Wow, that was fun last night.
Let me count my blessings to every deity Hinduism offers after the MLB All-Star Game didn’t go into another stratosphere inning wise. Pros and I sat there just waiting, and waiting, and waiting, before I said PEACE and just left the comforts of his home. I did catch the end before going to bed but it hardly did anything for me. Glad to see Bud Selig didn’t implode on us with the rest of baseball alongside him.
We move on to the second and only other day of the year where there are no professional matches in any sport within the United States. That means paying attention to the taping of the ESPYs right? To some of you, um, sure. To me? Chicago Bears training camp begins a week from today and we are basically three weeks away from the first pre-season game on the year. What signifies football more than a last minute signing by the Chicago Bears? KJ, Kevin Jones, come on down!
The former first-rounder and Detroit Lion passed a physical at Halas Hall yesterday and signed a one year contract as well. Good to see Angelo is starting to streamline the process over there in Lake Forest. Are you reading David Allen these days? Same!
As we sat through the joke that was the All-Star game, Pros, his brother, and I began discussing KJ. Zach, Pros’ brother, is convinced that KJ will be given the starting job come opening day. While I dismissed the idea quickly (ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?), I backpedaled a step and thought about the bungle that comprises general manager Jerry Angelo and head coach Lovie Smith. We can’t ever hold these guys to a decision, can we?
Before Cedric Benson was cut, Lovie all but said he was the starter going into training camp. After Ced put the 371290381st cocktail into his system and Jerry said adios, all the rumblings pointed to the rookie Matt Forte getting the bulk of the carries. We still have Whoppi Goldberg (Adrian Peterson, seriously, Google the two people and tell me they aren’t related) in the backfield along with midget Garrett Wolfe. Adding Jones means two things: competition and depth.
Bears fans have gotten used to the word “competition” over the years come training camp. Lovie always preaches “competing” during training camp. He wants to work the veterans and make sure they are fighting for their positions no matter their status. It’s been said we are going to see this at the wide receiver position and of course at the quarterback position, although I still maintain whiskey drinkin’ Kyle Orton will not be given a fair chance to prove himself.
KJ adds another body and “insurance” if you want to call it that. I remember thinking this guy would be a fantasy stud several years back, drafting and him and not looking back, only looking up in the standings come end of the season. He has averaged four yards a carry over his career, which has been marked with several injuries. He’s coming off an ACL injury, which he got repaired back in January. Here is an excerpt from the Philly Inquirer back on June 20th:
“Kevin Jones darted to the right, planted his foot, pivoted, and sprinted back across a patch of grass. ‘That is what teams can't believe I can do,’ Jones said yesterday morning after completing a shuttle run in Saline, Mich.
‘I've never worked out like this, and I feel great,’ Jones said.
Surgeon James Andrews performed surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in Jones' right knee in January and told him it would take up to 10 months to get back on the field. Jones believes he will be able to go through noncontact drills with the team that signs him during training camp next month.”
Very impressive. I still think Forte gets the bulk of the carries but Jones will be right there. The NFL is becoming a league where it’s imperative to have two solid running backs. Jones will be getting a good amount of carries to do some damage in the rushing attack. I wouldn’t be shocked if this guy comes back as motivated as ever and steals the show from the rookie but Angelo always stays close to his picks (see Rex and Cedric for proof). That said, it all goes back to the offensive line, which was just brutal last year. As the Bears still play “Bear” football (run, run, pass, punt), the rest of the league will be curious to see if they missed out on KJ when he was on the open market. I’ll be watching closely as well. Bears fans, hold you breath, this is gonna get interesting.
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