When the Chicago Bears selected wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft, they were certainly hoping for more production than he has given them.
Jones has amassed a grand total of 17 catches for 154 yards and a touchdown through two seasons while also carrying the ball 11 times for 127 yards and a score.
With the Bears acquiring even more weapons this offseason, Jones may end up being even more marginalized in 2024, which is why he will need to carve out a rather unique niche in Chicago’s offense.
It seems like that is what head coach Matt Eberflus has planned for the University of Tennessee product.
Jones has been practicing with the Bears’ running backs at training camp, and Eberflus says he wants to utilize the youngster any way he can.
“He’s got a lot of talent,” Eberflus said, via Josh Schrock of NBC Sports Chicago. “He’s open to moving around, again, like we talked about, I think it was maybe last time we visited about, you know, if you’re on the fringe of the roster or a guy that is competing for that fifth, sixth spot at receiver, halfback, whatever it might be, the more you can do. You know, if you’re a four-core guy in special teams, the more you can utilize your talents across your base of the team, I believe that’s a good thing for you, so that’s what he’s doing.”
Basically, Jones will need to display some versatility in order to stay on the roster.
Will the Bears have room for Velus Jones Jr.?
The Bears certainly have a lot of offensive talent, so whether or not there will actually be any room for Jones remains to be seen.
Chicago has added wide receivers Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze, running back D’Andre Swift and tight end Gerald Everett to an offense that already included DJ Moore and Cole Kmet.
Of course, the Bears also took quarterback Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick of the draft.
Given all of the weapons Chicago has, it seems unlikely that Jones will be able to see much of the field unless, again, he manages to scrape out a very exclusive role.
Maybe he will represent an option on trick plays. Or maybe the Bears can deploy him as a kick returner given the NFL’s new rules?
Whatever the case may be, Jones is running out of time to make an impact.
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