The Chicago Bears have been one of the most active teams on the transfer market this past week. They started by sending a sixth-round pick to Seattle for pass rusher Darrell Taylor, then sent a sixth-round pick to Cleveland for defensive tackle Chris Williams and a seventh-round pick. GM Ryan Poles has made it clear that the phone lines are open. While the idea of ​​the Bears signing another player seems unlikely at this point, there is a chance they could trade one of their own players for additional draft capital.

ESPN has mentioned one name that could fall into that category. The Bears have strong depth at both the running back and wide receiver positions and could decide to trade former third-round pick Velus Jones to an interested team looking to add reinforcements at either position and also value his obvious kick return skills.

Velus Jones, RB/WR, Bears

Financial commitment: $1.2 million in 2024

Why: He is in the middle of the dreaded position change.

When the Bears selected Jones with the No. 71 pick in the 2022 draft, their wide receivers in the three-man set were expected to be Darnell Mooney, Byron Pringle and Equanimeous St. Brown. The hope was that Jones could step in as a playmaker and elite returner, but in his first two seasons he had more carries (17) than catches (11).

Now that the wide receiver roster consists of Keenan Allen, DJ Moore and Rome Odunze, Jones’ days as a receiver in Chicago are numbered. DeAndre Carter, who was signed this offseason, could also be in position to handle the returns. Jones, who appears to be pursuing an accelerated version of Cordarrelle Patterson’s career, was promoted to running back this preseason, where he completed 25 carries for a team-high 158 yards. I don’t think any franchise would sign the 27-year-old as their primary back, but given the potential for value in the return game, a team could justify a late draft pick to sign Jones and his 27.4 career yards per return on special teams.

The Chicago Bears tried everything with Jones.

They gave him every opportunity to develop as a wide receiver. He literally blew that. This position move should show if he can offer something other than kick return duties. And that appears to be the case. However, the Bears already have good running back options in D’Andre Swift, Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson. It’s hard to imagine Jones getting a spot there unless they’re willing to release Herbert. It’s possible Jones stays anyway because of his return value. No one else on the roster, including DeAndre Carter, is as explosive on kickoffs as he is.

It would likely come down to compensation. If another team is willing to offer the Chicago Bears a fifth-round pick, that might be enough to convince them to make the deal. That’s unlikely, though. It all depends on how the team feels about their kick return situation. Jones should be safe unless they believe there’s a better option. Right now, all signs point to him surviving another year.