Velus Jones’ agent told him that at least one team had called the Bears and offered them a third-day draft pick for him before cuts last week.
He’s happy the team said no.
“I’m still happy I’m a Chicago Bear,” he said before Wednesday’s practice at Halas Hall. “I don’t want to leave this place. This place is special. [General manager] Ryan [Poles] and the staff, they believe in me. I’m pretty excited [about] this year. So it’s a blessing to still be here.”
A month ago, it wasn’t clear that he would be. The Bears moved the former third-round pick from receiver to running back as a last resort. Jones, though, impressed the Bears with his attitude and running acumen. That, combined with his ability to play on kicking downs, earned him a 53-man roster spot.
On Tuesday night’s “Hard Knocks” episode, general manager Ryan Poles implied that he’d trade Jones for a fourth-round pick if it were offered. It wasn’t.
“The past two years I didn’t have the results I wanted,” Jones said. “That’s in the past now. People can talk about that all they want but that doesn’t matter anymore.”