Alshon Jeffery: 5 best fits in NFL free agency
By Brad Weiss
Chicago Bears
NFC, North
The Chicago Bears have a ton of question marks heading into the 2017 season, with the main one being who will be under center when the season kicks off in September. The organization brought in Jay Cutler a couple of years back with the intention of him being their franchise quarterback for years to come. Based on his play, that ship has certainly sailed, and the bottom line is that the team does not rally around him.
One of the quiet successes of last season was the play of Brian Hoyer, who was one of the more efficient quarterbacks in the league when he played. While Hoyer is also a free agent heading into the 2017 NFL season, he could be viewed as someone who will get a chance to win the starting job if the team brings him back. Hoyer was not the problem last season, and he just may be part of the solution in Chicago, but only time will tell.
Alshon Jeffery has been through some tough times with the organization, when you add together the losses and head-scratching moves by the front office. Jeffery needs to be part of the core of players that brings this organization back to playoff potential, and the team would be unwise to let him go in free agency. They used the franchise tag on him last year, but all signs point to both sides wanting to make a long-term deal happen moving forward.
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Chicago picks very early in the draft this April, and they could very well use the pick to bring in a quarterback. If that is the case, they are going to want a veteran wide receiver like Jeffery in the huddle to help them along. The Bears have a very good running back in Jordan Howard, who finished second in the NFL in rushing yards in 2016. A healthy Jeffery is better than most first options at the position in football, so expect the Bears to make the move to lock him up long-term.