Getty Wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. of the Chicago Bears celebrates a touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings in January 2023.
The Chicago Bears have less need to clear cap space than almost any team in the NFL, but some deals remain there to be made ahead of the season.
Big changes have come to Chicago over the last year, including a revamped wide receiver room that now includes D.J. Moore, Chase Claypool and fourth-round rookie Tyler Scott. As a result, versatile 2022 third-round pick Velus Jones Jr. could find himself on the outside looking in at an offense that doesn’t have the room to incorporate his playmaking skill set as a pass-catcher or runner of the football.
A triple-threat, Jones also functioned as a kick/punt returner for the Bears last season, which remains his best path to remaining a relevant roster piece week-in and week-out in 2023. However, Jake Rill of Bleacher Report on Monday, July 3, named Jones among Chicago’s most likely trade candidates with training camp looming less than four weeks away.
Jones has a lot of potential upside, but he’s also already 26. He doesn’t have quite as much of a long-term future as some of the other receivers deeper on Chicago’s depth chart.
So the Bears may want to consider flipping Jones for a draft pick, especially because it’s not even a guarantee he’ll earn a spot on their roster in training camp. If he’s not likely to make the team, then a deal would make more sense.
Velus Jones Jr. Underperformed in Rookie Year With Bears, Earned Benching
GettyWide receiver Velus Jones Jr. will vie for the kick/punt returner job with the Chicago Bears in 2023, assuming he remains on the roster.
The Bears invested significant capital in Jones, selecting him with the No. 71 overall pick in the last draft. But Jones was a relative disappointment considering both his draft position and how much he was able to contribute during a campaign in which Chicago was light on playmakers in the passing game and on special teams.
Jones caught seven passes for 107 yards and one touchdown to go along with 103 rushing yards and a score from the backfield across 12 games of action, per Pro Football Reference. He also returned 22 kicks for 607 yards and five punts for 35 yards.
However, the coaching staff chose to bench Jones midseason due to ball security issues after he fumbled three times during return attempts. That development doesn’t bode well regarding the perception of Jones among the franchise’s inner circle of decision makers heading into next season.
Bears Special Teams Coordinator Says Velus Jones Jr. ‘Looks Different’ This Offseason
GettyWide receiver Velus Jones Jr. was a healthy scratch for the Chicago Bears in Week 9.
Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower spoke to reporters in early June and was asked if he regretted pulling Jones from his punt-returning role and keeping him on the shelf through the end of the season.
“No, I don’t. Everything that happens to you, you learn from it,” Hightower said. “I see a kid that is even more eager now because he knows, ‘I want to be out there.’ He comes back with a totally different mindset. He looks different.”
Another thing Jones has going for him, beyond what sounds like an endorsement from his special teams coach, is that he was one of the first-ever draft selections of general manager Ryan Poles‘ regime. With just one season of experience and trade value that would certainly be lower than the high third-round spot in which he was selected, the Bears will be more inclined to hold onto Jones’ through the year if they believe he has any kind of future as a returner, receiver or rusher of the football.