for a probation violation, which likely ends Sunday after 60 days because of good behavior. Of Johnson's teammates, 15 showed up?from Rex Grossman to Adewale Ogunleye to Tyler Everett. Besides McCaskey and Smith, Halas Hall representatives included general manager Jerry Angelo, director of contracts Cliff Stein, chaplain Harry Swayne and four assistant coaches. Even equipment manager Tony Medlin stopped by to see Johnson, and it wasn't just to see how Johnson looked in his temporary new uniform.