SO LONG. FAREWELL
Jeffery himself has remained quiet on the subject leading up to free agency. There is still a belief that the Bears may yet be able to bring him back depending on what the market ends up being for him. However, based on recent comments by the receiver to Josina Anderson of ESPN, the odds of that happening are remote. The funny thing is it has nothing to do with how much money is involved.
WR Alshon Jeffery to me on the #Bears not tagging him & his future: “I don’t have any hard feeling towards (cont) https://t.co/7IzYRA9sn8
— Josina Anderson (@JosinaAnderson) March 2, 2017
“I don’t have any hard feeling towards the Bears; it’s all love…Whatever the next chapter is, I’m ready for it. I’m looking at the teams that obviously need a wide receiver, but also put me in the best situation to win a championship right now….I also want to see what other free agents may be attracted to the same teams I’ll be looking at, that can help that goal.”
ALL ABOUT WINNING
It’s apparent by this statement that Jeffery clearly believes the Bears aren’t anywhere near being ready to make a run for a championship. That’s fair given the fact they just finished going 3-13 and haven’t made the playoffs since 2010. It is easy to forget that Alshon has played in the NFL for five seasons now and never experienced a postseason game. After watching that same curse happen to his former mentor Brandon Marshall, odds are he doesn’t want to experience the same fate.
Word is three teams are expected to make strong pushes for Jeffery when the market opens. The San Francisco 49ers unsurprisingly lead the way given their weak receiver situation and abundant cap space. Right behind them are the Tennessee Titans and Philadelphia Eagles, both looking to arm their promising young QBs with a legitimate weapon.
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For the Bears it definitely alters their offseason plans. Wide receiver will likely rise up their list of needs in both free agency and the draft. Kevin White and Cameron Meredith have flashed potential at the position but aren’t at the same level of proven ability as Jeffery. At least not yet. Expect Pace and his front office to add another body to the competition within the next couple months.
