Bears ink RB Kevin Jones to two-year deal

The one-two punch of Matt Forte and Kevin Jones never really materialized last season, with Jones only carrying the ball 34 times in 11 games. But the Bears outbid the Buffalo Bills for Jones' services today, signing him to a two-year deal worth a reported $3.5 million.

Jones is now expected to be the primary backup to Forte, with Garrett Wolfe coming in as the change of pace/third down guy. 

Despite his lack of production last year after recovering from knee surgery in January 2008, Jones provides proven, veteran help to the offense and a good presence in the locker room. Jones lobbied the coaches to let him play special teams late last season so he could see increased playing time. He has also been vocal about the fact that he wanted to return to Chicago, citing the quality of the organization and his belief in the staff and players as his reasons for wanting to do so. 

Those are the guys the Bears want.

This should take running back out of the equation on draft day. It will also be interesting to see how this move affects Adrian Peterson's roster status. With Wolfe's strong play on the kick coverage units and Jones' willingness to play special teams, can the Bears afford to keep another halfback on the roster?