The Chicago Bears are entering their second week of organized team activities and expecting to return to the practice field Tuesday without top receiver Alshon Jeffery.
After Jeffery signed his $14.6 million franchise tag tender on March 8, he has stayed away from the voluntary portion of the offseason program and is instead working out in Miami.
His nonattendance adds several layers of intrigue to one of the Bears’ biggest storylines of 2016. At this point, what should the team expect from Jeffery this season? What are Jeffery’s long-term prospects in Chicago? And what is the ripple effect of his prolonged absence?
Bears writers Rich Campbell and Dan Wiederer break down the situation in their latest edition of Real Talk.
Rich Campbell: Let’s be clear about one thing from the start, Dan. Alshon’s absence from OTAs would be boiling over if he hadn’t signed his tender. As it stands, this issue is just simmering. That’s important perspective as we assess the situation.
Both sides plan for Jeffery to be at the mandatory minicamp in mid-June and at training camp in late July. For now, practices are voluntary, and Jeffery has seized on that fact in what amounts to a symbolic request for a big-money, long-term contract.
But his absence is not helping him toward that payday because the Bears’ questions about him remain unanswered. Is Alshon fit? Is the physical and mental foundation in place for him to prove last year’s injury-marred campaign was an anomaly?
No answers will materialize before the NFL’s July 15 deadline for a long-term deal. Instead, the Bears still sit with the bad aftertaste of last season and can only contemplate the unknowns.
Dan Wiederer: Point blank, here it is: It’s a near certainty Jeffery will play the 2016 season on the franchise tag. So go ahead and keep your calendar open for the days leading up to July 15 without feeling anxious about the suspense of Jeffery’s contract status.
General manager Ryan Pace has repeatedly acknowledged that he has an open line of communication with Jeffery’s camp. And Pace has classified those contract discussions as “cordial” and “productive.”
But from everything you and I have gathered from within league circles, there are no indications that the Bears will push to get a long-term deal solidified for Jeffery this summer.
And why would they? They still have so much to learn about Jeffery’s durability, his drive, his fit within the current program. This is exactly the kind of situation the franchise tag was created for. So unless Jeffery’s agent, Tory Dandy, were to settle for a new deal that is short term and extremely club friendly, the receiver will again be asked to prove his worth. From the Bears’ standpoint, it’s the most sensible move.
Campbell: Playing on the tag also makes sense for Jeffery. The seven games he missed last season due to leg muscle injuries prevented him from hitting free agency with full earning power. Extrapolate his 2015 stats over 16 games and you get 1,435 yards, seven touchdowns and 105 catches — output worthy of a contract among the NFL’s best receivers. Jeffery can bet on himself to play a full season, which he did in 2013 and 2014, and maybe cash in. Heck, the Bears would love that outcome, too. So let’s assume Jeffery plays on the tag, leaving both sides to revisit his future next offseason. What are the odds he and the Bears realize that best-case scenario?
Wiederer: Honestly, it’s so hard to say. The range of possibilities with Jeffery always seems so wide and so difficult to figure out. Would either of us be surprised if he came back and delivered a 1,500-yard, 12-touchdown season? I wouldn’t be. By the same token, it wouldn’t exactly be shocking if he missed five or six games, failed to win over Pace and John Fox and marched right into free agency next March. For what it’s worth, Jeffery will likely be the first receiver to play on the franchise tag since Wes Welker did so with the Patriots in 2012. Welker tore off 118 catches that year for 1,354 yards with six TDs but still left New England for Denver the following spring.
Campbell: For the Bears to give Jeffery the contract he covets, they would have to grow more comfortable with his intangibles, such as his self-motivation and mental toughness. To this regime, Jeffery remains a tantalizing player. His stellar production was offset by the type of injuries Fox refers to as “owies” — the clear connotation being one of condescension — as opposed to a broken bone or torn ligament.
With Jeffery’s quiet persona, he doesn’t naturally exude the enthusiasm, energy and alpha-dog attitude this regime values. And now he’s staying away from the offseason program while a new coordinator is applying new wrinkles and incorporating top receiving prospect Kevin White into the offense. So yeah, Jeffery has to stay healthy and ball out, or else there’s a strong chance he’ll follow Brandon Marshall and Martellus Bennett out of town.
Wiederer: Clearly, questions about Jeffery’s mental toughness still linger. And clearly, the Bears still hope they can help the soft-spoken receiver improve on that front. It was no coincidence that Jeffery wound up in California early in the offseason, training at the high-intensity mixed martial arts gym owned and run by Jay Glazer, a close Fox friend.
But during an interview with “The Mully and Hanley Show” on WSCR 670-AM in April, Glazer indicated that while Jeffery’s early investment in the program at Unbreakable Performance was admirable, the short duration of his stay there was, well, peculiar.
In general terms, but with clear Jeffery subtext, I asked Fox in March whether he felt like heart was a trait players have naturally or whether it could be developed. “Some guys just have it,” Fox answered. “But I think it can be grown and developed.”
Now the experiment with Jeffery enters a new intriguing phase.
Campbell: And this experiment isn’t occurring in a vacuum. One reason the Bears are so high on Kevin White is his makeup. They believe he can be that alpha presence among the receivers, on the offense and the whole team.
White wasn’t brought in to replace Jeffery, of course. The plan is for them to complement each other. But if White starts to meet the team’s expectations on the field and off, I wonder whether that would affect management’s insistence on Jeffery developing those intangible traits. I mean, if Jeffery plays well for 16 games, the Bears would have to re-sign him. My point is that if White took over the leadership role, Jeffery might comfortably slot into a role that fits his personality.
Wiederer: Let’s not jump too many steps ahead. While I’d agree that White has the enthusiasm, drive and team-first spirit to become a natural leader, he’s still marching toward the 2016 season with a grand total of zero NFL catches. So until he has proven, for at least a full season or longer, that he’s a game-changing playmaker on a consistent basis, it’s premature to hand him any significant leadership role. If you ask me, it will be White’s production far more than his personality that will impact the Bears’ view of Jeffery.
As far as Alshon goes, I’m still curious as to what he feels he’s accomplishing by staying away from Halas Hall until minicamp. Sure, the offseason strength and conditioning program and OTAs are “voluntary.” But this is a guy who failed to fully win over his head coach and GM last season. Now he’s heading into the most pivotal year of his career with a new receivers coach, a new offensive coordinator and a new big-play sidekick. And he’s essentially chosen to sacrifice two months of building chemistry with all of them in order to work out on his own in Florida. I’m not sure how that helps him in any way, shape or form.
Campbell: I agree that production is paramount for both receivers, and certainly White has everything to prove. I also share your questions about what Alshon gains by staying away.
He’s on record citing his two 16-game seasons as cause for confidence in his ability to stay healthy in 2016. He’s betting on himself and doing it his way. At this stage, the Bears need Jeffery more than he needs them. Let’s not forget that the demand for his services is league-wide. Whether he gets paid — by the Bears or another team — depends on how he performs. But would he position himself to maximize performance by attending voluntary sessions? Pace, Fox and Loggains say yes, and it’s easy to see why. This plot will thicken considerably before it’s resolved.
Wiederer: The short-term resolution is a season played under the franchise tag. Sixteen games, $14.6 million and a stage for Jeffery to make a statement on what kind of receiver he truly is. Buckle in.
