Bears receivers Alshon Jeffery and Kevin White have two things in common going into the 2016 NFL season.
First: Prove they can stay healthy.
Second: Show the league they can be big playmakers. With the Bears top wide outs sharing the same goals, this is why you should give a damn about them this upcoming season.
Jeffery needs to prove he is worth the money and a long-term deal and White, needs to prove he is worth a top ten first round pick.
With Jeffery playing under the franchise tag this season, he has the opportunity to show the Bears he can be a reliable franchise player. The standout receiver is going to want to play in as many games as he physically can to help boost his stock for the 2017 season.
By the end of the season, if he stays fairly healthy, he might pull a Rod Tidwell from the movie Jerry Maguire and say, “show me the money!”
Even if Jeffery isn’t completely in it for the money, just know he is going to play every down like it’s his last and with more passion in his game.
The five-year pro showed this passion against Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler, when the two were in a face-mask-tug battle, resulting in the two having to sit out of practice.
Jeffery is normally soft-spoken, but when asked what the Bears receivers benefited most from practicing against the Patriots, he did not hold anything back.
Just dominate. Take over the game,” Jeffrey told the Chicago Tribune. “We’re going to set the tone. That’s the way we feel. That’s what we look forward to doing against anybody.”
With Jeffrey playing with this new passion and already being an established number one wide out, he will require the opponents number one corner, which will give White opportunities to showcase his athletic ability.
The seventh overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft has not played a regular season game but has the weight of an entire city resting on his shoulders.
After missing the entire 2015 season, Bears fans are eagerly waiting to see what he can do.
White has all the intangibles to become a great receiver, but he only has two catches in the preseason. However, he has managed to stay healthy through each game, which is a positive.
Jeffery isn’t worried about White’s lack of production through the two preseason games.
He’s taking coaching well and learning, because, I mean, he missed the whole year last year, so this year he’s progressing right where we need him to be,” Jeffery told ESPN. “He listens to the coaches, and he’s making plays and he’s having fun.”
Jeffery also told White to play physical, because he’s a big guy, strong, and fast.
That’s why Bears fans should be excited to see White in the regular season.
Just having Jeffery on the field will take pressure off of White, which will allow him to become the big playmaker the Bears know he can be, just how he dominated at West Virginia.
With Jeffery and White lined up as the outside receivers, opposing defenses will have to decide which side to shift the coverage to, leaving one of the receivers in a one-on-one matchup.
The two receivers are in a position to each have a big season, which wouldn’t surprise Jeffery, who already has said that he thinks the Chicago Bears have the best receiving core in the league.
After waiting an entire year, having Jeffery and White playing on Sunday’s together is yet another reason to give a damn this season.
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