With Jordy Nelson most likely out for the season with a torn ACL (only upcoming MRI results can reverse that fate), the Green Bay Packers are left looking into veteran options to add some depth at the position. Randall Cobb, Davante Adams, Jeff Janis, Ty Montgomery, and rising second-year tight end Richard Rodgers have the talent to keep Aaron Rodgers‘s pass-catching corps on point, but Cobb is the only player who has been through two full NFL seasons, meaning that the Pack are searching for a more experienced hand.
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Reggie Wayne, who has interest from the New England Patriots, is on the Packers radar, but he isn’t the only big-name veteran that Ted Thompson is looking into. ESPN Wisconsin’s Jason Wilde said on PFT Live that if the New York Giants release James Jones, the Packers would “possibly bring back” their former No. 3 receiver for a reunion.
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I’ve seen fans murmur about Jones as a possible option on Twitter, especially since the 31-year-old seems to be on the wrong side of the bubble after signing a one-year deal worth $950,000 at the end of July. Jones’s age and lack of speed and upside make him a 50/50 shot against the unproven Corey Washington, and he’ll have to win the Giants No. 4 receiver gig in order to stick around on the roster. The Giants youth at the position gives Jones a boost, and all of these factors have caused those covering the Giants to have divided opinions on him.
If Jones is unable to win the No. 4 receiver job and does get released, then he becomes a very interesting man due to the Packers potential interest in him. There’s no better place for Jones to land than back in Green Bay, where he’d benefit from playing with Rodgers and, to a lesser extent, Cobb. He’d likely slot in as the No. 4 receiver with the Packers, though his role would be defined by the success of youngsters like Janis, Montgomery, and even Jared Abbrederis.
At the moment, only Cobb and Adams seem to have locked-in roles as the No. 1 and 2 wide receivers, so any veteran addition would get responsibilities as a chain-mover. Jones clearly isn’t an exciting player, but he did have 817 receiving yards in his final season with the Green Bay Packers in 2013 and was generally a solid option for Rodgers during his time with the NFC North powerhouse.
Last season, Jones was mediocre at best with just 9.1 yards per reception and many garbage-time catches that boosted his stats up to 73 receptions and six touchdowns, but he was in an unfavorable position with the Oakland Raiders. Their lone competent receiver, Jones had to make the best of an unideal situation with no real pass-catchers to take pressure off of him, so I’m sure he would love to re-join the Packers. If he’s cheap enough, the Packers could feel the same way, though we’ll have to see how their tentative interest in Wayne plays out.
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