Kevin Jones Talks about Matt Forte

Kevin Jones on what he saw in Matt Forte last season:

“He has all the potential in the world, all he has to do is go out and do it. He has natural talent, and he’s smart too. He’s a good runner. To see him do those things as a rookie was impressive, especially the mental preparation aspect of the game. He really has that down pat, and that’s something I admire because as a rookie you can have so many distractions off the field.

“It’s going to be good to be back in the room with him, and we’re going to do it together this year.”

all quotes from chicagobears.com

A Good Idea: Bringing back RB Kevin Jones

Bringing back a healthy Kevin Jones was a good idea by the Chicago Bears.

We knew they wanted him back, but not to the point where they would match two offers coming from the Buffalo Bills.

Kevin Jones signed a two-year, $3.5 million deal, including a $1 million signing bonus with the Bears on Friday.

Jones' had this to say about the Bears:

"They really expressed how much they wanted me back."

"I'm ecstatic because [Chicago] is where I wanted to be, I always felt I wanted to be back with these guys because it's a good situation." "We didn't put numbers on carries or anything like that, but we did talk about my role being bigger."

Jones' agent Drew Rosenhaus talked about his client:

''He looked at last year as kind of a bounce-back year for him, Kevin looks at this year as one in which he can really contribute and be a big part of the team and offense and work well with Matt Forte. A lot of the league is going to multiple running-back attacks, and hopefully he can contribute in that capacity.''


What I think?

I think Drew Rosenhaus said it perfectly, the Bears need two have a two back system, like when they had Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson.

It was hard for Jones last season to play so soon after reconstruction of his right anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).

The good thing is he'll be 1½ years removed from that surgery.

Kevin Jones has over 3000 yards rushing and 24 touchdowns rushing in four seasons with the Lions.

Last year was basically a waste for Kevin Jones.

But Jones showed he was committed when he contributed on special teams the last two games of the season.

Look for Forte and Jones to be a good one-two punch.

The Bears clearly needed a healthy Kevin Jones in the game against the New Orleans Saints, where Matt Forte injured his toe.

This ultimately means the Bears will not select a RB in next months' NFL Draft.

The other Bears backs are little man Garrett Wolfe and special teams star Adrian Peterson.

quotes from chicagosuntimes.com

Bears making little noise in Free Agency

The Bears signed little known offensive tackle Frank Omiyale to a four-year contract on Friday.

The deal is worth between $11.5 and $14 million for Omiyale, who played with the Carolina Panthers last season.

Omiyale's agent Mark Slough spoke about Omiyale:

``What people need to understand is he was backing up a Pro Bowler in Jordan Gross, there are a heck of a lot of left tackles in the NFL who would back up Jordan Gross.

``It's unfair to say Frank is a backup. Plus, there were 10 or 11 teams that were expressing interest in Frank.''

Omiyale, 26, appeared in 10 games last season with one start. He can play both guard and tackle.

The 6-foot-4-inch, 310-pound Omiyale entered the NFL as a fifth-round draft pick of the Atlanta Falcons.

The Bears have expressed interest in bringing back RB Kevin Jones.

Jones said this about his future:

''I've been telling you all along, and you may have thought, 'This kid is crazy,' during last year, I want to come back to the Bears, I like the staff; I like all the teammates. If you want an example of what an NFL team should be like, the coaching staff, everything, that's it. I'd love to be back, but sometimes business gets in the way."

"It's a negotiation process, and I am making sure I am in the right situation. The Bears expressed interest and I want to be back, but we've got to hammer out the paperwork. We'll see what happens.''

The Chicago Tribune is reporting that there is a mutual interest between the Bears and veteran safety Darren Sharper.

Sharper had this to say about the possibility of playing for the Bears:

"There's definitely a lot of interest, first, they're in the NFC North, which I've grown accustomed to. They have a great defense. And they're on the cusp of getting back to the Super Bowl. It's a great organization. And it's great to draw some interest from them."

all quotes from chicagotribune.com

What do I think?

I think bringing in some depth at the offensive line was a must, but I don't know much about this Omiyale guy.

According to sources Omiyale was wanted by ten other teams.

He better be good for the amount of money we gave him.

Bringing Kevin Jones back wouldn't be a bad move, but I don't see the Bears overpaying for him.

The Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, New York Jets and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have all expressed interest in Kevin Jones.

Bringing in Darren Sharper would definitely fill the void at FS.

I have liked this guy for a long time, but I don't know how much he has left in the tank at age 34.

Expect the Bears to make a move for a wide receiver soon.

My favorites would be Nate Washington of the Steelers and Laveranues Coles of the New York Jets.

Bears Off-Season

Bears Free Agents:

The Bears took care of all of their big names last year, so this year nobody that is hugely important is a priority.

Mike Brown *

Kevin Jones

Brandon Lloyd *

Darrell McClover

Rex Grossman *

John St. Clair *

Brandon McGowan *

The asterisks are the players I think the Bears should keep.

Mike Brown should be brought back, even though he is hurt a lot, he is a great player when on the field.

Lloyd could be good as a 3rd or 4th receiver.

Grossman should be brought back to compete with Orton and maybe another veteran QB.

St. Clair will defiantly be brought back for depth behind the young players like, Chris Williams and Josh Beekman.

Brandon McGowan has been hurt a lot, just like Mike Brown, but I think having more solid depth at safety is a great idea.

Team Needs:

Wide Receiver

Defensive End

Offensive Line

Quarterback

Orton Update

Kyle Orton was on the practice field for the second consecutive day as his right ankle continues to heal.

The ankle was wrapped, and the Bears' starting quarterback didn't run during warm-ups.

Orton's role in practice was expected to be limited, and no announcement was expected regarding his availability for Sunday's game at Green Bay.

Linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer (thumb) and cornerback Charles Tillman (shoulder) were limited as well.

Backup tackle Fred Miller sat out nursing a sore shoulder.

Safety Mike Brown, defensive tackle Tommie Harris and center Olin Kreutz were back at practice after a day of rest.

Running back Kevin Jones was back as well after missing Wednesday for personal reasons.

RB Kevin Jones signs with agent Drew Rosenhaus

Running back Kevin Jones signed with agent Drew Rosenhaus today, giving him seven clients on the Bears.

Kevin Jones will be a free agent after this season.

This is not a good thing for the Chicago Bears, Rosenhaus tries to get the most money from teams on his players.

If Jones keeps performing well, he might get a big contract somewhere else.

Look at Bernard Berrian he got his dough with Vikings, Briggs almost went elsewhere and Tommie Harris is among the league's highest paid at his position.

Why Rex Grossman Has To Start the Regular Season

Written by Farooq Ahmed from Bleacherreport.com

Yes. I said it. Rex Grossman must start for the Bears.

Call me crazy, but in 30 starts, he has a 19-11 record. Yes, people will say that he turns the ball over way too much, but as many Bears fans know, the players around him respond to the guy for some strange reason.

And don't forget that he was "the guy" that helped lead the Bears to a Super Bowl only two years ago.

He definitely has a chip on his shoulder after Super Bowl XLI, where the Bears ran the ball well and defended solidly. Despite the Bears' great defensive play, Grossman's turnovers cost them the game. He threw three interceptions, including one that resulted in a touchdown, which sealed the Colts' victory.

That’s why I believe Rex will start the season opener against the Colts and continue to play throughout the regular season. He wants to prove himself as an elite NFL quarterback. But first comes the much-publicized QB competition in the Windy City.

It's clear that Rex is the favorite to win. In fact, Bears officials have said that they expect Rex to win the starting job. He has the talent to lead a team. Whether or not he wins the starting role is another question.

We all know that when he’s hot, he can be unstoppable, as was the case when he threw four touchdown passes against Detroit in 2006 which was his best game to date.

When he’s cold, he can be awful. This was apparent when he threw for zero touchdowns and three interceptions against Green Bay.

With a career rating of 70.9 in 30 starts, Rex is definitely under pressure to perform like a 22nd-overall pick should.

Rex will have a better season this year.

I can see him easily beating out Kyle Orton in the QB competition and throwing well in preseason games before Lovie Smith declares him as the starter. Much to the outrage of thousands of Bears fans that will shout and scream, “WE WANT FAVRE,” it won’t happen.

One thing Rex has to do is mature and stop the stupid, unwanted turnovers and vow to protect the ball. He's shown glimpses of the great quarterback he can be, and that’s what the Bears will need to see from him in the 2008 season.

He doesn't quite have the weapons he had in 2006, but he does have Devin Hester providing a deep threat at WR, along with veteran receivers Marty Booker, Brandon Lloyd, and Mark Bradley.

With much-hyped running backs Matt Forte and Kevin Jones in the mix, and a re-jigged offensive line, the Bears should improve on their 29th-ranked offense from a year ago.

Add a solid top-10 defense and a No.1 special teams, and the Bears can set their sights high this season and make a playoff run. The mood around camp is very positive, with Jerry Angelo dishing out contracts like lunch. But it is up to the players and team to prove that money was well spent.

Chicago Bears: Highlights From Training Camp, Day 2

Welcome back to Chicago Bears Training Camp highlights. Yesterday was the second day of training camp for the Bears and again no sign of Devin Hester.

But, they brought in another wide receiver from Hawaii Ryan Grice-Mullen. They signed the undrafted free agent after they released FB J.D. Runnels.

Ryan Grice-Mullen is 5'11" weighs about 183 and has a very slim chance of making the team, but he plays the slot and he could replace Devin Hester, if he never shows up again.

Ryan Grice Mullen is a rookie that signed with the Texans as an undrafted free-agent but was cut after the mini-camps.

I was a bit surprised that they didn't keep him around for longer, I thought Grice-Mullen was the best WR on Hawaii's team last year.

Other notes from yesterday:

Rookie LT Chris Williams leaves the field with a back injury, but Lovie Smith think he will be back on the field soon.

Kevin Jones is seen doing some drills. Hopefully he will compete for the starting with Matt Forte soon.

Little known WR Mike Hass who spent most of his time with the Bears on the practice squad made a nice catch thrown by Kyle Orton.

Charles Tillman and Olin Kreutz are still out.

Here is a video of Ryan Grice-Mullen--

Colt Brennan to Ryan Grice-Mullen

Breaking News: Chicago Bears Make A Much Needed Move and Sign RB Kevin Jones

The Chicago Bears bolstered their roster today by signing RB Kevin Jones to a one year deal worth about $605,000.

I like the signing, it brings in a nice backup to compete with rookie Matt Forte.

"I'm ecstatic," Jones said on his way to O'Hare from Halas Hall. "I know the situation. I know the Bears' rich history of winning. Looking at the Bears, I know they're a tough, running team. I can't wait to be a part of it."

Lovie Smith said weeks ago that the Chicago Bears were not signing a running back, and was very mad at this statement made by the head coach.

I like Matt Forte, but you can't trust him because he is a rookie. also, behind Forte is the other Adrian Peterson, who was solid at times last season and very affective in the screen game. The third string running back Garrett Wolfe was invisible at times last season.

If Kevin Jones shows up to training camp in shape and ready to go, he could beat out rookie Matt Forte or split time with him.

That is better than being with no team at all.

Let's take a look at Kevin Jones's career.

Kevin Jones is second in Virgina Tech school history with 3,475 rushing yards and 35 touchdowns.

He was a first round pick back in 2004 by the Detroit Lions.

His best season was his rookie season where he ran for 1,133 yards, rushed for five touchdowns and caught one touchdown.

Kevin Jones has great pass catch ability.

He joined Hall of Famer Barry Sanders and Billy Sims as the third running back in Detroit Lions history to run for 1,000+ yards in his rookie season.

Between 2005-2006 he ran 1,353 yards, rushed for 11 touchdowns and caught two touchdowns.

He was sidelined at the end of the 2006 season with a Lisfranc fracture.

In 2007, the Lions brought in Tatum Bell and T.J. Duckett because they were worried about Kevin Jones's durability.

He ran for only 581 yards and rushed for eight touchdowns in 2007, but yet again he was hampered by a knee injury late in the season.

The Detroit Lions released him in March of this year, because of his latest injury.

Kevin Jones offered his services to play in Chicago in June, because he knew he could get alot of playing time and he loves the city of Chicago.

Kevin Jones visited the Steelers, Bears, Patriots, Packers, Lions and Bucs, but he signed on with the Chicago Bears.

He could be considered a risk to some, but we can just sit back and watch what he does next year with the Chicago Bears.