Are we holding you back, Alex?

Jesus H Christ, now it's Alex Brown running to ESPN and NFL Radio to tell everyone that he'd like to test the open market rather than play out his contract.

Oh, he didn't say it that way. He's making it all sound copacetic, but it's still ridiculous to be doing this. Alex, 99% of the league would like to "see what else is out there" instead of honoring the contract they signed. Once the signing bonus is safely tucked away out of sight, the mind can start playing tricks on you.

Brown signed his 5-year, $15 million contract extension in December 2004 and it came with a $5.5 million bonus. The contract locks him up through 2009.

2009! And he's already raising the first little stink, three years in advance. Humility may be the only thing keeping it low-key at this point. For chrissakes, I was annoyed when Briggs started his holdout a year early.

I don't think it's just the Bears players who not only hold out, but don't even follow the rules of that, starting their strike a year or three early. But it's becoming an unwelcome epidemic, to the point that these guys make me take the unfamiliar stance of agreeing with The Man(agement). Just stawp yourself, Alex.

Didn't blog it at the time, but Brown could be reacting in part to a Washington Post report I read earlier in the month that the Bears were openly listening to offers for him. The report says the asking price is a 2nd-round draft pick.

I won't belabor my annoyance, because it's fairly mild at this point. Grumpy old man Max Goldman might suggest someone (agent) has a fart in their brain.

However, I will add that back in my day when contract gripes were contract gripes, it was customary for the player to OUTPLAY HIS CONTRACT before announcing it's not good enough anymore. Let's try that out and then take it from there.