Thomas Jones: Poor Man's Priest Holmes

Thomas Jones: Poor Man's Priest Holmes

Few players in recent memory have drawn as much ire from fans and fantasy owners as Thomas Jones. Seemingly loaded with talent, Jones has vastly underachieved everywhere he has played in the NFL. Yet despite his past failures, Jones finds himself with the best tailor-made opportunity he has ever had to finally tap into his full potential as a pro. Signed as a free agent by the Chicago Bears this offseason, Thomas Jones enters training camp as the new centerpiece of the Bears offensive system. But why all of the excitement? The Bears on offense have resembled something comparable to visual dentistry in recent years.

But a new wave of optimism is sweeping through the Windy City and it stems from a regime change, brought on by the hirings of new head coach Lovie Smith, and offensive coordinator Terry Shea. Both are disciples of Dick Vermeil's attack-style philosophy that has been ripping up NFL defenses in St. Louis and Kansas City for years. This offense has made Marshall Faulk and Priest Holmes household names. Thomas Jones showed glimpses of his complete game at the tail end of last season with the Bucs. With a revamped offensive line led by all-world tackle John Tait (signed away from Kansas City), this offense has potential to put up some numbers. Lots of question marks remain. But keep a close eye on Thomas Jones, he could be the next...

Thomas Jones of the Bears could be the second coming of Priest Holmes. - Dan Pompei: Sporting News

Offensive starts ready to break out. [FortWayne.com]
Photo: [Jonathan Daniel: GettyImages]

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