James Jones will test free agent market
Green Bay Packers wide receiver James Jones (89) turns to run with the football as Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor (24) defends during the first quarter at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
The Green Bay Packers are stocked at the wide receiver position, and it help that they have the best quarterback in the game; Aaron Rodgers has the ability to make a talented receiver out of most wideouts by masking some of their deficiencies and accentuating their strengths. That said, the likes of Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, James Jones, and recent breakout WR Jarrett Boykin are certainly talented, and Rodgers could afford to lose one of them in free agency; it looks like he will.
While James Jones isn’t as talented or important to the offense as Nelson or Cobb, he is a great No. 3 receiver and could be a No. 2 receiver for a team with bad wideouts like the Kansas City Chiefs. Jones is expected to look for a new opportunity in the offseason, and the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel’s Ty Dunne reports that Jones will test the free agent market this offseason.
The Packers survived Greg Jennings’s departure with ease, and I definitely don’t anticipate them having any difficulty replacing Jones, who should be ably replaced by Boykin. Jones had a poor game yesterday against the San Francisco 49ers, but he had another solid 2013 season overall with 59 receptions for 817 yards and three touchdowns. He should take a look at his other options on the market, but he should also keep in mind that playing for the Packers has big advantages. Because, you know, Aaron Rodgers.
That said, Jones stands to make significantly more money from another team in free agency than the Packers, because the Packers don’t need Jones as much as a team like the Chiefs might. I would be surprised if Jones re-signed with the Packers, but we’ll see how things play out in free agency.