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How will the Green Bay Packers utilize James Jones?

By Keegan Matheson

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The Green Bay Packers are expected to make their reunion with James Jones official today after creating room on the 53-man roster, meaning we can begin to look forward to his usage within the offense. After spending the first seven years of his career with the Green Bay Packers, Jones will give Mike McCarthy and Tom Clements some much-needed flexibility with Randall Cobb, Davante Adams and the young depth behind them.

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Now 31, Jones is coming off a one-season vacation with the Oakland Raiders where he set a career high targets (112) and receptions (73), but a career low in yards-per-reception at 9.1. The Raiders offense struggled to push the ball downfield regardless, but with the additions of Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree, followed by the healthy return of Rod Streater, Jones was left without a chair when the music stopped.

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While he couldn’t latch on with the New York Giants, which yes, is worrying, this at least gives Jones a training camp under his belt. Conditioning won’t be an issue for the veteran, it never was, and he comes with a built-in skill that some receivers never achieve in Green Bay. The trust of Aaron Rodgers.

The loss of Jordy Nelson removes 10-to-12 potential touchdowns from this offense, and while Jones will never represent a deep threat, his red zone abilities will be a substantial boost. His 14 touchdowns in 2012 were an outlier, but show his abilities close to the goal line which should help to fill the secondary scoring group comprised of Richard Rodgers and Jeff Janis.

Once he’s up to speed, the greatest value of Jones will be his ability to play on the outside while allowing Randall Cobb to be moved across formations. In current three-receiver sets without Jones, Ty Montgomery or Jeff Janis would be the third option behind Cobb and Adams. Montgomery could excel on the inside, but that limits Cobb to a sideline. Janis could excel on the outside, but his route tree may not be advanced enough to draw sufficient coverage away from Cobb in the heart of the field.

This move is more about securing the floor of the wide receiver depth chart than it is about improving their potential. Jones was not cut by the Giants because he was too talented for their roster, but if he’s still close to the player he once was for the Packers, his presence will allow for a much stronger unit. A 500-yard season would have a much greater impact than the stat sheet suggests, and as a security blanket for Aaron Rodgers, James Jones will have a quiet value now that he’s come home.

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