NEWSLETTER
Velus Jones Jr. is getting a fresh start.
Ari Meirov, who serves as a news-breaker for The 33rd Team, shares news about the former Chicago Bears player’s next stop:
If you’re a Jaguars fan who happens to stumble upon this in an attempt to figure out what your team is getting in Velus Jones Jr., I offer up this from when he was waived four days ago:
A speedster who the Bears were hoping would be useful in a number of different areas never found his footing in Chicago. His experience as a wide receiver was underwhelming. The time he spent as a return specialist left much to be desired. An attempt to play running back was made during the preseason, but never truly found traction. Sometimes, things don’t work out with third-round picks. But this feels incredibly disappointing when you consider players who were taken after Jones in the draft.
And this from when he was drafted by Chicago:
After drafting defensive backs with their first and second picks, the Bears got around to addressing a need at wide receiver. It’s about dang time. And they do so with their third second-day pick in Jones, a speedster who could probably double as a return ace. After all, Jones was the SEC Special Teams Player of the Year in 2021. On top of that, he put up 62 catches, 807 receiving yards, and seven touchdowns. Nifty season for speedy pass-catcher. I can vibe with that. Double-dipping with at receiver who has return excellence on his résumé is a nice touch. Jones potentially a valuable piece of the puzzle with his multi-positional eligibility.
Ahhh, I remember having hope for Velus Jones Jr. when he was drafted. Here’s hoping he finally unlocks some of that potential in Jacksonville.
Velus Jones Jr. is joining the Jacksonville Jaguars
A banged-up Jaguars squad rolling the dice on Velus Jones Jr. makes a ton of sense. What do the Jags have to lose? With as many injuries as that team has at the wide receiver position, giving VJJ a shot at turning his career around is worth the flier.
Jones, 27, has played in just one game this season and was a healthy scratch in Weeks 2-6 before being let go before the Bears’ Week 8 game against the Washington Commanders. The Bears used a third-round pick in 2022 to bring Jones into the mix as an offensive weapon and special teams asset. But drops kept Jones from developing as a wideout and muffed punts and kicks threw a wrench into plans to fully deploy him as a return ace. Velus has quite a road ahead if he wants to stick on an NFL roster, but I’m glad he is getting another shot. After all, who doesn’t love a comeback story?
