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When the Bears hit Alshon Jeffery with the franchise tag back in February, they wrote in their announcement they could "still sign him to a long-term contract through July 15." By the sound of it, the Bears -- at the time -- fully intended to lock up their star wideout for the long haul.

Well, it's May 31, and that long-term deal is still absent. So is Jeffery.

The Bears want Jeffery to attend voluntary practice sessions. Yet Jeffery is nowhere to be found. And, now, according to the Chicago Tribune's Rich Campbell and Dan Wiederer, that long-term deal has evaporated.

As Wiederer wrote on Tuesday:

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.

Quick addendum: Jeffery isn't actually nowhere to be found. He's even been spotted on the field in Chicago -- just not at the venue the Bears prefer. Jeffery threw out the first pitch at a recent Cubs game (and posed for a photo with John Fox) where a Bears fan reminded him of the issue at hand:

If you're wondering why the Bears care if Jeffery shows up to voluntary practices in May, it's because of what transpired last season. Jeffery missed seven games with soft-tissue injuries that lingered throughout the entire year. And the predominant narrative surrounding those injuries is that they could've been avoided if Jeffery had simply put in more work during the offseason.

From Jay Cutler himself:

So that's why the Bears want Jeffery working out with the team. Let's remember, this is the same regime that jettisoned both Brandon Marshall and Martellus Bennett -- two incredibly talented players -- for cheap returns. Fox and general manager Ryan Pace clearly care about more than just talent. They also care about buying into the culture they established in the aftermath of that trainwreck Marc Trestman year.

Jeffery is talented. That's not the issue.

Catches Yards Yards per catch TD Yards per game
252 3,728 14.8 24 73.1

He's also the perfect partner for Cutler. Really, his ability to win contested catches would fit in any offense across the league. If this contract was rooted solely in what he does on the field, Jeffery would be making A.J. Green money for the next several seasons.

Further complicating the issue is Kevin White, the first pick of the Pace era a year ago. White missed all of last season with a shin injury, but he's completely healthy now. He's also bonding with Cutler and the offense while Jeffery trains in Florida.

As 247 Sports reported:

"We try to [hang out] as much as we can," the 2015 first-round pick said at organized team activities. "Jay has a family, so he has to handle whatever he has to handle as a father. But when we can, we go to dinner or go over to his house, hang out a little bit."

One of the things they like to do is watch television but they don't necessarily agree on the best TV show.

"We enjoy watching TV shows," White said. "He'll talk about 'The Walking Dead.' They love watching that. I love watching 'Revenge.' Jay's telling me to watch 'Walking Dead.' I'm telling his to watch 'Revenge.' And we're flip-flopping and talking about it inside the facility. Jay says he's a really good basketball player. I've still yet to see that. But he is really good at baseball, really good. I'm terrible."

So, after weighing all of those factors -- Jeffery's injury woes last year, his lack of offseason commitment to the team, and Kevin White -- the Tribune's report that the Bears don't want to hand Jeffery a long-term deal makes sense. It really does, and this is coming from someone who thinks Jeffery is a top-five receiver in the NFL and that the Bears should sign him to a big-time contract as soon as possible.

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The Bears' and Alshon Jeffery's contract situation remains complicated. USATSI

It actually makes sense for both sides. From the Bears perspective, they want to see the condition in which Jeffery arrives at training camp. If he's in better shape than last year, his absence in May will be forgotten. Then, they'll want to see him go through a season without those nagging injuries. If he does that, then there's no reason to not hand him a long-term deal. Unless, of course, White plays like a No. 1 wideout in his first season. If that happens, then Jeffery might be viewed as expendable. At the very least, he'll lose some leverage during negotiations if the Bears have another top receiver on their roster.

From Jeffery's perspective, waiting also makes sense. He and his agent shouldn't want to negotiate a long-term deal after an injury-plagued season. They should take the $14.599 million one-year deal and hope Jeffery submits a season like 2014, when he appeared in all 16 games and racked up 1,133 yards and 10 touchdowns. Then, they should come back to the negotiating table.

Here's what I think ends up happening: I think Jeffery shows up in fine shape, because showing up in poor shape makes no sense -- it would only hurt his chances to secure a big payday in the future. I think he experiences a smoother season, in large part due to White's presence and the Bears' roster improvements (a better offensive line will help). And I think he ends up getting that long-term contract next offseason.

For all of the noise surrounding the situations -- for all of the factors that are in play -- it really comes down to something simple. The Bears need good, young players. Jeffery is good, and he's 26. Letting him leave in the near future makes no sense. Delaying his long-term deal one year, though, does not not make sense, if that makes sense.