On Monday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reported that the Bears do not plan to use the franchise tag on WR Alshon Jeffery, which would make him a free agent on March 9. The receiver was tagged by Chicago last year but a tag this year would have forced the Bears to commit over $17 million to Jeffery. He is expected to become one of the most coveted free agent targets once the new league year begins.
Matt Maiocco of CSN Bay Area joined 95.7 The Game and was asked if he believes the San Francisco 49ers could try to sign him. "I think so," Maiocco answered. "They have the money. It's a matter of the 49ers having their game plan. 'What guys do we want to go after?' Is the team at the point now where they want to go out and pay the big money for a wide receiver not knowing what the quarterback situation is going to be or is that a position that they think there's more value in addressing that in the draft or maybe next year in free agency once they have the quarterback situation figured out?
"I would think, at this point, if the 49ers -- well, for Alshon Jeffery, he's going to have to decide too -- I think the 49ers are going to have to outbid some teams by a pretty dramatic number to get him when you also figure in California taxes. So that might not be the best fit for him. For the 49ers, they might ultimately decide it's not the best fit for them but they certainly have the capital to go make something happen."
You can listen to the entire interview on 95.7 The Game.
Jeffery, who was drafted out of South Carolina by the Bears in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft, caught only 52 passes for 821 yards and two touchdowns through 12 games in 2016. He was unable to complete the season after being suspended the final four games for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs. The receiver has had two 1,000-plus yard seasons over his five-year career – in 2013 and 2014.