Lance Briggs and Bernard Berrian have California roots. Could both Bears free agents end up in the Golden State next season? At least one NFL executive expects the San Francisco 49ers to land Briggs this off-season. The 49ers were said to have tried to engineer a trade for the Pro Bowl linebacker before this season's Oct. 16 trade deadline, but league rules prohibited the Bears' franchise player from signing a long-term deal with another team. Briggs said the league's security office questioned him at midseason about the trade discussions, looking into possible tampering. His response: "I don't know anything about it." As for the latest talk of San Francisco's interest, Briggs is hardly discouraging it. He grew up in Sacramento and might welcome a change of scenery. "I would hope the 49ers are interested, as well as other teams," Briggs said Friday. "It just tells you that you are valued around this league."