THROW- TOGUY CAN’T BE LOST

Bears have the salary- cap space to keep Jeffery around, tag or not

Is Alshon Jeffery an elite NFL wide receiver? He’s certainly the Bears’ best. He can do things their other receivers can’t. As promising as Kevin White might be, stardom isn’t guaranteed for the 2015 firstround pick, not after he missed his entire rookie season because of a stress fracture in his shin.

Re- signing Jeffery is the Bears’ top offseason priority. When it happens, he’ll be paid like one of the league’s best at his position.

The Bears simply can’t let him leave. He’s too good and too valuable in an offensive- minded league. General manager Ryan Pace can’t say he wants to build around quarterback Jay Cutler, then bid farewell to Jeffery and running back Matt Forte in the same offseason.

In other words, the Bears need Jeffery more than he needs them.

Tuesday is the first day the Bears can apply the franchise tag on Jeffery. Teams have until 3 p. m. March 1 to use the franchise tag, which is projected to increase from $ 12.823 million to around $ 14.5 million in 2016 for receivers.

The Bears have plenty of salarycap space and can easily afford that. But Pace views the franchise tag as a tool. It allows more time to reach a new deal. To Pace, a long- term contract is mutually beneficial. Still, that $ 14.5 million price should be a basis for negotiations with Jeffery’s agent, Eugene Parker.

In 2015, the Cowboys and Broncos put the franchise tag on Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas, respectively, before signing them to five- year contracts. Julio Jones ( Falcons), T. Y. Hilton ( Colts) and A. J. Green ( Bengals) also received extensions. All but Hilton have average salaries of $ 14million or more.

With that type of financial commitment, Jeffery’s injuries are the biggest concern. He was limited to nine games last season because of various soft- tissue injuries. His conditioning was questioned in the Bears’ new fitness program, but Jeffery played in every game the previous two seasons.

Also, how much does Jeffery want to be here? During the season and after, Jeffery was asked if he wanted to stay, and his stock answer was that he loved Chicago.

Jeffery was dismayed by the team’s decision to trade Brandon Marshall, a big- brother figure. If he stays with the Bears, Jeffery also will be working under new wide receivers coach Curtis Johnson after Mike Groh left for the Rams after three seasons.

But to say that Jeffery doesn’t like his situation at Halas Hall would be untrue. He has a rapport with Cutler and was passionate after the Bears’ victory against the Packers on Thanksgiving, including dancing with coach John Fox in the locker room. Fox also tabbed Jeffery to give one of the pregame speeches last season. It’s also a good sign that Jeffery is training with Jay Glazer in California. Glazer, an insider for Fox Sports and a close friend of Fox’s, runs a mixed- martialarts training center.

Jeffery also has a relationship with White. The Bears always envisioned them playing together, and both have indicated they want that, as well.

The best answer about Jeffery’s future might have come from White— they have the same agent — while players were cleaning out their lockers in January. “They want to get it done,” White said. “Al wants to stay here. We want him to stay here. It’ll be some good things happening on the field if he stays.”

NOTE: The Bears hired Curtis Johnson to be their wide receivers coach Monday. He was the Saints’ wide receivers coach for six seasons before becoming Tulane’s coach in 2012. The Bears also officially announced the hiring of Ben McDaniels as an offensive assistant and promoted Pierre Ngo to assistant strength and conditioning coach.

Follow me on Twitter @ adamjahns.