In their first big move of the NFL off-season, the Jets yesterday bolstered their running attack by trading for Chicago Bears running back Thomas Jones, an effective veteran who will make an immediate impact — assuming the Jets meet his contract demands.

The trade, which was first reported by ESPN, sends a secondround draft pick the Jets previously acquired from the Washington Redskins (the 37th pick overall) to the Bears in exchange for Jones and the Bears’ second-round pick (63rd overall). Acquiring a quality starting running back for the meager price of simply swapping picks in the second round of the draft is a great move for the Jets. But for the Bears to agree to such a trade indicates that Jones wants a significant pay raise. Jones has been disgruntled in Chicago for the last two years, ever since the Bears selected Cedric Benson in the first round of the 2005 NFL draft and gave Benson a significantly bigger contract than Jones had, even though Jones has been a more productive runner than Benson.

Last season Jones ran 296 times for 1,210 yards, and there’s no reason he shouldn’t improve upon those numbers this season. In Chicago, Jones was hampered by an offense with a weak passing game, making him the focal point for the opposing defense. The Jets’ passing game is better than the Bears’, so Jones should have more room to run this season.

That is, of course, assuming they can agree to a contract that both sides think is fair. Although the Jets could play hardball with Jones and demand that he play out the final year of his current contract, they will most likely negotiate a new deal with Jones and his agent, Drew Rosenhaus. The Bears have made it known that Jones was on the trading block (the Giants were also said to be interested), and teams that talked to the Bears understood that if they wanted Jones to report to off-season workouts — which he skipped in Chicago — they would need to offer Jones a new deal. Some interested teams may have been scared off by the prospect of negotiating a new contract with Rosenhaus, who always drives a hard bargain for his clients.

But unless Jones’s demands are exorbitant, the team’s top brass will find that he’s worth the money once they see him in a Jets uniform. The 5-foot-10-inch, 220-pound Jones has a knack for lowering his shoulders at the line of scrimmage and picking up a yard or two when it looks like nothing is there, and he also has a good burst of speed. He’s just 28 years old, and if the Jets do sign him to a contract extension, he should be an important part of the Jets’ offense for the next few years.

Jones has had an up-and-down career. He was an excellent runner in college at Virginia, and the Arizona Cardinals chose him with the seventh pick in the first round of the 2000 NFL draft. But in three seasons with Arizona he battled injuries and never gained even 600 yards in a year. However, he had a good season when he left Arizona for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2003, and from there the Bears signed him to a free-agent contract. He’s been their starting running back since.

Throughout his career Jones has shared the load, and he’ll continue to do that with the Jets. Leon Washington, the Jets’ fourthround pick in 2006, had a good rookie season but isn’t well suited to a workhorse role. Washington will provide a nice counterpoint to Jones. Washington is a better receiver out of the backfield, so he is likely to take the field on thirdand-long. Jones is good in pass protection, though, so he won’t always have to come off the field on passing plays.

With the acquisition of a running back, the Jets can check off the most important item on their offseason to-do list. There had been talk that the Jets could select a running back in the draft, but none of the backs who will be available when the Jets pick could be expected to have an instant impact the way Jones will. And with a running back in the stable, the Jets can now use the draft to address other needs, including linebacker and the defensive line. The Jets’ firstround pick is the 25th overall, and after yesterday’s trade the Jets have two picks late in the second round, their own no. 59 and the Bears’ no. 63.

The NFL season will kick off Thursday, September 6, exactly six months from today. A lot can happen in half a year, but right now the Jets’ off-season looks like it’s off to a good start. The Jets are a better team today than they were yesterday.

Mr. Smith is a writer for FootballOutsiders.com.