Alshon Jeffery Voted NFL's Most Improved Player
By Adam Hoge-
(CBS) Bears wide receiver Alshon Jeffery was voted the Most Improved Player Of The Year by the Professional Football Writers Of America.
Jeffery is the third straight wide receiver to win the award, after Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz won it in 2011 and Cowboys wide receiver Dex Bryant won it in 2012.
After catching just 24 passes for 367 yards and three touchdowns in 2012, Jeffery broke out with a Pro Bowl season in 2013. He caught 89 passes for 1,421 yards and seven touchdowns. His 1,421 receiving yards ranked second in the NFL.
Jeffery missed six games his rookie season because of injuries, but spent a portion of the offseason training with teammate Brandon Marshall in Florida. With Marshall's guidance and head coach Marc Trestman's new offense, Jeffery emerged as one of the league's top targets in 2013. The addition of wide receivers coach Mike Groh to the coaching staff also aided his development.
Jeffery broke the Bears' single-game receiving record twice in 2013, first with 218 yards on 10 receptions against the Saints in Week 5 and then again with 249 yards on 12 catches Week 13 against the Vikings.
Adam Hoge covers the Bears for CBSChicago.com and is a frequent contributor to 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter at @AdamHoge.