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New York Giants: Cutting James Jones was a huge mistake

By Nick Ziegler

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The New York Giants finally got into the win column on Thursday Night Football against the Washington Redskins, but there is still a lot of work to do in New York.

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One of the main reasons for the Giants’ win against the Redskins was Rueben Randle finally making an impact after struggling in the first two weeks of the season. With the calf injury to Victor Cruz, the Giants were desperately searching for a wide receiver to step up and help Odell Beckham Jr.

A healthy trio of Beckham, Cruz, and Randle will be one of the best in football, but having all three healthy is something we have barely seen.

One of the notable offseason moves for the Giants was the signing of wide receiver James Jones. Jones came to New York with a nice resume that included 23 touchdown receptions in the past three seasons. With the uncertainty surround Cruz’s calf and Randle’s knee, the Giants really could have used a talented receiver for insurance.

Not long after signing Jones, the Giants decided to cut him to set their 53-man roster, and instead kept wide receiver Preston Parker. In the first two games of the season, Parker totaled five receptions and 43 receiving yards. The main problem with Parker’s play in the first two game was his inability to catch the football, as he totaled five drops in two games.

Shortly after Jones was cut by the Giants, he went back and signed with the Green Bay Packers to fill the void left behind after the Jordy Nelson knee injury. Jones’ best seasons came with Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, and in 2015, he is looking like he’s on pace for another great season.

In three games with the Packers, Jones has totaled 12 receptions, 219 receiving yards, and four receiving touchdowns. Jones was magnificent on the big stage of Monday Night Football against the Kansas City Chiefs, as he totaled seven receptions, 138 receiving yards, and one receiving touchdown.

With Parker now gone, the Giants are bringing in veterans Hakeem Nicks and Wes Welker for tryouts, as they need some help at the wide receiver position even with Cruz coming back.

Nicks has fallen off the face of the earth since he burst onto the scene with the Giants, and Welker hasn’t found a home yet with concerns about his concussion history, as it’s hard to imagine either helping like Jones would have.

The decision to cut Jones is one that looks awful already after just three weeks of the 2015 season with the way he is playing for the Packers.

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