Chicago Bears sign Kevin Jones for two years

As he sat in his Buffalo, N.Y., hotel room Friday morning, Kevin Jones had his mind made up: He was going to sign with the Buffalo Bills .

[WI Bear]

I'm glad Jones is re-signed --- now the Bears have to USE him. Forte is fabulous but he's going to get worn down to a stump. When are we going to start using a 2-back system?

And speaking of Forte, don't miss him this Sunday at 4 pm Central time on the NFL Network when they replay last year's beatdown of Pitiful Peyton's Colts --- that was so much fun when Forte juked Bob Sanders right outta his jock!

[Reality Check]

In other news, Kyle Orton launches one deep...but it's WAY off-target and VERY incomplete.

[Oak Park Lefty]

WI Bear wrote:

I'm glad Jones is re-signed --- now the Bears have to USE him. Forte is fabulous but he's going to get worn down to a stump. When are we going to start using a 2-back system?
And speaking of Forte, don't miss him this Sunday at 4 pm Central time on the NFL Network when they replay last year's beatdown of Pitiful Peyton's Colts --- that was so much fun when Forte juked Bob Sanders right outta his jock!

He's right. Why and hell didn't they use Jones more? Forte busted up his foot in one game as I recall. Time to show a little flexibility in the running game. Oooops, I forgot, it's the Bears.

[Typical Sox Fan]

Super Bowl!

[greg from chicago]

He'll be their #1 back this season... it was a steal! on a different note, they should start combing the high school powerhouses for a real safety (or safeties).

[macko14]

This is our compliment to Forte? Please forgive me as I yawn. I mean, seriously? Where's the upgrade? Next, you'll tell me they might sign Simms as backup QB. This organization has absolutely NO CLUE.

[max]

Oak Park Lefty wrote:

<quoted text>
He's right. Why and hell didn't they use Jones more? Forte busted up his foot in one game as I recall. Time to show a little flexibility in the running game. Oooops, I forgot, it's the Bears.

Jones might have been hurt who knows. Jones's knee might had giving him problems and instead of taking a chance and setting the kid back in his comeback, they could have quietly shut him down. What is lost is that Jones got a pretty cheap contract. The bigger question is what do they do with A.P. and Wolfe now?

[adam Huntley]

this is an absolute joke. what did jones do for this team last year that led them to believe that he is the answer at back-up RB. meanwhile warrick dunn is still available after putting together a real nice 08 season. this is a cheap move by a cheap , embarrassing franchise. they should be ashamed. there are free agents out there who are better than most of the bums on this team and angelo wont even call them. it's sickening.

[max]

macko14 wrote:

This is our compliment to Forte? Please forgive me as I yawn. I mean, seriously? Where's the upgrade? Next, you'll tell me they might sign Simms as backup QB. This organization has absolutely NO CLUE.

Are you saying that because Chicago didn't sign Simms that the orginization doesn't know what they're doing? I do hope you're kidding because I'd rather have Hanie/Baz than Simms. I'm also hoping that you're not one of the fans that think just because the Bears haven't made the "big splash" in free agency that there's no hope for the Bears next season. I believe that the Jones signing was a good one because 1) The contract is inexpensive and 2) When Jones is healthy he can spell Forte for a play or two. I liked the fact that Lovie kept him inactive last year because Jones was coming off a pretty big surgery. I believe that they knew that Jones needed more than a year to be completely healthy so they signed him for the one year, let Jones get a few games to see if, potentially, that he was on his way back from injury. I believe that they saw enough positives and decided that he was worth another two years. This was a smart signing.

[max]

adam Huntley wrote:

this is an absolute joke. what did jones do for this team last year that led them to believe that he is the answer at back-up RB. meanwhile warrick dunn is still available after putting together a real nice 08 season. this is a cheap move by a cheap , embarrassing franchise. they should be ashamed. there are free agents out there who are better than most of the bums on this team and angelo wont even call them. it's sickening.

Adam, remember that Jones was coming off a nasty injury. Last year, imo, was a prolonged tryout. It was a gamble that could prove to be worth the risk. When healthy, Jones is just as good as Dunn. I don't blame Angelo for not going after some of the "name" free agents out there. Most of the free agents are getting up there in age.

[dls]

Sad sack bears doing a bang up job in free agency. This club seems to think that if you keep signing the same old caliber players something new might happen. Instead of doing a real signing like T.O. T his team seems comfortable with mediocre players who will get you a mediocre record next year. You can tell a tree by the fruit it bares. If that is true, and it is, the bears can expect a Kevin Jones kind of season.......5-11. That spells so long Lovie and hopefully Angie.

[NumberNine]

I know he played his college and professional football in Florida, which is so foreign and distasteful to many of you, but Fred Taylor was available to the Bears..."who come off the bus running".

But instead of us, he signed with the Patriots. Ah heck, what do they know...

[Ripsnorter]

Typical Sox Fan wrote:

Super Bowl!

Jones wasn't productive when he ran. I think Benson was better.

[DagoT]

"We didn't put numbers on carries or anything like that, but we did talk about my role being bigger," Jones said.

Well, f ___ me, but I would HOPE so!

Who says the Bears are cheap? Allow ME to put some numbers on carries Kevvy. You're going to get $32,110 for every yard (all 109 of them) in the hopes that you can do what? Gain 200 yards? 500?

Willie Galimore has to be spinning in his grave.

[val]

macko 14,

Stay in Georgia. You have a great NFL team over there. And if you are still yawning, go back to sleep.
I'm not one to believe in this organization either. I would love to see angelo and lovie get fired and maybe even phillips, but holding onto Jones was the right thing to do. It normally takes a couple of years to fully recover from an ACL. That is why he was used sparingly last year.
I think Jones is the right mix and is the only 3 down back the bears have after Forte. It stops them from using a draft pick on a running back in april. They are going to need all of their draft picks this year assuming that angelo, as usual, ends up picking 50% or better on loosers.

DLS, if you like TO so much, why don't you ask your local team, Arizona, to pick him up. Then you can see him every day. Don't drag him to this part of the country.

[val]

Dago T,

You don't know what you are talking about. Why don't you use your numbers against his first year in the NFL? Maybe it will come out different.

[Bob from Noblesville IN]

This signing makes no sense. By the end of the year he wasn't even getting on the field except for special teams. He must have been the cheapest guy out there. I think our Bears need a stimulus plan, maybe Obama can earmark some spending for the Beloved.

[CRBear]

everyone should stay chilly here. Good back, good move, good deal. No it is not a huge splash but it is not a stupid high risk gamble either. It clears a need.

Max, I think AP and Wolfe have established themselves as fixtures on a generally outstanding special teams unit and AP is a decent option as a 3rd back. In the NFL you have to have depth, and Wolfe allows for some role situations, I would love to see him used in screens, as a scat back lined up across from Forte or Jones, you know - something that the D would need to make adjustments to.

[Chad]

Isn't the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results???

Sad part is the coaches are idiots and don't always play the best player. Look at Mark Bradley he doesn't even sniff the field then goes to the chiefs and is a very productive player. You can't possibly say that he is worse than Booker, Rashied Davis or Brandon Lloyd!

Same reason Bennett won't see the light of day next year. Same reason Kyle Orton will be given the starting job.

[Nashvegas North]

S.O.S., different year... Until this organization gets some GUTS and some HEART, it won't matter who they sign... And Angelo, Smith and Turner are like the 3 Stooges, only at least the 3 Stooges were funny.