Bears agree to trade RB Jones to Jets for second round pick

On Monday, the Chicago Bears agreed to deal disgruntled running back Thomas Jones to the New York Jets for the 37th overall pick in next April's draft. The Jets will also receive the 63^rd overall pick. Jones must pass a physical and agree to an extension with the Jets.

Jones had requested a trade earlier in the offseason. After rushing for over 1,300 yards and nine touchdowns in 2005, he became unhappy with his contract and first voiced his displeasure by boycotting voluntary offseason workouts. However, he remained a Bear and had another solid season. Jones was set to earn $2.75 million this season, but he and agent Drew Rosenhaus are working on a new long-term contract with the Jets.

"I had a great time in Chicago, and it was a great experience
playing there and making it to the Super Bowl last year with those guys," Jones said on a conference call. "But I'm very, very
excited to be here in New York."

By trading Jones, the Bears are handing the reigns over to unproven Cedric Benson. Benson combined with Jones to give Chicago a formi-dable one-two punch during their Super Bowl run but has yet to prove he can handle a full-time load during his two injury-plagued seasons. After being drafted fourth overall in the 2005 draft, the question was not if Benson would become the starter but rather when.

As for the Jets, they hope Jones can address their glaring need for a number one running back. Last year, New York used Leon Washington, Cedric Houston, and Kevan Barlow and ranked 30^th in the NFL with an average of 3.5 yards per attempt.

"We did a lot of research on Thomas as a person, and we think
he's a good fit on and off the field," general manager Mike
Tannenbaum said. "He's a tough, outdoor, Northeast runner, and he provides leadership."