ChicagoSportsBlogs : Non Compete

Forgive me as I am still on vacation and my posting has lagged as a result, but did anyone else notice that Kevin Jones was cut by the Lions? Clearly, this is going to be the first year the Lions DON'T draft a wide receiver with their first pick. That almost surely means that either Rashard Mendenhall or Jon Stewart out of Illinois and Oregon respectively, will end up ruining their careers in Detroit. That's a shame since I really like both these backs.

The other unfortunate truth is that we will surely wake up to the Bears signing Jones. I'm not going to be happy if this happens. I don't think Jones is terrible, but I also don't think he is the competition that Cedric Benson will need to get motivated again. I think Stewart with his hard running style and ability to hit the hole HARD is more suited for that job. Same goes for Mendenhall. Rashard can be a workhorse back in the NFL. He has great balance, speed, and vision.

Kevin Jones was drafted out of VaTech in 2004. He ran for 581 yards, 44.7 yards a game, and 8 touchdowns. That was in 13 games. Two of which came against the Bears. Let me remind you he ran all of 38 yards and a TD in the first game and 105 yards plus a touchdown in Chicago for the second game. 

Benson was drafted in 2005 out of Texas (lest you forget). He ran for 674 yards, 61.3 yards a carry, and had 4 touchdowns. He did all of this in 11 games last year. So Benson, compared to Kevin Jones did slightly better. Except for the matter of scoring touchdowns.

I'm not sure what to think of this. Was Detroit's o-line worse than the Bears last year? Is that even possible? Regardless, you can bet your Toyota Tundra that if the Bears think they can sign this guy for less than 2 million dollars a year they're going to do it. Hell, Chris Brown just signed for $1.8 million. Will Jones get double that? After being cut by the LIONS?! Perhaps the Lions are going the extra mile to solidify their destiny : Preseason pick to win the division. Why not? Favre just retired. The division is wide open. Cutting Jones could be a way to sabotage the Bears! You think Matt Millen is that smart? (No.) But hey, think about it. It takes the pressure off their draft. They kill 2 birds with one stone. They draft the running back we should have drafted (after we get Clady) and they send us their terribly ineffective running back to ensure we don't have a chance. Brilliant!

This will ultimately mean that we are drafting an offensive lineman in the first round. I mention Clady for a reason. It looks like this may be the reason why Lovie went off and visited Boise State's Ryan Clady. All the pieces are in place. Again.

Bear Down.