Jeff Janis Should Get Roster Spot Regardless of Receiver Play
We’ve belabored this point to no end. The Green Bay Packers have some tough decisions to make at the receiver position.
They’ll either need to keep seven guys (possible, but unlikely) or they’ll have to release someone who belongs on an NFL roster.
Some people speculated that someone might be fan favorite Jeff Janis. The playoff almost-hero has done nothing to distinguish himself in training camp thus far. That was evident when the Packers released their first depth chart on Monday. Janis was on the third team.
Would the Packers cut Janis?
Anything is possible, but we still consider that a long shot.
Regardless of what he does at receiver, Jeff Janis is still the Packers’ best special teams player.
You could argue he was almost single-handedly responsible for punter Tim Masthay setting a Packers’ record in net punting average in 2015. Outside of that number, Masthay had a terrible 2015 campaign.
It was Janis’ ability as a gunner that somewhat masked Masthay’s many shortcomings.
Janis also brings value in the kick return game. He averaged 29 yards on 14 returns in 2015. Only Ty Montgomery was better, averaging 31.1 on seven returns.
It’s entirely possible Montgomery will resume the kick returns duties now that he’s healthy. However, the Packers still don’t have anyone ready-made to replace Janis’ ability on the coverage units.
The guy Janis is likely competing for a roster spot with — Davante Adams — doesn’t even play special teams.
It would be great if Janis would just outplay Adams at the receiver position and make this call easy. Even if he doesn’t, Janis should still have a roster spot.
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So, neither guy is playing lights out. The depth chart is based solely on draft position, as mentioned Adams doesn’t play special teams. One would think a guy’s overall value to the team might factor into depth chart placement. Maybe Janis will continue to show up during preseason games and Adams will continue where he left off last season.
I don’t know why thos camp even matters. In real games last year janis was better than adams as receiver and he’s the best thru whole year as special teamer. He’s done enough to get a roster spot. Adams has to fight for spot with davis. If adams continue to run slow routes and drops ball in preseason there is more than enough data to drop if. Abby earned his spot grom last season and so did monty.
LMAO, no, just no. As horrible of a season Adams had last year, he still vastly outperformed Janis. And don’t give me the Janis-didn’t-get-any-opportunities bullshit, he did, he mad very little out of them until the last 2 (broken) plays of the season.
I truly hope that Janis can find the courage to apologize to AR for banging Olivia and those two can make amends and get back to playing football together.
Let ‘im screw Olivia all he wants, so long as that’s the incentive he needs to stop screwing any of his routes that involve making a cut.
Enough of this Golden Statue Janis bullshit already, Ho Li Phuk; only 2 people on this team have any claim godship-Rodgers and Thor Matthews. Janis is a fantastic STs player-probably the best gunner in the NFL last year and a good kick returner-he deserves a roster spot on that alone. That said he is not the only good STs player we have-Banjo for one, and a handful of others (Jones, Elliott). Furthermore, he is NOT competing with Adams, who, by most accounts is having a pretty solid camp (and who can actually run more than one route), especially of late. If anything he’s competing with Abby, (and more likely) Allison, and Davis.
Good for Adams that he can run more than one route. Can he catch after said route? I disagree with your contention that Janis had plenty of opportunities. He had some looks, yes, but from what I witnessed, they had a quick hook when it involved Janis. And I’m basing that on what Adams did. Why the double standard? At the end of the day their jobs are to catch passes. If Adams does that this year, hey good for him. Better late than never. Not claiming Janis is the 2nd coming of Sterling Sharpe
Look, I don’t care who plays what position as WR. Hopefully I’m wrong, but I don’t see anything captivating with Adams. He is the proverbial “just a guy” out there. If Adams doesn’t show marked improvement over how he played last season, and they keep forcing him the ball, let alone keeping a roster spot for the guy, they may as well cut Janis, Abbrederis, Jordy, Cobb, doesn’t matter. For all their talk about the best players play, that sure didn’t manifest itself last season. Injuries or not, the coaching staff must have been content with his play even though his play didn’t do anything to bolster the offense. And not speaking for anyone else, that’s why I want Janis to succeed because I don’t feel like he was given the same opportunities to succeed. There is something about this staff that is disingenuous. Yeah, I know they don’t owe me or anyone the time of day. Heaven forbid anyone having a genuine interest in the team get an honest statement about anything without all the boilerplate, watered down, pad level, fundamentals coach speak.
Unfortunately, we will never get to see what would have happened if they had kept throwing to Janis like they did Adams last season. Maybe something good, maybe something bad. I stand by my original statement, neither one is playing lights out. You said yourself Janis is valuable on special teams. But then you turn around and sort of paint Janis as “just a guy” when you listed the other guys who are good on special teams. At least Janis was good at something last season. Adams ONLY plays wide receiver, and he certainly didn’t excel as one.
Maybe, probably the light never comes on for Janis. The fact he can double as a wide receiver, and the Packers could probably get just as much out of him as they got out of Adams last season should mean that Janis, all things being equal, is a more valuable asset to the overall team. Maybe Davis and Abbrederis make us all forget about the Adams and Janis experiment.
I’m tired of this staff being beholden to guys for potential that never materializes, like Finley, Neal, Goodson, Bradford, Adams it would seem. Jarrett Bush sucked ass as a DB but stuck around for what, 9 years? Because he was a special teams ace according to some. I waited 9 years for that clown to be gone. Other than his surprising performance in the Superbowl, everyone clenched their sphincters when he came into a game as a DB. And maybe that is the only role Janis plays for the next 7 years, emergency WR. At least Janis will be contributing in a positive means toward the team. We can’t say that about Adams if Adams doesn’t turn it around.
Here’s the crazy part. Janis had great measurables but almost no learned skills when they drafted him in the 7th round. Many receivers don’t make it until years 2-3. Driver first contributed heavily in year 4. So, when they decided to stash Janis on the roster year 1, it would have been a bonehead move UNLESS they felt reasonably comfortable waiting until year 4 for offensive production. He is now providing ST production, and hopefully that will pick up, and he’ll be an occasional deep threat, reverse threat, 4th receiver during the year. What 4th or 5th string DB will cover him on a fly?