Green Bay Packers: James Jones signing was necessary

Following the season-ending injury to star wide receiver Jordy Nelson, most people expected the Green Bay Packers to sign a veteran wide receiver. Although Reggie Wayne and former Packer Jarrett Boykin were kicked around as potential options, it would have been a waste of money for the team to sign two players who looked completely ineffective last season.

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I mean, if Boykin couldn’t stick with the WR-needy Carolina Panthers, who lost Kelvin Benjamin for the season, and if Wayne couldn’t catch passes, generate separation, or stick with the New England Patriots for more than a week, then it’s clear that both of them would have been awful options for the Packers.

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James Jones, however, always looked like an attractive option for GM Ted Thompson and head coach Mike McCarthy, but a reunion with Jones was contingent on the New York Giants releasing him. They did exactly that on Saturday, and the Packers pounced yesterday by signing him, as reported by the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, after bringing him in for a visit first.

While Jones didn’t exactly look explosive for the Oakland Raiders last season, he was Derek Carr‘s lone competent receiver and tried to shoulder the pass-catching load all on his own. It was always destined to fail, but Jones did move the chains for the Raiders offense and shined in garbage time with six touchdowns to his name. Of course, Jones has always been something of a red zone threat, going back to his fluky 14 TDs in 2012, though he did have a combined 12 touchdown receptions in 2010 and 2011.

I’m sure the Packers like what they see in Ty Montgomery, but the Packers needed to hedge their bets by bringing in a veteran with something left in the tank. Boykin simply isn’t good, while Wayne honestly looks like a has-been at this point after suffering from back-to-back serious injuries (ACL tear, triceps) and putting together some ghastly tape in 2014.

Meanwhile, Jones caught 73 passes last season and has a nice connection with star quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The latter fact is especially important to the Packers, because signing Jones was all about making sure Rodgers would have a possession receiver he is comfortable with in the offense.

I wonder if the Packers were scared a bit by Randall Cobb‘s AC sprain, because Cobb himself thought he broke his collarbone on that play. Maybe they sat there and said, “OK, look, if Cobb goes down, we need to make sure we have someone else Rodgers is absolutely zoned-in with, because only having Davante Adams won’t be enough.”

Jeff Janis and Montgomery clearly have more natural talent than Jones does (or ever did), and I hope both of them are able to play roles for the Packers offense. Janis’s size, speed, and athletic ability have been on display on his repeated touchdown receptions, and even though the conspiracy theorist in me wonders if the Packers are downplaying Rodgers’s lack of trust in him, it is indeed hard to trust someone who can’t run routes well.

Jan 18, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) looks to throw in the first quarter against the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Championship Game at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Montgomery has been better than advertised coming out of Stanford, and he no longer looks like a reach pick, especially since he’s hands have actually looked good early in his Packers career. At worst, he’s a guy Rodgers can dump it off to in space, because Montgomery is as dangerous as they come with the ball in his hands.

That said, it’s pretty clear to me that he’s a raw rookie, and, in all honesty, the only reason why he’s more trustworthy than Janis is because it’s easier to trust a receiver whose average depth of target will likely be considerably lower (harder to throw picks on shorter throws to a guy who will operate in space).

Prior to the James Jones signing, the Packers were slated to use Montgomery as the No. 3 receiver with Janis as a vertical threat in the No. 4 slot. I have a feeling that Jones could kick both of those guys down a notch, but the Packers wide receiver position is very much fluid at this point in time. I have a feeling that not only will McCarthy and Rodgers will let things play out, but they could also use their receivers based on matchups.

After all, Janis, Montgomery, and Jones are all completely different receivers, which is a huge positive when you have a QB like Rodgers who can make the most out of a receiver’s specific skills (that’s how he made Boykin look like a viable target as an injury replacement with Cobb and Jones down in the 2013 season).

The Green Bay Packers have Super Bowl aspirations, which means that it was crucial for them to fill every single potential hole that they can. Even though they have Eddie Lacy, Rodgers, and Cobb on offense, they have to make sure that their elite passing attack will be able to fire on all cylinders, since they count on that to make up for some of their deficiencies on defense (even if their D has improved greatly over the past year and some change).

Adding Jones accomplishes that, because they’ve added a capable chain-mover, a solid red zone target, and a receiver who can offset the inexperience Janis and Montgomery have, particularly when it comes to playing with a QB who is very particular about the finer details.

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