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| Sports ExtraWednesday, July 16, 2008 7:35 PM CDT |
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RB Kevin Jones glad to be a Bear, looks to restart his career
CHICAGO (MCT) -- As Kevin Jones returned to the airport Tuesday fresh off signing a one-year deal with the Bears, the veteran running back got his first taste of Chicago’s high expectations, courtesy the limousine driver. | NFL page “One thing about that rookie (Matt Forte) is he’s good at pass protection and blitz pickup,” the driver said. “Real good at it.” Jones laughed. “That’s good,” he said. “I am too.” So begins the competition for the starting running back spot, a battle most expected to be one-sided in Forte’s favor after the club released Cedric Benson. But no one anticipated the Bears would sign a veteran -- let alone one division rival Detroit cut loose -- after coach Lovie Smith stated last month that the team had no plans to sign an established back. Then again, the Bears couldn’t pass up potentially the biggest bargain of the off-season. Jones’ deal is worth $605,000 with no incentives -- far less than the $2.35 million he would have made this season had the Lions not cut him. The risk involves the running back’s health, with Jones coming off a right ACL tear that was repaired this past winter. The recovery was supposed to take a year, but thanks to the help of surgeon D.S. Ping in Saline, Mich., Jones says he is well ahead of schedule. Jones expects the Bears to start him on the physically unable to perform list when training camp begins July 23, limiting him to individual running away from his teammates. He has his sights set on full participation a couple of weeks into camp. “Yeah, I’m cool with a one-year deal because it gives me the opportunity to prove I can stay healthy, get out there and do what I have to do to make the team,” Jones said. “When I show them the type of back I am, then I may be a Bear a long time.” Jones passed his initial physical Tuesday at Halas Hall. He then sat down with Smith, carrying his own list of questions. “My main thing for him was would the opportunities for competition be fair and if he wanted me here,” Jones said. “And coach Smith said, ‘Yes, we want you here. And you have a fair opportunity.’ “That’s what stuck out to me: He seemed like a stand-up guy. He has strong Christian values. It just seems like the perfect situation. I felt comfortable after talking to him that it would be the right decision for me and my family to join the Chicago Bears.” From the beginning of his job search, Jones made it clear that the Bears were his preference, although the Steelers were in the mix until the end. The Bears scouted him out of college at Virginia Tech, but the Lions ended up taking him with 30th pick of the 2004 NFL draft. Jones finished his rookie season with 1,133 yards on 241 carries, the fifth-best total in the NFC. He had his 2006 season cut short by a Lisfranc fracture of his left foot. Then the ACL tear prematurely ended his ‘08 campaign. If healthy, Jones could push Forte for the starting job. The Bears ranked last in the league last season in yards per carry, so a two-back system could help their cause. Jones already is familiar with Forte. Before this year’s draft, he tried to encourage Forte to sign with his agents. “I don’t want to speak on Matt Forte too much because I don’t know him that well, but I’ve seen his highlight tapes on YouTube,” Jones said. “I’ve seen his running style. He’s a good back. And I feel like I’m a good back.” (c) 2008, Chicago Tribune. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. E-mail this story | Print this story | Search archives | RSS Show comments |  Hide comments | Hide comments on all stories |
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Spanky wrote on Jul 15, 2008 9:25 PM:
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