49ers, Eagles, Bears, Titans, Rumored to Pursue Alshon Jeffery in Free Agency

Wide receiver Alshon Jeffery is among the biggest prizes in free agency, and early indications are that he will have no shortage of suitors.

According to ESPN's Josina Anderson, the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles and Tennessee Titans are among the teams expected to pursue him. Also, the Chicago Bears will be in the mix after opting against using the franchise tag to retain him.

Jeffery's rumored list of prospective buyers comes as little surprise since the Niners, Eagles and Titans are among the most receiver-needy teams in the NFL.

San Francisco ranked last in the NFL in 2016 with 181.9 passing yards per game, and leading pass-catcher Jeremy Kerley had just 667 yards.

Philly is in search of a complementary option to wide receiver Jordan Matthews and tight end Zach Ertz to aid in quarterback Carson Wentz's continued development.

The Eagles have been linked to many of the top wideouts on the open market, including DeSean Jackson and Kenny Stills.

Like Philadelphia, the Titans have a potential budding star under center in Marcus Mariota, and he could benefit from adding Jeffery to a receiving corps currently led by Rishard Matthews.

Chicago remains in the mix, as general manager Ryan Pace explained the rationale behind allowing Jeffery to test the market, per the team's official Twitter account:

The 27-year-old Jeffery spent the first five years of his career with the Bears and is third on their all-time receiving list with 4,549 yards.

While the former Pro Bowler topped 1,000 yards in both 2013 and 2014, he has barely climbed over the 800-yard mark in each of the past two campaigns.

Jeffery finished with 52 receptions for 821 yards and two touchdowns last season in 12 games, as he was suspended four contests for violating the NFL's policy against performance-enhancing drugs.

The former South Carolina standout also missed seven games in 2015 due to injury.

Despite his recent struggles, Jeffery is a matchup nightmare at 6'4" and 230 lbs, and he figures to land a sizable contract with a team lacking outside playmakers.