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Predicting where the top 20 NFL free agents will land

Alshon Jeffery, wide receiver, Chicago Bears

Despite the fact that he’s coming off two consecutive substandard seasons, Jeffery hits free agency as the most-prized offensive player on the market. The talent here is undeniable as evidenced by the combined 2,554 yards and 17 touchdowns he put up during a two-year span back in 2013-14.

Most experts won’t hold Jeffery’s lack of tremendous production the past two seasons against him. He was still able to put up a combined 1,628 yards with the likes of Jay Cutler, Brian Hoyer and Matt Barkley tossing him the rock.

The issue here is that Jeffery is coming off a 2016 campaign that saw him suspended four games for violating the NFL’s PED policy. That’s a problem for teams. It will also dictate how much of a ceiling Jeffery has when it comes to earning potential on his new contract.

With all that said, we still fully expect Jeffery to receive north of $13 million annually. Philadelphia, Tennessee and San Francisco have all been linked to the former Pro Bowler. Heck, Chicago has reportedly shown an interest in bringing him back. Whether that’s realistic is anyone’s guess.

What we do know is that San Francisco will have north of $95 million to spend in free agency. It also just released former high-priced free agent signing Torrey Smith — creating more room under the cap as well as a need for a No. 1 wide receiver. Also important to note here, new 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan had a tremendous amount of success working with Julio Jones in Atlanta. Jeffery is the same type of receiver with the same build and nearly the exact skill set. It’s a match made in heaven for both sides.

Prediction: San Francisco 49ers

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