Getty Velus Jones Jr. of the Chicago Bears is getting reps with the team's RBs.
Two unmemorable seasons have come and gone for Chicago Bears wide receiver and return specialist Velus Jones Jr.
Now entering Year 3, the 2022 third-round pick out of Tennessee will likely have the opportunity to change the narrative that he’s a bust candidate. The Bears have primarily used Jones as a gadget player and on kickoff returns, but in their August 6 practice, the team had him practicing with the running backs.
“You saw Velus Jones at halfback today. That’s a thing we’re going to do,” Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said, before crediting the team’s first-year offensive coordinator Shane Waldron with the idea to utilize Jones that way.
“He (Jones) was welcome to that, and we feel that because of the versatility of the talent and the skill sets that he offers our offense another way to have a weapon back there,” Eberflus added. “Hopefully that grows into something, and again, that’s Shane and the offensive staff just being creative being able to maximize our talents on our roster. So it’s good to see him back there.”
Is This Position Switch a Permanent Thing for Jones?
Eberflus later clarified that having Jones take a swing at RB was a temporary thing — for now, at least. The Bears coach noted that the team will “re-evaluate” the situation after the team’s preseason matchup against the Buffalo Bills on August 10.
“He’s got a lot of talent,” Coach Flus said about Jones, also noting this could be a huge opportunity of the return specialist to expand his role and increase his value to the team if he plays well at RB.
“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 [the better],” Eberflus noted. “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.”
With Jones taking snaps at RB, Bears Nation has one more reason to tune in when the Bears head to Buffalo.
Could Velus Jones Jr. Switch Over to RB for the Chicago Bears?
Jones certainly has the tools to be an effective playmaker. As former NFL tight end and current analyst Clay Harbor puts it in the video above, Jones “can run, he can move, he can change directions. He’s really good with the ball in his hands. … What’s one way to get the ball in his hands? To hand it to him.”
As a rookie, Jones had 16 touches on offense. He scored two touchdowns and averaged 13.1 yards per touch with those opportunities. Those numbers fell off in 2023. He finished with 12 touches and averaged of 5.9 yards per play. Still, 5.9 yards per play is nothing to shake a stick at.
At 6-foot and 200 pounds, Jones has strength, coupled with a speed that’s rare for his size. He has shown flashes in the past. Giving him more touches should not only help the evaluation process, but provide him more opportunities to showcase his skill set.
Eberflus made it clear what he’d like to see from Jones at running back.
“Really just execution and then show us your skill set,” the Bears coach said. “We’re putting you back there because you’re fast, you’re a bigger, stouter receiver that does a good job in the return game and you can utilize him in a bunch of different spots back there and it will be good to line up in different spots. So, really just the operation of that.”
With three preseason games remaining on the docket, Velus Jones could have plenty of opportunities at RB if he plays well at the position initially. We’ll see how it goes.
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Bears Give Speedy WR Reps at New Position: ‘Hopefully That Grows Into Something’