Bears opt not to apply franchise tag to Jeffery

Chicago Bears GM Ryan Pace says the tag “really wasn’t an option for us” this time, though he’s not ruling out resigning wide receiver Alshon Jeffery once free agency begins on March 9.

INDIANAPOLIS >> The Chicago Bears have decided not to apply the franchise tag to receiver Alshon Jeffery.

General manager Ryan Pace says the tag “really wasn’t an option for us” this time, though he’s not ruling out re-signing him once free agency begins on March 9.

Pace says there are “certain instances where testing the market is a necessary part of the process” to determine a player’s value. He spoke at the NFL combine on Wednesday.

Jeffery played last season on the franchise tag after he and the Bears were unable to agree to a multiyear deal. He also served a four-game suspension for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs.

SALARY CAP UP $12 MILLION >> The NFL salary cap for the upcoming season will be $167 million per team, up more than $12 million over last year.

The league and the NFL Players Association compile the cap from specific revenues, and it has risen annually. It was $143.28 million two years ago.

This is the fourth consecutive year the cap has risen at least $10 million.

Player benefits also are included under the 10-year labor agreement reached to end the 2011 lockout. That comes to $37 million per team, bringing the players’ total compensation package to over $200 million per club for the first time.

Since 2011, the cap has increased by $47 million.

Also, 2017 is the first year of a four-season minimum spending period of 89 percent per club and 95 percent leaguewide.

The added cap room should have a major impact on teams’ spending when the NFL’s new year begins next Thursday.

BROWNS, PRYOR CONTINUE CONTRACT TALKS >> A person familiar with the talks says the Cleveland Browns will meet with wide receiver Terrelle Pryor’s agents in Indianapolis to try and work out a contract.

The Browns decided not to put a franchise tag on the wide receiver Wednesday, but the sides will resume talks during the NFL combine, said the person who spoke Wednesday to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the meetings.

Pryor has said he wants to stay with the Browns, who took a chance on the former quarterback changing positions. Pryor finished his first full season as a wide receiver with 77 catches for 1,007 yards and four touchdowns.

Pryor put up the big numbers despite Cleveland’s constant turnover at QB.