I'm not sure there is anything new here. I think the smart money was always on the Bears not going with a second tag on Jeffrey. They seem more worried about overpaying him for one year than filling the WR hole that letting him go will create.
Report: Bears not expected to tag Alshon Jeffery again Posted by Darin Gantt on February 27, 2017, 6:43 AM EST
Getty Images There’s no doubt Alshon Jeffery has talent, and hasn’t had the best supporting cast around him lately. But it doesn’t appear the Bears are willing to invest more than $17 million for a year to make sure he stays. According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Bears are not expected to use the franchise tag again on the wide receiver. This one is practically #asexpected, mostly because Jeffery hasn’t been very good the last two years. He’s missed 11 games with a combination of injuries and a PED suspension, and he’s barely topped 800 yards in each of them. After totaling 2,554 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns the two years before, he seemed poised to break the bank. But it appears he’ll get a chance at the market now. There should still be plenty of interest in the 27-year-old Jeffery, but it appears the Bears aren’t willing to pay a premium price for one more season of him.
I completely understand not wanting to pay Jeffery that much but at some point you have to pay to play. If they do not sign Jeffery to a long term contract and let him go for nothing this will just be another failure in a long list of them with this franchise. This is just further proof of how the organization does not know how to manage a team for long term success.
Having players like Jeffery, Cutler, Forte and Slauson all leave the team with nothing in return from them is just a recipe for failure and evidence of incompetence.
I like Pace...I really do...but whats gone on with the banishment of offensive talent on this team is ridiculous. I get not wanting to "overpay" Alshon...I do. But as I've said, we're just going to have to now "overpay" another free agent receiver who isn't as good as Alshon is to replace him. This makes no sense to me. We'll see what happens...but I'm preparing myself for Alshon to be a goner.
I like Pace...I really do...but whats gone on with the banishment of offensive talent on this team is ridiculous. I get not wanting to "overpay" Alshon...I do. But as I've said, we're just going to have to now "overpay" another free agent receiver who isn't as good as Alshon is to replace him. This makes no sense to me. We'll see what happens...but I'm preparing myself for Alshon to be a goner.
Exactly. The Bears got themselves in this position and now it's time to take their lumps.
Just saw a report that Kenny Stills is going to get around 12 million per year. Let that sink in people....KENNY STILLS!!!!
Yep, but Pace is not going to get labeled as a dumb GM for overpaying.
Ya gotta be smarter than everyone else. That's the game.
That game can also get you fired real quick when your only "legit" receiver is Cameron Meredith. Sometimes people are too smart for their own good. Either way, and this isn't debatable, Pace is going to be over paying some free agent wide receiver who will not be as good as Alshon Jefferey. There's a saying that goes "a rising tide lifts all boats".
Post by butkus3595 on Feb 27, 2017 10:59:56 GMT -6
This makes it even more egregious not getting anything for Alshon at the trade deadline. This sums up everything pretty well:
Alshon Jeffery decision puts Bears at disadvantage
Jeff Dickerson ESPN Staff Writer
Permitting Alshon Jeffery to reach free agency hurts the Chicago Bears on multiple levels.
Say what you want about Jeffery's past two seasons -- derailed because of injuries and suspension -- but he's an accomplished and coveted player. Jeffery averaged 72.2 receiving yards per game for the Bears; only Brandon Marshall (78.3) averaged more per game in team history (32-game minimum). Wide receivers like Jeffery, 27, rarely hit free agency -- most teams go out of their way to extend No. 1 receivers. There will be substantial interest in Jeffery’s services beginning March 9, and the Bears' reluctance to engage in any recent meaningful contract talks puts them at a disadvantage. Jeffery wants to play for a contender and will strongly explore all options.
Without Jeffery, the Bears are vulnerable at wide receiver.
Alshon Jeffery put up solid numbers in Chicago, but the Bears apparently felt his price was too much for another season. Stacy Revere/Getty Images The franchise hasn’t abandoned hope of 2015 first-round pick Kevin White developing into a star player. Unfortunately, White has suffered two separate season-ending injuries to the same leg since the Bears drafted him. There is no way of knowing if he’ll ever pan out. Veteran Eddie Royal has enjoyed a fruitful NFL career, but he has been unable to stay healthy the past two years. Royal -- in the final year of his contract -- is set to earn $5 million, but none of it is guaranteed. Former seventh-rounder Marquess Wilson, who is seemingly always hurt, is coming out of his original rookie contract. Receivers such as Josh Bellamy (restricted free agent) and Deonte Thompson (exclusive rights free agent), who played large roles in 2017, are better suited for special teams. Daniel Braverman, Chicago’s 2016 seventh-round choice, barely played last year as a rookie.
Third-year receiver Cameron Meredith is coming off an impressive season, but no one is ready to anoint him a No. 1.
The Jeffery decision creates a gaping hole on the depth chart. The Bears have to get serious about pursuing receivers in free agency and the draft, but will any be better than Jeffery? Remember, Jeffery has 13 career 100-yard receiving games. And from 2013-14, Jeffery combined for 174 receptions, 2,554 yards and 17 touchdowns.
That’s not easy production to replace.
Yes, $17.5 million is a large salary-cap number for one player to carry. But Chicago is positioned to be in the top five in cap space (the cap is also expanding), and that is before $13 million is cleared with the expected release or trade of Jay Cutler.
Speaking of quarterback, the Bears are moving on from Cutler and therefore are expected to have a new starter in Week 1. If the new quarterback happens to be a younger player, or maybe even Jimmy Garoppolo, whom is he supposed to throw the ball to? The Bears plan to prioritize an offseason quarterback upgrade, yet allow the club’s most decorated receiver to walk away for nothing? Even a veteran bridge quarterback -- Brian Hoyer, for example -- can thrive only with quality receivers.
The Bears have essentially left the cupboard bare -- unless they aggressively address receiver next month and beyond.
But Chicago already had glaring needs at quarterback, tight end, cornerback and safety before they declined to apply a second tag on Jeffery.
Why create another unnecessary void on the roster?