It’s been a tough road for Bears rookie receiver Velus Jones Jr., who hasn’t been able to carve out a role for himself on this team, be it offense or special teams.
While Jones has struggled as a returner on special teams — he’s had two muffed punts that have cost Chicago — he hasn’t really seen the field much on offense.
So what does Jones need to do?
“Just compete,” coach Matt Eberflus said, via ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. “Obviously the room’s a little bit fuller now because we’ve got guys back and with additions of certain players you’re just in there competing…
“Do you know your job? Do you know your motions? Do you know how to block the point, when we’re running the ball on he perimeter and hustle on the back side, but then it comes down to being a playmaker. That position to me is a game-changer, play-making position.”
As Eberflus mentioned, the receiving room is starting to get a little crowded. Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool are the top guys, but there are plenty of questions behind them. Equanimeous St. Brown and Dante Pettis have been unreliable; N’Keal Harry is fresh off injured reserve; and Byron Pringle is close to returning from IR.
It also sounds like Jones has a lot of work to do before he finds himself a bigger role on offense, including a better understanding of the scheme. But he did miss some of training camp and the preseason with an injury.
Still, this season is about development. So the hope is third-round rookie Jones does get some more opportunities out there in these final eight games.
