The Chicago Bears are set to bring back their former player Christian Jones to bolster their roster.
The 30-year-old linebacker is due to arrive back in Chicago after three seasons with the Detroit Lions. The experienced LB stands at 6ft 3in and weighs 250lbs.
The Chicago Bears Chances this Season
Despite Jones’ reunion with the Chicago Bears, they are not being given a realistic chance of success with the sportsbooks, and although we could see up to 16 legal sportsbooks live in Illinois eventually, the Bears are certainly not attracting a lot of interest in the betting.
Before signing with the Detroit Lions as a free agent in 2018, Jones spent four seasons of gridiron in Chicago.
Jones moved to Detroit from Chicago after a successful four seasons adding versatile depth to their squad. The move has been judged by commenters to be partly down to a moving around of position.
He also found it difficult on occasion to challenge the Bears’ other LBs Nick Kwiatkowski and Danny Trevathan.
Jones at the Chicago Bears
Jones began his pro career in the Windy City after signing as an undrafted free agent from Florida State University in 2014.
He started out with the Bears as an outside line-backer under coach Mel Tucker. His role changed when Chicago hired John Fox, who brought in a new defence coordinator Vic Fangio.
Jones was then moved to inside linebacker and made 26 starts in three years under the new defensive coaching team. This may well have been a motivating factor for the move to Detroit.
Christian Jones at Detroit Lions
Jones was largely judged to be a successful addition to the Detroit Lions line up over the three seasons he spent there. His position there was outside linebacker. He played in 45 games with 42 starts and made an average of 59 tackles per season.
Other stats showing Jones’ defensive abilities at Detroit include 177 tackles, 3.0 sacks, 8 pass breakups and 8 quarterback hits.
The player was used in a number of linebacker roles and was a firm favorite among the fans. However, his snap count- the number of times he was on the field of play- dropped from 65 percent in his first year at Detroit, to 53percent in the next, to 46
This may have been a factor in the Lions releasing him in a salary cap saving move.
A Reunion with the Chicago Bears
The Bears signed the free agent Jones on a 1-year deal. It is expected that he will play as an inside linebacker. That is the position that he has had most success with at Chicago. In his final season at Chicago in 2017, he recorded 90 tackles and 5.0 tackles for loss.
Jones was a well-respected player at Detroit and remains so at Chicago. He is sure to bring plenty of defensive options to the squad. His veteran experience amassed over 7 years of pro-football will be helpful to the team in many situations of play.
Over his professional career Jones has recorded 439 tackles and 7.0 sacks in 108 games. The return to Chicago by Jones looks to be a good career move for several reasons.
Firstly, he can likely play in the inside linebacker position he has had most success at, with the 2017 year also bringing two sacks and a forced fumble.
Secondly, Jones is a popular figure in the Bears stadium, both with players, staff and fans.
Jones will also be familiar with the Chicago Bears new defensive coordinator Sean Desai. Desai previously served as a defensive quality control coach during Jones’ precious stint with the Bears.
This could mean he will find it easy to get back into the Bears way of doing things, getting back comfortably into the defensive core of the squad.
A Strong Defense
Jones’ previous experience in Chicago saw him playing at both inside and outside linebacker. While it is most likely he will be at inside linebacker, it is also likely that he will be behind current starters Roquan Smith and Danny Trevathan.
The signing of Trevathan in 2016 by the Bears as a key player starting in the linebacker role may well have been a factor in Jones’ move to Detroit.
In any case, the Florida native is a valuable player to have in reserve, with his experience of the inside linebacker position adding strength and power to the line-up. Both Trevathan and Smith have suffered significant injuries over the last couple of years, and the squad needs to be ready for anything.
Having Jones ready to fill in for the important linebacker position will add solid continuity to the defense. The Bears fans are certainly supportive of the move. They are appreciative of players who can fulfill specific roles. A utility defensive player of such status as Jones’ adds considerable power to the overall strength of the squad.
With the defensive framework given more power, the Chicago Bears look to have their defensive plans firmly in place for the upcoming season. Expect Jones to figure prominently when called upon.
