James Jones Returns to Green Bay to Fill Hole Left by Nelson Injury
James Jones is likely right, it should not take him too long to rekindle his connection with his former teammate Aaron Rodgers the reigning NFL MVP and Green Bay Packers quarterback.
Last season Jones caught 73 passes while playing for the Oakland Raiders and their three quarterbacks. There is a good chance that only one season away from the Packers will not change the strong bond he has with Rodgers.
Since a great deal has happened since Jones left in March of 2014 it may seem like it has been years since he played for Green Bay, but he is back where he played his first seven seasons in the NFL.
Green Bay never asked the talented receiver to be their top pass catcher and at 31, they will not ask him this year. The top two receivers will likely remain Randall Cobb and Davante Adams, but Jones could become No. 3 and without him that would have gone to Jeff Janis or Ty Montgomery.
Montgomery is just a rookie and Janis caught only two passes last season.
In their sets with three-receivers, which were used only 72% of the time last season, they can comfortably move Cobb to the slot where he is at his best and have Adams and Jones on the outside.
During Jones’ seven seasons as a Packer, out of his 310 receptions, 278 were on the outside.
Jones will not make up for Jordy Nelson’s absence, but no other receiver available could. If Jones is the dependable player he was during his seven years his first time in Green Bay, then he is the perfect fit for the Packers now.
He has remained healthy, playing in every game in five of his past six seasons and missed just 8 games in his complete eight-year NFL career.
He was targeted by Raiders quarterbacks on 110 occasions last season, and dropped just two passes.
With Jones, the pressure will be taken off the rookie Montgomery who needs more reps with the Green Bay quarterback and off Janis who only played 15 snaps all of last season.
What is likely the biggest and most important part of this deal signing Jones is the connection he has with Rodgers. Of the 383 career receptions that Jones has during the regular season, 216 were thrown by Rodgers. Thirty-three of his 43 career touchdowns during the regular season came from Rodgers.
On Sunday, Jones said the NFL is a crazy business, but he was happy to have been given the opportunity to continue playing and being on the receiving end of a quarterback he is very familiar with.
