Chicago Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery is feeling pretty good about the
Per Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times, the 26-year-old heading into his fifth NFL season made a rather bold statement:
WR Alshon Jeffery said the #Bears could have one of the best WR groups in the NFL : pic.twitter.com/pdoLYYarc4
— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) July 28, 2016
You may think Jeffery is a little off base—or at least premature—with such declarations, but there's reason for high hopes. Believe it or not, it starts at quarterback.
Cutler is Who You Think He is, and That's OK
Jay Cutler is 33 years old and he'll never be an elite quarterback.
That said, he's not in the bottom half at his position in the league. Last season, Pro Football Focus had Cutler tied for 14th with Philip Rivers and that was playing behind a makeshift offensive line with multiple guys playing out of position.
Under the tutelage of since departed offensive coordinator Adam Gase, Cutler showed improvement. With most of the same coaching staff returning, it's unlikely Cutler regresses.
Jeffery missed seven games, which clearly didn't help the Bears' offensive production. The bottom line there is, while Cutler may not be amongst the elite performers at quarterback, he won't hold the receivers back.
Jeffery is An Elite Receiver and White Could Develop Into One
Jeffery is one of the league's best. He's proven that over his four-year career. He surpassed 1,000 yards receiving in 2013 and 2014. Despite playing in just nine games in 2015, he still had 807 yards and four touchdowns.
Only the Pittsburgh Steelers' Antonio Brown and Atlanta Falcons' Julio Jones had a higher rating in 2015 from PFF.
When Jeffery played in 2015, he was missing a formidable running mate on the other side of the field. Rookie Kevin White missed the entire season with a leg injury.
He's healthy now and the Bears could have another elite performer at wideout.
After making 144 catches for 1,954 yards and 15 touchdowns in 23 games over two seasons at West Virginia, the Bears took White with the seventh-overall selection in the 2015 draft.
White's speed, explosiveness and size at 6'3" 215 pounds placed him high on most team's draft boards. If he can be what many expect him to be, the Bears will be adding a game changer at receiver.
A Royal Resurgence
The Bears got little from the slot receiver position in 2015. Injuries to White and Jeffery forced players who would normally play the slot exclusively to move to the outside.
The ideal slot receiver, Eddie Royal, also had his own issues with injuries. However, like White, Royal is healthy heading into the 2016 season.
It shouldn't be understated how big of an impact Royal could have as a dependable option from the slot.
With Jeffery and White theoretically earning defense's respect on the outside, Royal and tight end Zach Miller should have opportunities to find open areas in the middle of the field.
The 30-year-old Royal played in just nine games in 2015 and his 238 receiving yards were the third-lowest of his career. If he remains healthy, he's a good bet to have a bounce-back season.
What Could Go Wrong
Obviously, things could go awry.
The injury bug could bite one, two or all three of the Bears' primary receivers again—and Miller has had a lengthy injury history himself.
If there is one weakness to this unit, it's depth. Marquess Wilson is an adequate backup, but he's proven over the past two seasons that he isn't an ideal starter.
If Jeffery or White were to go down, that's exactly what he'll become. After Wilson, the pickings get especially slim. Guys like Marc Mariani and Josh Bellamy are then waiting in the wings.
Neither will strike fear in the hearts of defensive coordinators.
There's also legitimate concerns about the team's offensive line—especially at the tackle position. Left tackle Charles Leno wasn't great last season (55th-ranked tackle, per PFF) and neither was the newly signed Bobby Massie (47th overall).
If Cutler isn't being protected, it won't matter how healthy or talented the receivers are; they won't be getting the ball as often as the Bears would like. One can only hope Leno and Massie find themselves with the Bears new O-Line group.
Nothing in the NFL is a sure thing. No one player or unit's success is completely unreliant on another group doing their job. That's why football is the ultimate team sport.
All things considered, Jeffery and the rest of the receiving corps still have every right to feel confident about their chances of being a difference-making unit.
