Tag: Velus Jones Jr.

A look back at Tennessee’s victory against Kentucky in 2021

A look back at Tennessee’s victory against Kentucky in 2021.

Tennessee first fielded a football team in 1891 and the Vols have played in memorable games throughout its history.

Each week, Vols Wire will recap a memorable game against its upcoming opponent.

Vols Wire revisits Tennessee’s, 45-42, victory against Kentucky at Kroger Field in Lexington, Kentucky on Nov. 6, 2021.

The Vols, under first-year head coach Josh Heupel, led, 24-21, at halftime.

Tennessee quarterback Hendon Hooker completed 15-of-20 passing attempts for 316 yards and four touchdowns.

Velus Jones Jr., Cedric Tillman, JaVonta Payton and Jacob Warren scored receiving touchdowns for the Vols.

Jabari Small led Tennessee in rushing yards (55). He scored one rushing touchdown.

Jones Jr. led the Vols in receiving yards (100).

Alontae Taylor returned an interception for a 56-yard touchdown.

AP Photo/Michael Clubb 

Bears sign former Bengals PR Trent Taylor

The Chicago Bears have a new punt returner.

The Chicago Bears have a new punt returner. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Bears are signing former Cincinnati Bengals return specialist and wide receiver Trent Taylor to their active roster. The Bengals released Taylor on Tuesday after he spent the 2022 season as their primary punt returner.

Taylor was drafted in the fifth round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers and was their primary punt returner his rookie year. He also contributed at wide receiver, catching 43 passes for 430 yards and two touchdowns.

As his career went on, Taylor became more of a dedicated specialist, primarily contributing on punt returns. He joined the Bengals in 2021 and, in 2022, was their primary punt returner. Taylor averaged 10.3 yards per return, the sixth-most in the NFL last year.

Now, Taylor comes to the Bears to give them a boost in that department. Chicago lost veteran Dante Pettis to injured reserve last week and didn’t have a stable punt returner. Now they do with Taylor, who will likely take the spot of someone like Velus Jones Jr. or Equanimeous St. Brown on the roster.

7 best Bears players who aren’t going to make the 53-man roster

With final roster cuts upon us, here are the best players who probably won’t make the Bears’ initial 53-man roster.

Preseason is in the rearview mirror, and the NFL regular season is less than two weeks away. The small amount of time between is a period of speculation, predictions, and building anticipation for a long 17-game year.

Before we reach that point however, every NFL roster has to be trimmed down to 53 players before the season starts. That means the Chicago Bears have many hard decisions to make in the next 24 hours, as Tuesday is the deadline for roster cuts.

Both the young, talented, but unproven, players and the hardened veterans of the team are not invulnerable to cut day, and players across the spectrum will be bidding Chicago farewell.

With that being said, let’s discuss the seven best Bears players who will be cut on Tuesday.

Note: This list includes players who have already been released.

Bears WR Velus Jones Jr. reflects on muffed punt vs. Titans

Bears WR Velus Jones discussed his muffed punt against the Titans: “I’ve just gotta make a smarter play.”

Bears wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. is among the notable players on the roster bubble this summer, and he didn’t help his chances during Saturday’s preseason opener against the Titans.

Jones muffed his first punt return of the preseason at the start of the second quarter, which gave Tennessee the ball on Chicago’s 25-yard line. Luckily, Bears safety A.J. Thomas came away with an interception in the end zone to keep it from being costly.

Muffed punts continue to be a problem for Jones. After muffing a punt in his first preseason action last year, it was an issue that lingered into the regular season, which eventually forced him off punt returns for the duration of the season.

While Jones has been clean fielding punts during training camp, he didn’t make a good first impression in his first live action of the summer. Jones admitted he has to “make a stronger play.”

‘‘It’s all about awareness, being smart,’’ Jones said, via the Sun-Times. ‘‘All week, all camp, I’ve been doing a good job catching them, feeling them out, even when we practice in the stadium. I’ve just gotta make a smarter play, even though I’ve got that competitive edge in me and stuff like that. Really proving it to myself and not everybody else.’’

It’s something that could spell the end of his tenure with the Bears — in a crowded receiver room — although Jones doesn’t “care about any outside noise” and believes the Bears’ brass “know what I’m capable of” on the field.

‘‘I showed glimpses last year and stuff, not getting too much playing time,’’ Jones said. ‘‘Getting in enough and getting my feet wet just a little bit. I know what I’m capable of, and I’m definitely a unique player on this team.’’

Jones has two more preseason games to prove he can be an overall valuable asset on this team, which includes being a reliable contributor on special teams.

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Velus Jones Jr. makes 2023 preseason debut with Bears

Former Vol Velus Jones Jr. makes 2023 preseason debut with Chicago.

Chicago defeated Tennessee, 23-19, in a NFL preseason game Saturday at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois.

Former Vol wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. recorded one reception and six receiving yards for Chicago.

Jones Jr. played at Tennessee from 2020-21 after transferring from USC. He earned 2021 First-Team All-SEC and Co-Special Teams Player of the Year honors.

Jones Jr. was selected in the third-round of the 2022 NFL draft by the Bears (No. 71 overall).

He recorded seven receptions, 107 receiving yards, one receiving touchdown, 103 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown, 607 kickoff return yards and 35 punt return yards as a rookie in 2021 with Chicago.

PHOTOS: Velus Jones Jr. at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine

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Bears WR Velus Jones more comfortable in second season

Velus Jones has been making the most of his opportunities so far in Bears training camp.

Bears wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. could find himself on the roster bubble this summer, where he’ll be looking to prove himself in what’s become a loaded receivers room.

Chicago will likely carry six wideouts on the roster, and those first four spots feel like locks for DJ Moore, Darnell Mooney, Chase Claypool and rookie Tyler Scott, which leaves two spots up for grabs between Jones, Equanimeous St. Brown and Dante Pettis.

Jones’ best bet at locking down a roster spot is proving himself on special teams, and it’s something that’s stood out to coach Matt Eberflus, as well as a greater comfortability in his second season.

“First thing that stands out to me is returns,” Eberflus said Wednesday. “The punt returns, the kick returns, he’s really been consistent with that. He’s really worked his tail off with that. Then, the ability to utilize him as a guy back there with jet sweeps, the gadget plays, and also just being a receiver.

“I think he’s got the comfort level now, second-year through.”

Jones has made the most of his opportunities so far in camp, and he turned in a solid practice on Thursday with contributions on offense and special teams. Jones made some nice catches, including a deep touchdown from P.J. Walker during 1-on-1 drills. He also saw looks at kickoff and punt returner on special teams, which could help him earn one of those final roster spots.

Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy has also noticed Jones is feeling more comfortable, where he’s showing a greater understanding in Year 2.

“You can see it when he breaks the huddle,” Getsy said Thursday. “Last year it was like, ‘Am I even going left or right the correct way?’ [Now] he’s breaking the huddle, he’s lining up. He’s getting in his spot and he’s doing his assignments at a much higher rate. All that stuff, you can see it in his game.”

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5 biggest storylines as Bears training camp begins

Training camp is underway for the Bears and there are several key storylines to follow as camp goes on.

The Chicago Bears kicked off training camp at Halas Hall this week, which means football Sundays are just around the corner.

The regular season peaking just over the horizon is bringing fans back into the Bears fold to learn all about the 2023 rendition of the team: how the rookies are faring, how well the offense is performing, etc.

With questions and anticipation swirling in the still very warm Chicago air, let’s take a step back and examine the biggest storylines heading into Bears training camp.

5 takeaways from new episode of Bears’ docuseries ‘1920 Football Drive’

A new episode of the Bears’ 1920 Football Drive has just been released, and there were five big takeaways.

Who needs HBO’s “Hard Knocks” anyway?

The newest entry in the Chicago Bears YouTube documentary series, 1920 Football Drive, was just released. The episode, titled “Newest Bears get to work,” centers around the players the Bears have recently acquired and how they are adjusting to life in Chicago.

Several interesting moments occurred over the episode’s 16-minute runtime, so let’s discuss the top five takeaways from the newest episode of 1920 Football Drive.

Madden 24: See the ratings for Bears receivers, safeties

Madden 24 has released ratings for wide receivers and safeties. See the Bears’ players ratings:

The Chicago Bears are coming off a three-win season that culminated in a 10-game losing streak. Still, there’s plenty of optimism heading into the 2023 season following an impactful offseason.

EA Sports has started unveiling Madden 24 ratings, starting with wide receivers and safeties, where notable Bears players DJ Moore, Eddie Jackson, Darnell Mooney and Jaquan Brisker led the way for Chicago.

Here’s a look at the Madden 24 ratings for qualifying Bears wide receivers and safeties:

10 Bears with the most to prove in 2023

There are several Bears players with something to prove this season.

The Chicago Bears are coming off a 3-14 season that culminated in a 10-game losing streak, but there’s plenty of optimism about the direction of the team following an impactful 2023 offseason.

There are plenty of players with something to prove this season, whether it’s veterans in a contract year or players looking to prove they can be the long-term answer. There’s a lot on the line for these guys, and it starts in training camp.

Let’s take a look at 10 Bears players with the most to prove in 2023.