By Vaughn McClure and David Haugh

The Bears have found their backup running back -- and he looks familiar.
 
Kevin Jones has agreed to terms with the Bears on a two-year contract worth approximately $3.5 million. The deal includes a $1 million bonus and $2 million in the first season.

Jones had visited the Bills, who offered him a contract, but the Bears showed how much they valued Jones by matching two offers by Buffalo.
 
"I'm ecstatic because [Chicago] is where I wanted to be,'' Jones told the Tribune on the phone from the airport in Buffalo. He was flying back home and expected to sign the contract when he returned Friday night. "I always felt I wanted to be back with these guys because it's a good situation.''
 
Jones will remain the primary backup to Matt Forte and even stepped forward to contribute on special teams at the end of last season.

By Vaughn McClure

Re-signing tackle John St. Clair is the Bears' top priority. Finding a free safety would be next on the list.

Another option got taken off the board when Tampa Bay re-signed Jermaine Phillips. He was the one veteran safety best suited for the Bears' system.

Darren Sharper said he has an interest in the Bears, but don't expect him to land in Chicago. According to sources, the Bears' interest in Sharper is not mutual. Look for Sharper to end up in either New Orleans or Atlanta.

Sean Jones (Browns) and Roy Williams (Cowboys) are free agents, and the Bears are more likely to look at Jones than Williams, if either.

By Dan Pompei

Terrell Owens very well may be a future hall of famer. He is a dominant wide receiver, a player who changes games and forces defenses to adjust to him. Leave him one on one with virtually any cornerback in football, and Owens will win.

And he is available after reportedly being cut by the Cowboys.

It just so happens the Bears need a wide receiver.

Should they bite that apple?

Not unless they like the taste of worms.

Certainly, the Bears should investigate the possibility of signing Owens. Look into his history. Talk with his agent. See what he is looking for.

But they should come to the conclusion that for all of Owens’ abilities, he would not be worth the headaches he causes.

If Owens could not play nice in Dallas, where he had Tony Romo throwing to him in a high powered offense, how could he be expected to play nice in Chicago?  Kyle Orton is not Tony Romo and the Bears offense never has been described as high powered.

If Owens found fault with Donovan McNabb, do you supposed he’ll believe Orton is Johnny Unitas?

If Owens questioned the sexual preference of Jeff Garcia (who since has married a former Playboy centerfold), what kind of hand grenade would he lob in the middle of the Bears’ locker room?

Eventually, T.O. will wear out his welcome wherever he goes. Time has taught us that lesson.

The Bears don’t throw the ball enough to appease him. And they don’t throw it well enough. And he might not like the look of Orton’s neck beard.

He isn’t a Chicago kind of guy. Chicago sports heroes are not “look at me” guys. If he came here, he might be the first Bear ever to be booed for an end zone celebration.

Look, there is a place for Owens. I could see him thriving for a short period of time in on a team like the Giants, Saints, Chargers or Titans. He needs to go to a place with strong leadership, solid chemistry and an established, tough quarterback who is beyond questioning.

He could help a team win a Super Bowl, and add a dimension to a contending team that has almost every other piece in place.

By Vaughn McClure

Running back Kevin Jones checked in with us this morning to let us know he was stepping into a meeting with the Buffalo Bills.

``Not sure what I'm going to do,'' he said via text message.

Jones wants to remain with the Bears but might have a better opportunity elsewhere. The Bills web site usually provides video updates of visiting free agents so look for information on Jones there later.

Buffalo already entertained free agent running backs Fred Taylor and DeShaun Foster.Taylor signed with New England.

Marshawn Lynch, the Bills' starting running back, is facing suspension for a recent arrest on misdemeanor gun-possession charges. Fred Jackson was Lynch's backup last season. So there might be a place for Jones.

By Vaughn McClure

A lot of you have wondered why the Bears haven't pursued some of the big names on the free-agent market. Well, Bears general manager Jerry Angelo explained some of the reasoning during a recent question-and-answer session on chicagobears.com.

What stood out was Angelo's response to an inquiry about receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, the former Bengals receiver who signed with the Seahawks for five years, $40 million with $15 million guaranteed.

``Houshmandzadeh is a fine receiver,'' Angelo said. ``Would we have entertained him? Yes, but we wanted to see what his marketplace was. In this case, we felt like [what he received from the Seahawks] was an exorbitant amount of money. Remember, he was a No. 2 in Cincinnati. That’s not to say that what Seattle did wasn’t right for them; their situation is different in my mind than ours. They had an inordinate amount of injuries with receivers and they felt like they needed to get somebody that was established and healthy.

``A lot of teams would have liked to have had Houshmandzadeh. But he’s going to be 32 in ’09 and the price that you’re paying for that receiver we felt was very high. You have to look at economics when you look at players. Who doesn’t want Houshmandzadeh? But you have to look at the economics: What are the implications to the cap going forward and what does that prevent us from doing in other areas within our team and/or in free agency?''

In talking about the quarterback situation, Angelo again made it clear that the organization has confidence is Kyle Orton. If the Bears are going to sign a veteran backup, it appears Angelo is content to wait until after the draft.

Another option at receiver just went out the window when ex-Jet Laveranues Coles signed with the Bengals, essentially filling Houshmandzadeh's spot.

By Vaughn McClure

Veteran safety Darren Sharper told the Tribune he would visit the Bears depending on what happened during his trip to the New Orleans Saints facility. Well, Sharper might be packing his bags as we speak.

Sharper left New Orleans on Tuesday without signing a contract. The Bears have yet to make a big splash in free agency but adding a veteran safety is on the agenda. Problem is, the options are dwindling.

Sharper, who turns 34 in November, would be a decent replacement for Mike Brown at free safety. The Vikings run a variation of the Cover-2 defense. Although Sharper said the defense didn't exactly allow him to make plays last season, he seemed very receptive to playing the same scheme under Lovie Smith and the Bears.

One thing to keep an eye on: An aging veteran might feel more comfortable playing indoors, and New Orleans would give Sharper that opportunity.

Sharper did not immediately return a phone message late Tuesday night.

By Vaughn McClure

Ex-Bears quarterback Rex Grossman was on the Jim Rome radio show and told Rome he plans to visit the Bengals later this week. He would reunite with another Bears' first-round pick in running back Cedric Benson.

For all the criticism Grossman absorbed in Chicago, a change of scenery might be what he needs to save his career. Teams still value his deep ball even if his decision-making skills remain a mystery.

There also was a report from a Tampa television station that Grossman was visiting the Bucs on Tuesday. Our friends in St. Petersburg tells us the report was inaccurate.

Speaking of the Bucs, ex-Tampa Bay quarterback Chris Simms hasn't heard from the Bears and doesn't expect to. Simms could re-sign with the Titans. He is attracting interest from the Broncos and Lions, according to reports.

By Vaughn McClure

According to Profootballtalk.com, free-agent running back Kevin Jones will visit theBuffalo Bills on Wednesday. Jones would like to remain with the Bears, but if there's an opportunity for more playing time elsewhere, you can bet Jones will jump on it.

He signed a one-year contract with the Bears last season after being released by the Detroit Lions. Jones is confident he will return to the same form that led to his 1,000-yard season as a rookie.He contends the ACL tear he suffered during his last season with the Lions is fully healed.

Personally, I feel the Bears should work hard to keep Jones. He needed more time to recover from his injury. Now fully healthy, he is the type of compliment the Bears sorely need alongside Forte. Then the Bears would be able to focus their draft needs elsewhere.

By Vaughn McClure

It's been a rather slow news day in the NFL world other than Kurt Warner's visit to the 49ers and his continued negotiations with the Cardinals.

That being said, maybe some of you are interested in Cedric Benson re-signing with the Bengals.

I'm sure Matt Forte's outstanding rookie season made most forget about Ced, but Benson will be linked forever to the team that once drafted him fourth overall. And he'll probably be best remembered here for his off-the-field troubles.

It appears Benson has his act together now. Bears fans wanted that to happen four years ago.

By Vaughn McClure

Looks like the Bears will have to contend with T.J. Houshmandzadeh just once instead of twice next season.

The former Bengals receiver has agreed to sign with the Seahawks over the Vikings, according to ESPN's John Clayton. ESPN's Michael Smith said the deal is five years, $40 million with $15 million guaranteed.

Many thought the Bears should be involved in the Houshmandzadeh sweepstakes. Not for that much money.

By the way, the Bears play the Seahawks on the road next season.

In other news, my man Gary Estwick from the Tennessean reports that the Titans have reached an agreement with Nate Washington, taking another top free-agent receiver off the board.

Sorry, Bears.