Finally. A lot of us have been clamoring for this. Nobody wants to go into the season with AP and Wolfe as the primary backups.
Ex-Lions RB Jones paying Bears a visit
By David Haugh
Chicago Tribune reporter
July 15, 2008, 12:24 AM CDT
Really, the Bears have been jonesing for a running game since trading Thomas Jones to the Jets in March 2007, a month after their last Super Bowl appearance.
Can Kevin Jones help supply the potent 1-2 punch that has been missing since then?
Apparently, the Bears are curious enough to take a good look at the ex-Lions running back, a former first-round draft pick who believes he can return to 1,000-yard form after two serious injuries the last two seasons.
NFL sources said Jones was to take a physical and visit Halas Hall on Tuesday, one week before the Bears open training camp.
No contract offer has been extended, but if the Bears are satisfied with the condition of Jones' surgically repaired right knee, it shouldn't be difficult to meet the veteran's terms. A source said Jones would accept a one-year deal to prove how healthy and effective he still is.
Agent Tony Fleming told the Tampa Tribune late Monday that Jones would sign with the Bears or Steelers on Tuesday. Jones told the Tribune last month that the Bears would be his top choice among potential teams interested in him.
Jones, 25, tore his anterior cruciate ligament Dec. 23, leading to his release by the Lions in March. But he vowed he would return to fulfill the potential he flashed as a rookie in 2004, when he gained 1,133 yards. Injuries to Jones' foot in 2006 and knee in '07 contributed to him gaining only 1,934 yards in three seasons after his rookie year.
Jones staged an impressive workout June 28 to show how quickly he has recovered, and four teams attended the session in Saline, Mich.
The Bears were not among those present. But the team did receive a videotape of the session and kept up with Jones more than they let on after Cedric Benson's release June 9. Initially, when asked about the possibility of signing Jones before the workout, team sources shot down the idea.
The Bears have faith in second-round pick Matt Forte, but adding a veteran with Jones' potential, even if he's not cleared until early in the regular season, would decrease the pressure on the rookie. It also would give the Bears two legitimate options at the position, a must for NFL teams thinking playoffs.
If the Bears sign Jones, it would allow Adrian Peterson to return to the special-teams role he starred in during 2006. Adding a fourth running back also would put Garrett Wolfe in a fight for a roster spot.
Signing Jones would represent a gamble. But for a team tired of seeing its running backs losing yards, the Bears have nothing to lose.
