It seemed a bit strange when the Packers signed Khalil Jones to the practice squad in late December. After all, the rookie caught only 13 passes in four seasons at the University of Miami and he wasnt even ranked as one of the top 100 wide receivers available in the 2009 draft. So why did Ted Thompson not only add Jones to the practice squad but then sign him to a futures contract a few weeks later? Well, we may have gotten our answer while perusing through the roster on Easter Sunday. The 24-year-old is no longer a wide receiver. Instead, his job now will be to keep players like Greg Jennings, Donald Driver and James Jones from catching the ball.
Jones has been moved to safety, and all of a sudden, his place on the 80-man roster makes a little more sense. While the odds of the Jones making a successful switch from offense to defense are long, the odds of him sticking in the National Football League as a wide receiver were astronomical. He clearly has the size (6-1, 215) and speed (4.55) to play in the secondary; whether he has the ability remains to be seen. The only thing for certain about this unusual move is that Jones will get a lot more looks on defense than he wouldve gotten on offense in the coming weeks. Thats because there are seven wide receivers on the current roster and only three safeties. Oops, make that four safeties.