Darrynton Evans has only been with the Chicago Bears for five days, but that’s not stopping him from trying to bring a few new playmakers to the team.
The Bears were awarded the former Tennessee Titans running back off waivers on March 11, the same day news broke the team was releasing gadget back Tarik Cohen. Tennessee chose to part ways with the former third-round pick after just two seasons, and the Bears are taking a chance on him.
Evans has played in just six games over his two NFL seasons, sidelined with hamstring and knee injuries. He has had a difficult time staying healthy, but when he’s not ailing, he’s a speedy offensive weapon who can catch passes out of the backfield, and he seems to know the Bears could use a few more weapons on offense, particularly at wide receiver.
After NFL insiders Dianna Russini and Adam Schefter broke the news veteran wide receiver Julio Jones was being released by the Titans, Evans took Twitter to recruit his former teammate.
The Titans are planning on releasing WR Julio Jones, sources tell @AdamSchefter and me
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Evans: ‘Would Love to See Julio in a Chicago Bears Jersey’
Evans and Jones played together just one season in Tennessee (2021), but that was enough to leave a lasting impression on the new Bears running back, who has wasted no time in the recruiting department. Check out his tweet:
Would love to see Julio in a Chicago Bears Jersey 🤷🏽♂️ could be bias.. bruh STILL HIM !
You’ve gotta appreciate the effort from Evans there, although clearly, as with most players, he holds virtually no sway over who his team adds and subtracts.
Former Bears Swiss Army Knife Cordarrelle Patterson had been driving the recruiting train in his two seasons with the team in 2019-2020, attempting to recruit everyone from Tom Brady to Teddy Bridgewater, and now it looks as though Evans is going to take the baton.
But is Jones someone worth recruiting if you’re Chicago?
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Age, Recent Injury History & Price Primary Concerns Surrounding Jones
Jones turned 33 in February, and he has played in just 19 out of a possible games over the last two seasons. An All-Pro in 2015-16, when he racked up 3,280 yards and averaged 108.8 yards per game over those two seasons, Jones hasn’t been that player for a while.
The veteran wideout played in just nine games in his last season with the Atlanta Falcons in 2020, plagued by a hamstring issue. Atlanta traded Jones and a sixth-rounder to Titans for their second-round selection in the draft this year along with their fourth-round selection in 2023.
Another hamstring injury shortened his 2021 campaign, which has turned out to be his lone season in Tennessee. Jones played 10 games for the Titans last season, catching 31 passes on 48 targets for 434 yards and a touchdown — all career lows. Considering he was due a base salary of over $11 million, per Spotrac, his release is no surprise.
Would he be worth signing for the Bears, who are in desperate need of wide receivers at the moment? Only if he lowers his price tag significantly. Chicago needs receivers, but it won’t help much if they’re hobbled, and Jones isn’t getting any younger. If he’s willing to sign a one-year deal well under $7 million, maybe, but there has to be better options for the Bears in the draft and in free agency than Jones.
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Bears RB Recruits Recently-Released 2-Time All-Pro WR