James Jones is an interesting player. The purpose of the WR is to get open and catch the ball. Jones is excellent at getting open, but he’s terrible at catching the ball. Okay, maybe ‘terrible’ is a little harsh. He’s just not that great at it. On the other hand, when he does catch the ball, he has the potential to do a lot of damage. He’s strong, fast, and he’s great at breaking tackles due to good balance. He’s also young, which means his hands can improve. That said, a more likely factor is change of scenery.
James Jones wants to be a #1 WR. That is his top priority on the free agent market. In Green Bay, he constantly felt pressure to prove what he was capable of, which likely led to a lot of drops. If he’s in a situation where he knows he’s the #1 guy and he doesn’t feel pressure to constantly prove himself, the drops will likely disappear. This is the other thing with James Jones. We don’t know his ceiling. For all we know, he could become one of the top three receivers in the game. He believes it. Why shouldn’t we? It’s usually ultra-competitive
players like this that perform the best. They will do whatever it takes to get to the top. One thing is for sure, we won’t be seeing James Jones playing for the Packers in the 2011-2012 season. They have way too many receivers and they don’t need to deal with Jones calling for the spotlight. So, where will Jones end up?
Don’t be surprised if James Jones ends up on the Cleveland Browns. They are an improving team with a horrendous receiving corps. Jones would immediately take over the #1 role and the Browns would immediately get a real threat at wideout. Both parties would be pleased with this transaction. Another possibility is the Minnesota Vikings, but this will depend on Sidney Rice. If Rice finds another place to play and Jones is still available, Jones might end up in enemy territory. A third yet less likely scenario is that Jones goes to the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals are going to start from scratch with their receivers. They finally realized that TO and Ochocinco are circus acts and a constant distraction. Despite wanting to be #1, Jones is not like that. He’s a hard worker who does what he is told.
2010 stats for James Jones: 50 receptions, 679 yards, 13.6-yard average, 5 TDs.