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Receiver Help Depends on Velus Jones Jr.

The Bears added a practice squad receiver and could get N'Keal Harry at practice next week but for now they're counting on return of Velus Jones Jr.

With Byron Pringle going on injured reserve, the Bears had a need for wide receivers and signed one on Wednesday.

It wasn't a high-impact signing.

They added former SMU receiver Reggie Roberson to their practice squad.

A 6-foot-1, 197-pound undrafted free agent, Roberson was with the Tennessee Titans in training camp this year and was part of final roster cutdowns. Roberson was brought back for the Titans practice squad but was subsequently cut.

Pringle can return from injured reserve and the real plan for replacing him immediately is to count on Velus Jones Jr. to return from a hamstring injury.

"Whenever you lose a starter or a player like that that's a good blocker and certainly stands for everything we believe in, it certainly hurts and guys are going to have to step into that role and share that role as well," coach Matt Eberflus said Wednesday about Pringle. "So it always hurts when you lose a guy like that."

They tried to bring back Jones to practice two weeks ago and he had to return to the sidelines but seemed ready to return at the end. Jones was on the practice field on Wednesday.

Eberflus said wide receiver N'Keal Harry is eligible to return to practice from injured reserve next week, following his stay on IR and his preseason ankle surgery.

"He's doing well in his recovery," Eberflus said. "He's upbeat and positive and doing well in his recovery. We'll have to see where that is next week."

Roberson had 174 catches for 2,734 yards and 24 touchdowns in college. He played one year at West Virginia before moving over to SMU. At the combine he had a 4.42-second 40-yard dash and a 29-inch vertical leap.

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