Keep One Eye Open: For James Jones *

by Matt Prendergast

 Keep One Eye Open is a series of quick notes on players that ReclinerQB.com is pointing out that maybe, just maybe, you should put in your 'Players To Watch' queue, wherever your league may be hosted. These aren't guys that we're saying you should draft come fantasy league time; in fact, you probably shouldn't. These are guys to keep in your holster with a watchful eye, because there's some potential that you might want to take a roll on them at week three, five or seven when your sleeper guys are revealed to be 'the dead weight they've always been'.

Um...wrong James Jones.

Alright, you've likely picked this guy up, or at least tried to, at some point in the last four years. Pros: He's big and physical, and capable of breaking the big play. Cons: Upon occasion, he's had some hand confusion from time to time (and once in awhile, it might be at a critical juncture)....oh yes, I nearly forgot, and he's COMPLETELY BURIED among any of a dozen other receiving options on every play the Green Bay Packers run. Between Jennings, Jordy, Driver, Jermichael, Randall Cobb, any of the running backs - and they've got two' potential franchise futures' sitting in the wings in Tori Gurley and Jarrett Boykin - there's just not enough to go around.  And they need at least one practice squad spot for Dale Moss...

Also the wrong James Jones.
This one played D for the USA.

Look, this is just my opinion, but I really don't think Green Bay management ever expected Donald Driver to go this long (at least not without really losing a few steps, which he really hasn't). I truly believe that back when Jones was drafted, it was his destiny to fill that role - but that role hasn't needed any filling. His early career has reminded me a lot of early Driver - good enough to keep sticking around and showing a flash, but spotty in the consistency department at times, perhaps due to sporadic use, perhaps due to the yips. Perhaps even, in one of the biggest 'slow news week non-stories' to strike this offseason, due to lack of respect.  (Please note: I think that article and other versions of it are merely poorly constructed spins to make it sound like Jones is disgruntled - read the words. He just wants to make an impact in an overcrowded locker room).

Quick Quiz: Name me in three seconds another two-sport receiver who combines a football career with hockey? See that: James Jones doesn't care. The man just wants to score points. It's a passion.

Let's cut to the quick: James Jones has talent and skill to start in this league - and despite a wealth of depth at that position in the last few years throughout the land, that remains true. Among potential fits:

The Denver Broncos - This piece right here already makes any valid points I could ramble on regarding a Jones fit in the Mile High City...there's a valid logic that works in this scenario, though Jones would just be moving into the WR3 position, at least it would be his alone.

HERE HE IS!  YAY!

The Minnesota Vikings - They certainly could use him, whether Percy Harvin settles his diva-ass down or not...the second best receiver on that team is out for four weeks with a well-known 'girlfriend signed for a brick' suspension, and they need the help. Also THIS MOVE WILL NEVER HAPPEN WITHIN THE DIVISION. Screw you, Vikes.

The Cleveland Browns - If JJ were traded to the Browns tomorrow, the legit argument could be made he would already be the most dangerous and proven receiver on that squad. Greg Little hasn't proven anything (yet), and Mohammed Massaquoi is a WR3 at best anywhere else on the planet (LOOK AT THE STATS!). So of course, with the time-tested logic of recent Browns' management, they're completely uninterested. So this means one of three things: a) They are completely uninterested in increasing their depth and talent by a boatload at a critical-to-success skills position; b) They are completely interested and are playing 'hard to get', which is akin to a young lady festooned from head-top to torso with headgear and born with one cyclops eye turning down the class vice-president on an invite to the prom 'to make sure he's really interested'; or c) Mike Holmgren has gotten a tremendously deep-rooted glue-sniffing habit in the past couple years, and Cleveland has the best Public Relations department ever.

The Seattle Seahawks - Yeah, I know, the 'Hawks are overloaded at the position....mostly with guys that haven't shown themselves to be consistent weapons: Golden Tate, Ben Obamanu, Fat-Again Mike Williams....and Sidney Rice more or less disappeared into the mist last year too thanks to injury and the continued presence of Tavaris Jackson standing in the spot where a quarterback is supposed to go. Their most volatile receiving threat for the year was Doug Baldwin with 788 receiving yards and 4 scores. So what I'm saying is: there's not a lot of Hall of Famers named 'Doug' (one, to be precise, versus 12 guys named 'Jim' or 'James'. Mostly 'Jim', but it counts), so there's plenty of room for improvement. To reunite Matt Flynn with James Jones - two guys that have had a lot of practice time together and have shown to have more than a little chemistry - Seattle would be doing themselves a tremendous solid for years to come. To wit: in the two showcase games Flynn's had in his career (2010 versus the Patriots, and 2011 against the Lions), that connection shone through. In the Pats game, Flynn to Jones was good for 5 for 95 and a score, with Jones the leading receiver on both sides of the ball....during last year's shoot-out with the Lions, Jones was second on the Pack with 6 for 89, including the critical 40 yard gain that set up the winning score.

See, sometimes he's got great hands!

Sure there's other possible destinations - The Fins, The Jags, The Titans, etc....but none of those provide the either the clear-cut starting opportunity, veteran arm, or proven history, to warrant a real opportunity down the line for Jones to shine.

File James Jones under: If traded to the right situation above, a late-round flier or week two pick-up.


*If he's not traded from GB, or worse yet, moved to the Jags, never you mind.

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