49ers notes: Elk Grove's Briggs thought S.F. trade was 'done deal'

SANTA CLARA – Patrick Willis and Lance Briggs side by side in the 49ers' linebacking corps? That combination seemed so likely last year that Briggs and Willis sat down together at the 2008 Pro Bowl to talk about the possibilities. "I thought it was a done deal," Briggs said Tuesday on a conference call. "I thought when the trade was offered, I didn't think I'd be back in a Chicago Bears uniform." The 49ers' pursuit of Briggs, The Bee's 1998 prep football Player of the Year out of Elk Grove High School, ultimately led to tampering charges by the Bears and an investigation by the league. In 2008, Commissioner Roger Goodell ruled that the 49ers illegally made contact with Briggs' agent, Drew Rosenhaus. The 49ers were docked a fifth-round draft pick that April and were forced to switch third-round picks with the Bears. At the time, Briggs was unhappy with the Bears and vowed that he would never play another snap for Chicag...