What to do with Travis Homer and Velus Jones Jr.?
These two are relatively minor decisions, but they still matter. Let's start with Travis Homer.
The Bears have Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson as their top two backs, while D'Onta Foreman is hitting free agency. Last year, Homer was signed as a guy who could provide most of his value on special teams. While he did play 61 percent of special teams snaps, Homer didn't return any kicks of punts.
He also didn't see a single carry all season long. So, for the Bears to keep him on board makes little sense. The running back depth chart needs to provide far more than "just a guy" they can throw in on special teams, especially when cutting Homer can save the Bears $1.9 million against the cap in 2024.
As for Velus Jones Jr.? He's had some flashes when given the ball in creative ways, whether it's on an end-around or a quick screen. But, those flashes have come few and far between. We're talking about a third-round pick who came in at the wide receiver position, but offered very little there. He's seen far more action on special teams, but can't return punts.
If the Bears are smart, they'll go after finding a guy who can return both kicks and punts, and also might have some use in another aspect of the game. Jones has had ball security issues in the past. He doesn't have much of an extensive route tree. He offers very little offensively. It's time to admit this was a wasted pick, cut ties, and save roughly $1 million in doing so.