A lot of Chicago Bears fans can’t understand why the team remains stubborn on the Velus Jones issue. The former 3rd round pick hasn’t done anything in their minds to justify a roster spot at this point. He’s already proven he can’t be a reliable wide receiver. His kick return value is high, sure, but the NFL doesn’t appear to have completely solved the problem of teams preferring touchbacks to try more coverage opportunities. Rather than accept reality and move on, the Bears chose to gamble on something rare.
Instead of working at something that hasn’t clicked, they chose to give Jones a try at running. They knew he had the speed and strength to be dangerous with the ball in his hands. Why not cut out the necessity of catching the ball and see what he does on simple hand-offs and tosses? The preseason saw him post 158 yards on 25 carries with two touchdowns. Most outside Halas Hall shrugged, believing it was the benefit of playing against backups. Kevin Fishbain and Adam Jahns of The Athletic warned that the team is much higher on Jones at running back than people realize.
You’re not supposed to take notice of running backs in the spring. The players don’t have pads on. But it was impossible not to see why the Bears prioritized D’Andre Swift in free agency. The quickness and agility were notable but not surprising. The fluidity with which he has caught passes has been an eye-opening part of training camp. And don’t discount the Velus Jones Jr. effect on the running backs room. That will take time, and he might be third or fourth in line for carries, so don’t expect a lot of snaps, if any, early on. But there is plenty of support for Jones in the building and finding ways to get the ball in his hands. For all the understandable talk about the quarterback, the Bears will still want to run the ball.
Is it misplaced? Perhaps, but there are numbers to somewhat support this decision. Across his first two seasons, Jones had 17 carries for 151 yards and a touchdown. Even if most of them were more gimmicky in nature, it showed that he could still impact the game as a runner against legitimately starting-caliber defenses. Logic would suggest if he’s having success doing a specific thing, then maybe you should do that thing more often. Chicago seems to have finally embraced that reality.
Velus Jones will never become the go-to wide receiver many hoped he could be when drafted. That doesn’t mean he is a completely lost cause. Plenty of players drafted at one position ended up finding success at another. Darren Waller was a flop at wide receiver before resurrecting his career at tight end. Julian Edelman went from a celebrated quarterback to a championship wide receiver. Cordarrelle Patterson was a flop at receiver. Then he had back-to-back seasons cracking 600 yards rushing in Atlanta.
What the Bears are asking from Jones isn’t unheard of.
