Even Bears Teammates Agree With Fan Theory About Velus Jones

Velus Jones is widely viewed as a bust for the Chicago Bears. The former 3rd round pick from Tennessee came into the league with lots of potential. His mixture of size and speed was hard to deny. He could give the Bears offense some much-needed explosiveness. Not to mention, he was an instant upgrade to their kick returner position. However, time has shown he doesn't have the necessary chops for a receiver. While he can run routes fine, his hands remain unreliable—too many drops. Teams can't trust guys like that.

Most would assume that means Jones is a lost cause. Not everybody believes that. Many feel there are still certain things about Jones' game that can make him a valuable offensive weapon. Mainly, it is his ability to run after the catch. If catching the ball is his problem, maybe the Bears should consider shifting him to a new position. That would be running back. Don't call it crazy, either. It turns out his own teammates, D.J. Moore and Equanimeous St. Brown, think he could absolutely pull it off.

They said so on the St. Brown Brothers podcast for The 33rd Team.

Velus Jones has already shown flashes of this ability.

It hasn't come solely through jet sweeps and reverses, either. Luke Getsy sometimes gave him some actual carries as a running back, and he did well with them. He had two carries against Cleveland for 23 yards. Nobody could understand why Getsy didn't give him more opportunities. Perhaps that is one of the many reasons the offensive coordinator was fired. He didn't recognize obvious advantages when they were presented to him. Maybe his replacement will see things differently.

It's not like this is something unprecedented. Cordarrelle Patterson never quite made it as a wide receiver. However, teams soon recognized his prowess as a runner and made him a hybrid running back. If he can do it, so can Velus Jones. They're built in similar ways. It falls to the Bears coaching staff to make the adjustments. They don't have enough speed at running back. Until they find it, Jones would make a perfect fill-in. It would also open up a roster spot for more help at wide receiver.