The Bears held a padded practice that was open to the public Wednesday at Halas Hall. Here's what transpired:
Having switched from receiver to running back nine days ago, third-year pro Velus Jones Jr. continued to work at his new position.
"[I'm] just getting a feel for everything," Jones said. "Obviously, it's different on this level. [But] I played running back; that was my first position growing up in park league and I played a little my senior year [of high school].
"Out here, I'm working on my vision, seeing the gaps, seeing the holes, guards pulling, and my natural ability takes over, honestly. I don't think it's that difficult … With our offensive line and our receivers, they're so good at blocking, mixed with my God-given strength, speed and talent, it's pretty hard for something not positive to come out of it."
Lining up exclusively at running back for the first time in an NFL game last Saturday, Jones rushed for 34 yards and one touchdown on six carries with a long run of 19 yards in a 33-6 preseason win over the Bills in Buffalo.
As he continues to make the transition, Jones is discovering that there are many nuances to his new position.
"Well, it's more than just running the ball," he said. "Protections, having your eyes in the right spot to protect the quarterback, just knowing certain runs and why you're running the way you're running. Do you have to bounce? Do you have to hit the 'A' gap, 'B' gap? And so just getting a full understanding. I did some of it last year. But it was kind of schemed up, so I knew exactly [what to do], but actually just grasping the whole playbook. And so just learning day-by-day, that's all I can do – continue to work, study, go out there and give it my all."
Having worked closely with Jones, special teams coordinator Richard Hightower is confident that the 2022 third-round pick will thrive at running back.
"He's always been a guy that will do anything that the coaches ask him to do, and he's more than willing to play any different position on special teams and anywhere," Hightower said. "He's always been that way.
"It's been exciting to see him with the ball in his hands because he's a dynamic player, we all know that. With the ball in his hands, he is dangerous. I'm happy that the kid is embracing that role and carrying our Bears essentials and values like we would like him to do."
Crash the ferret a legend
Jones spent the first six minutes of his press conference answering questions about his late pet ferret, Crash, after the storyline was detailed in Tuesday night's episode of HBO's "Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Chicago Bears."
When Jones attended USC in 2019, he and his roommate, fellow receiver Michael Pittman, bought a ferret from a breeder for $350 after seeing ferrets in a pet store during a road trip to Idaho.
"We actually got on Craigslist, and actually when we got back to campus, we found a ferret breeder and it was the sketchiest thing ever," Jones said with a laugh.
"We went to South Central [in Los Angeles] somewhere, went down some alleyway and looked at each other. I told him to keep the car running. Me and 'Pitt' looked up like, 'They're taking too long.' We see somebody peek their head out and go back. I'm like, 'We might as well go and get up out of here.' And then he actually came out and had a small ferret in his hand and I was like, 'OK this is legit.' My heart was racing though."
Jones fell in love with Crash and brought him to Tennessee when he transferred there in 2020. Unfortunately, the ferret was later paralyzed from the waist down and had to be euthanized. Jones said he still gets emotional when friends send him photos and memories of Crash.
"I had to put him to sleep," Jones said. "It was sad. I shed a tear. Real men cry. I tried to take him to a veterinarian, but … there was no way they could help him at all. So he's buried at 303 Flats (an apartment complex at Tennessee), right off by the river, his resting place. He's a legend, for sure. He was one-of-one."
On the road back
Defensive end Montez Sweat, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, nickel back Kyler Gordon and right guard Nate Davis all continued to ramp up in practice after missing time with injuries.
Competition level rises
General manager Ryan Poles said during the offseason that he anticipated it would be difficult to make the 53-man roster due to the influx of talent.
Hightower has seen that manifest into increased competition in training camp.
"Reps are scarce and you've got to take advantage of your opportunities, and if you don't take advantage of your opportunities, somebody else will," he said. "And we're going to put that on the board in the meeting room, and we're going to let you know who's leading and who had the most catches, who had the most drops, who had the most muffs, who was first down on kickoff, who got the most tackles, who had the most production, and if that guy's in your position group, you need to get a little concerned if a guy in your position group is doing better than you.
"So, it's been great. Great competition. Competition brings the best out of all of us and that's what I love. I thrive on it. I love it to death. I think Poles and his staff are doing a phenomenal job with that."
Kickoff returns way up
Hightower and his assistants studied every kickoff during the first full week of preseason games to assess the impact of new rules that were implemented for this season.
"What we noticed is the return rate has spiked," he said. "It's two major things: we're at an 80% return rate during the first week versus what was a 22% rate. And the other thing that has really stood out to us is the starting field yard-line after kickoff. It is the 29-yard line and that's the highest it's been since 2000.
"Those are the two things that are really standing out to us, which will affect your in-game strategy going forward."
Bengals on way to town
Hightower is excited about assessing his players during Thursday's joint practice with the Bengals at Halas Hall.
"Working different situations, working different areas of the field and having a competitive and a structured and controlled environment is what I'm looking to get," Hightower said. "And really, in joint practices, those reps are invaluable because you're going against a different skillset and a different team, so we're looking forward to good, clean competition."
