Alshon Jeffery - Pro Football Rumors

Bears, Alshon Jeffery Unlikely To Ink New Deal This Summer

June 2nd, 2016 at 5:41pm CST by Zachary Links

THURSDAY, 5:41pm: The fact that Jeffery’s chosen to train independently in Miami has helped dissuade the Bears from engaging in substantial long-term extension discussions, Jason Cole of Bleacher Report notes (video link). Although Jeffery and Jay Cutler have played together for four seasons, the second-year power structure of Ryan Pace and John Fox would prefer to see the fifth-year receiver working with the team in Chicago to develop a stronger rapport with the eighth-year Bears passer after being limited to nine games last season.

TUESDAY, 10:32am: Back in March, the Bears applied the ~$15MM franchise tag to Alshon Jeffery to keep him in Chicago for the 2016 season. At the time, it was widely expected that the two sides would shake hands on a new multi-year deal before the start of the 2016 season. Apparently, that is not going to be the case. There are no indications that the Bears will push to get a long-term deal solidified for Jeffery this summer, league sources tell Dan Wiederer and Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune. At this point, it is a “near certainty” that he will play out this season under the franchise tender, Wiederer adds.

After averaging 87 receptions and 1,277 yards in 2013 and 2014, Jeffery was plagued by injuries in 2015, but he was excellent when healthy, averaging a career-high 89.7 yards per game. Now, the Bears want Jeffery to prove that he can stay healthy before they give him eight figures per season on a long-term pact. The wide receiver, predictably, wants his guaranteed cash now and is skipping OTAs to try and get his point across. Still, according to Campbell, the expectation is that Jeffery will be at the mandatory minicamp in mid-June and at training camp in late July.

One could argue that Jeffery would be better off playing out the 2016 season under the franchise tag anyway. After missing seven games in 2015, Jeffery could boost his leverage by turning in that same kind of output across a full 16-game season.

The Bears started to remodel their team last season but, despite some speculation to the contrary, the team did not shop Jeffery. This offseason, the Bears had no intention of letting him hit the open market. Had he been an unencumbered free agent, however, he would have ranked near the top of PFR’s Top 50 NFL Free Agents list. The wide receiver market this spring was headlined by the likes of Marvin Jones, Travis Benjamin, Rishard Matthews, Rueben Randle, Anquan Boldin, Jermaine Kearse, and Mohamed Sanu.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Franchise Tag Notes: Mo, Cousins, Norman

April 12th, 2016 at 6:19pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The asking price for Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson is a first-round pick, and perhaps even more, according to Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports, who reports that Wilkerson is still on the trade block. One club that won’t be bidding for Wilkerson is the Bears, per Robinson, because Chicago doesn’t want to sacrifice the No. 11 pick and likes the depth of this year’s defensive line draft class.

Let’s take a deep dive into Robinson’s article (which is well worth a full read), as he passes along updates on the top franchise-tagged players…

Kirk Cousins wants a “legitimate” franchise quarterback offer before he considers signing a long-term deal with Washington, sources tell Robinson. In other words, Cousins, who is set to earn more than $19MM in 2016, isn’t interested in a “pay-as-you-go” extension signed by the likes of Andy Dalton and Colin Kaepernick. At the moment, Washington doesn’t view Cousins as the centerpiece of its team.
The Panthers aren’t interested in paying cornerback Josh Norman‘s asking price, which Robinson reports is around $15-16MM (a number that jibes with earlier reports). Carolina is fine with letting Norman play out the year under the franchise tag, which, at nearly $14MM, pays him like an elite corner.
Von Miller‘s price has gone up this offseason following Olivier Vernon‘s massive deal with the Giants, but the Broncos want to pay him somewhere between Ndamukong Suh and Justin Houston money, which would be around $18MM. Recent reports have indicated that Denver offered Miller more than $17MM annually.
The Bills have made left tackle Cordy Glenn their top priority, and because they view him as an “ascending cornerstone,” they’re willing to pay him elite tackle money, writes Robinson. The deal could be delayed, but Anthony Castonzo‘s deal with the Colts is a starting point in talks, per Robinson.
The Chiefs expect to get a deal done with Eric Berry, but probably not until after the draft, according to Robinson. Berry and Kansas City have a great relationship which should make negotiations easier, and Robinson opines that Berry should be able to top Devin McCourty‘s deal.
Alshon Jeffery is in the same boat as Berry, per Robinson, as the Bears are largely focused on the draft at the moment. Jeffery is not worried about reaching a long-term deal, especially since the franchise tag is paying him nearly $15MM, but the two sides are expected to knock out an extension later in the offseason.
The Rams might have a hard time getting cornerback Trumaine Johnson to agree to a reasonable deal, especially because they picked Johnson over fellow CB Janoris Jenkins, who went on to score a large contract with the Giants. If the two sides do work out an extension, says Robinson, it will be late in the offseason.

FA Rumors: Chargers, Jeffery, Steelers, Bears

March 22nd, 2016 at 12:27am CST by Luke Adams

Chargers general manager Tom Telesco says that he views Chris Watt as the team’s starting center, but he will not rule out making a move to improve at the position, ESPN.com’s Eric D. Williams writes. Although Telesco didn’t mention them by name, it sounds possible that the Bolts could consider free agent centers Stefen Wisniewski or Manny Ramirez. As of this writing, the Chargers have less than $14MM in cap space for 2016, per ESPN and OverTheCap.com.

Here’s more on free agency from around the league:

Bears head coach John Fox and Jets owner Woody Johnson each discussed their franchised players on Monday, and the differences in their comments were noticeable. As Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com details, Fox said on ESPN’s NFL Live that the Bears are actively working on a longer-term deal for wide receiver Alshon Jeffery.
Meanwhile, Johnson said he won’t be “disappointed” if defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson remains in New York going forward, and was evasive when asked whether the Jets have made him a fair extension offer. “I’m not going to characterize the offer,” Johnson said, per Newsday’s Kimberley A. Martin. “If we made him an offer, he didn’t accept it. Fair is a subjective thing. It’s got to be acceptable to him and to us.” While Wilkerson technically remains a free agent, Jeffery recently signed his franchise tender, taking him off the market.
Could the Steelers add a cornerback in free agency? Coach Mike Tomlin doesn’t sound optimistic about the idea, as Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com writes. “I don’t know that there is one that’s viable at this juncture in free agency,” the Steelers coach said. “We are comfortable with the guys that we have from that perspective.”
The Broncos continue to have interest in re-signing receiver and return man Jordan Norwood, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. Renck adds that free agent special-teamer Omar Bolden is set to visit John Fox and the Bears this week.
The Giants were the biggest spenders of this year’s free agent period, signing Olivier Vernon, Janoris Jenkins, and Damon Harrison to mega-deals early in the new league year. Jason Fitzgerald of OverTheCap.com examines New York’s free agent decisions and wonders whether the club will come to regret its big moves.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Alshon Jeffery Signs Bears Franchise Tag Tender

March 8th, 2016 at 11:01am CST by Zachary Links

Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery has officially signed his franchise tag tender, the team announced (on Twitter). The star receiver can still ink a long-term deal up until July 15th.

After averaging 87 receptions and 1,277 yards in 2013 and 2014, Jeffery was plagued by injuries in 2015, but he was excellent when healthy, averaging a career-high 89.7 yards per game. Now that he has accepted the tag, he’ll be in line for a salary north of $14MM for 2016.

The Bears started to remodel their team last season but, despite some speculation to the contrary, the team did not shop Jeffery. This offseason, there was little chance that the Bears would let the 26-year-old get away. Had he entered the open market, however, he would have ranked high on PFR’s Top 50 NFL Free Agents list. The current wide receiver market is headlined by Marvin Jones, Travis Benjamin, Rishard Matthews, Rueben Randle, Anquan Boldin, Jermaine Kearse, and Mohamed Sanu.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bears Use Franchise Tag On Alshon Jeffery

February 29th, 2016 at 2:14pm CST by Luke Adams

2:14pm: The Bears have officially placed the franchise tag on Jeffery, the team announced today (via Twitter).

MONDAY, 2:06pm: The Bears remain on track to use the franchise tag on Jeffery, after multiple discussions in Indianapolis with agent Tory Dandy failed to result in a long-term deal, tweets Rapoport. Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports confirms (via Twitter) that the Bears have let Jeffery’s camp know they’ll tag the wideout, while ESPN’s Josina Anderson tweets that it’ll be the non-exclusive franchise tag, worth $14.599MM.

FRIDAY, 1:48pm: While the franchise tag appears likely for Jeffery, his agent will meet with the Bears again in Indianapolis to discuss a longer-term deal, tweets Ian Rapoport of NFL.com.

1:28pm: The Bears will use their franchise tag on wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The move, which isn’t yet official, doesn’t come as a surprise, since a report earlier this week suggested Chicago expected to retain the free agent wideout.

Speaking to reporters this week at the combine in Indianapolis, general manager Ryan Pace indicated that the team was “aggressively” negotiating with the receiver now in an effort to lock him up to a new deal. Pace, who said he gets the sense that Jeffery wants to remain in Chicago, said at the time that using the franchise tag was on the table as a potential outcome, and with Tuesday’s deadline looming, it seems the situation is headed in that direction.

After averaging 87 receptions and 1,277 yards in 2013 and 2014, Jeffery was plagued by injuries in 2015, but he was excellent when healthy, averaging a career-high 89.7 yards per game. If and when he is franchised by the Bears, he’ll be in line for a salary north of $14MM for 2016. He could still work out a longer-term agreement with the team by July 15th, or play the season on the one-year tag.

In other franchise tag news, the Ravens have already used theirs on kicker Justin Tucker, while Washington is said to be deciding between the franchise or transition tag for quarterback Kirk Cousins.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bears Expected To Retain Alshon Jeffery

February 24th, 2016 at 9:26am CST by Luke Adams

The Bears are expected to keep wide receiver Alshon Jeffery in the mix and off the open market, either by re-signing him to a long-term contract or using their franchise tag on him, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).

General manager Ryan Pace spoke to reporters today about Jeffery, indicating that the team is “aggressively” negotiating with the wideout now in an effort to lock him up to a new deal, per Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter links). Pace, who said he gets the sense that Jeffery wants to remain in Chicago, said that using the franchise tag is on the table as a potential outcome.

A report last week suggested that the Bears were still undecided on whether or not to tag Jeffery, but it sounds as if the team is becoming more inclined to go that route, if no contract extension is agreed upon. March 1st is the deadline for clubs to use their franchise or transition tags, so Pace and the Bears figure to continue working on a multiyear deal up until that deadline.

After averaging 87 receptions and 1,277 yards in 2013 and 2014, Jeffery was plagued by injuries in 2015, but he was excellent when healthy, averaging a career-high 89.7 yards per game. If he is franchised by the Bears, he’ll be in line for a salary north of $14MM for 2016. He could still work out a longer-term agreement with the team by July 15th, or play the season on the one-year tag.

Pace also briefly mentioned another one of the team’s key offensive free-agents-to-be today, telling reporters that the Bears like tight end Zach Miller. However, Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times tweets that it sounds as if Miller will test free agency before considering signing a new deal with Chicago, in order to get a sense of his value on the open market. According to Cambell (via Twitter), it sounds like linebacker Shea McClellin will also reach the open market, but bother players could re-sign with the Bears if the price is right.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Bears Undecided On Tagging Alshon Jeffery

February 19th, 2016 at 10:52am CST by Luke Adams

With several big-name wide receivers signing new contract extensions in 2015, the free agent market for 2016 has been left somewhat depleted. However, at least one player capable of being a No. 1 receiver remains on track to become a free agent, for now. And according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), there’s a chance that the Bears could let Alshon Jeffery hit the open market.

[RELATED: 2016 NFL franchise tag candidates]

While the general consensus has been that Chicago will use its franchise tag to lock up Jeffery, the team has yet to make a decision on whether or not to tag the former second-round pick, says Rapoport. Presumably, the Bears would prefer to sign Jeffery to a multiyear deal, rather than committing $14MM+ in 2016 cap room to him on the franchise tag, but Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports tweets that agent Eugene Parker is unlikely to budge much in contract negotiations until Chicago uses its tag.

If that is indeed Parker’s position, it makes sense. Should the Bears franchise Jeffery, it would increase his floor for a long-term deal, putting the 26-year-old into the salary range of wideouts like Dez Bryant, A.J. Green, Julio Jones, and Demaryius Thomas.

Jeffery’s case for a high-end contract may not be quite as strong as those players’ cases were, but if he’s tagged, his position in the marketplace virtually assures that any long-term extension he signs would place him among the league’s highest-paid receivers. If Chicago decides not to use its franchise tag, Jeffery would have a chance to reach the open market in a year when he’s the clear-cut top receiver available, which isn’t a bad alternative for Parker and his client.

After averaging 87 receptions and 1,277 yards in 2013 and 2014, Jeffery was plagued by injuries in 2015, but he was excellent when healthy, averaging a career-high 89.7 yards per game. Ultimately, I’d expect the Bears to use the franchise tag on him to avoid letting him get away for nothing, but it will be an interesting situation to monitor over the next week and a half.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Free Agent Notes: Weddle, Jeffery, Fitzpatrick

January 4th, 2016 at 2:36pm CST by Luke Adams

Based on how the season played out for safety Eric Weddle and the Chargers, there’s a general belief that Weddle won’t be back with the franchise in 2016. That appeared to be his stance when he spoke to reporters today, according to Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune, who tweets that Weddle seemed “resolved” that he has played his final game as a Charger. The standout safety will be looking for the “right fit” in free agency, one that gives him a chance to win a title (Twitter link via Gehlken).

Here are a few more Monday items on this winter’s potential free agents:

Asked today about whether he wants to come back to Chicago next season, free-agent-to-be Alshon Jeffery perhaps wasn’t quite as enthusiastic about the possibility of re-signing with his current team as some players are. As Rich Campbell of the Chicago Tribune writes, the Bears wideout repeatedly said he loves “the city of Chicago,” but deferred to his agent and GM Ryan Pace when asked about his contract situation, adding that “whatever happens, happens.”
With Ryan Fitzpatrick eligible for free agency this winter, re-signing the veteran quarterback is a high priority for the Jets, head coach Todd Bowles said today. Bowles added that Fitzpatrick would be the club’s starter if he returns for 2016 (Twitter links via Brian Costello of the New York Post).
Two key pieces of Buffalo’s offensive line, left tackle Cordy Glenn and left guard Richie Incognito, are potential free agents this offseason, and longtime Bills offensive lineman Eric Wood says it’s “very important” for the club to re-sign both players. Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News provides the details and the quotes from Wood.

Extra Points: Dolphins, Bears, Vikes, Lions, Draft

January 2nd, 2016 at 9:56pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Dolphins’ front office and coaching staff apparently aren’t the only areas they’re going to overhaul during the offseason. The team will also make big changes to its 27th-ranked defense, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

Miami ranks 24th in passing yards allowed and 25th in rating against (98.8), so it plans to strengthen its secondary in the coming months. That means adding two new cornerbacks, asking veteran corner Brent Grimes ($9.5MM cap hit in 2016) to restructure his contract, and finding another safety to complement Reshad Jones. Free agent-to-be Eric Weddle, a three-time Pro Bowler with San Diego, would be open to an offer from the Dolphins, Jackson writes. He and Jones would form an excellent tandem, but it will cost the Dolphins (or anyone else) a lot to land Weddle.

Along the front seven, the Dolphins want to keep end Cameron Wake, who tore his Achilles’ tendon in October. Doing so might require the soon-to-be 34-year-old to restructure his deal, as he’s set to count nearly $10MM against the club’s cap next season. The Dolphins hope to continue pairing Olivier Vernon with Wake to generate a pass rush, but Vernon is a free agent and retaining him might be unrealistic.

“I only get one shot [at free agency], so I’m not [doing] a hometown discount,” said Vernon.

Miami also needs to upgrade at linebacker, where Jackson believes the team will look to add one or two new starters. They could either cut Koa Misi or move him back to the middle if they’re unable to find a better outside solution than MLB Kelvin Sheppard.

Bears Put Alshon Jeffery, Eddie Goldman On IR

December 30th, 2015 at 10:12am CST by Luke Adams

The Bears have placed a pair of starting players on injured reserve, officially ruling them out for Week 17. Wide receiver Alshon Jeffery and defensive lineman Eddie Goldman have landed on IR, according to the team (Twitter link). To fill the openings on the 53-man roster, Chicago has signed defensive linemen Greg Scruggs and Terry Williams.

Jeffery, in the final year of his rookie contract, was slowed by injuries, which prevented him from putting up the type of numbers he had in past seasons. After averaging about 87 receptions, 1,277 yards, and eight touchdowns in 2013 and 2014, the 25-year-old recorded just 54 catches for 807 yards and four touchdowns this season.

Of course, Jeffery’s numbers don’t look too bad when taking into account that he only played nine games this season for the Bears — he actually established a new career-high in yards per game (89.7). As he approaches possible free agency, the Bears will have a tough decision to make, as they consider whether to use the franchise tag on the standout receiver to keep him from hitting the open market.

As for Goldman, the rookie defender, selected in the second round of this year’s draft out of Florida, had a solid first season in Chicago, logging 22 tackles to go along with 4.5 sacks. His ankle injury isn’t expected to require surgery.