Velus Jones Jr. never quite cut it as a wide receiver over his first two years in the NFL, so the Chicago Bears are now trying him at running back. However, his greatest value to the team might come by way of a trade.
The Cleveland Browns have spent the offseason big-game hunting wide receivers like Brandon Aiyuk and also have a hole in the offensive backfield, as four-time Pro Bowler Nick Chubb is on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list and sidelined for at least the first four weeks of the season.
Ian Valentino of The 33rd Team authored a “win-win trade” proposal on August 29, in which the Bears flip Jones to the Browns for a Day 3 draft pick.
“Jones has been fantastic in the preseason, ranking third in rushing yards and averaging 6.3 yards per carry. … His versatility to be [Chicago’s] fifth receiver and [a] special teamer could keep him safe, but he’s clearly not that valuable to this regime,” Valentino wrote. “Cleveland would be a natural landing spot. … Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong Jr. were nothing special in his place last year, and D’Onta Foreman has already suffered a few injuries in the preseason. Jones could compete for snaps right away and cost the Browns next to nothing.”
Valentino’s pitch makes sense, though Bears GM Ryan Poles might quibble with it. Poles said on a recent episode of “Hard Knocks” that he wouldn’t part with Jones, a third-rounder in 2022, for anything less than a fourth-round pick.
Velus Jones Has Had Opportunites as Receiver, Running Back and Return Specialist in Chicago
GettyBears running back and kick returner Velus Jones Jr.
Jones has appeared in 26 games and earned two starts, doing the majority of his regular-season work on special teams. He has played 296 special teams snaps and 259 offensive snaps, per Pro Football Reference.
Jones has tallied 17 carries for 154 rushing yards and 1 TD as well as caught 11 passes on 21 targets for 127 receiving yards and a score. He has returned 38 kickoffs for 1,042 yards and 5 punts for 35 yards.
The Bears inked Jones to a four-year rookie deal worth a total of $5.4 million that keeps him under contract through the 2025 campaign. Thus, he would be cheap for the Browns to acquire both in terms of his salary cap hit and trade cost, the latter of which would probably fall somewhere in the range of a 7th-round selection or a late-round pick swap.
Cleveland owns two sixth-round selections and a seventh-round pick in next year’s draft, per the team’s official website. The Browns also have more than $50 million in available cap space as of Monday.
Browns May Consider Velus Jones Better Option Than Kareem Hunt
GettyVelus Jones Jr. of the Chicago Bears.
With Chubb out for at least four weeks, and potentially longer, Cleveland probably should add one more ball-carrier to the roster.
Jones represents a relatively low-risk and inexpensive option, while a reunion with a player like Kareem Hunt has the potential to be more volatile and costly.
Hunt has played for the Browns in each of the previous five seasons, mostly as Chubb’s backup, so he is familiar with the offense. However, he argued with the team over money ahead of the 2022 campaign, which was part of the reason the two sides split up following the year.
Hunt returned to Cleveland last season in Week 3 following Chubb’s injury and was solid in a backup role and as the primary goal line back. However, if the Browns are confident in Chubb’s imminent recovery and looking for a shorter-term solution, then a player like Jones might be the safer bet.
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