While he only made 17 receptions during his time with the Green Bay Packers, wide receiver Jeff Janis became a fan-favorite for his proficiency on special teams and flair for the dramatic. While Green Bay lost their 2016 Divisional round game against the Arizona Cardinals, they managed to force overtime on this incredible touchdown catch on the final play of regulation:
Heading into the 2018 season, Janis is hoping to take on a larger role in an offense, which simply wasn't going to happen in Green Bay with all of their other weapons. As a result, Janis has decided to sign with the Cleveland Browns, per Peter Schrager of the NFL Network.
The 2014 seventh-round pick bounced between the Packers' practice squad and the active roster throughout his tenure with the organization. Browns general manager John Dorsey originally hired Eliot Wolf and Alonzo Highsmith in Green Bay, the two men who identified and targeted Janis, which brings this full circle.
Most of his career production has come on special teams, where the Saginaw Valley State product made 22 tackles and averaged 24.7 yards per return on 23 kickoffs.
Janis will be fighting for playing time with some pretty stiff competition in Cleveland. In addition to Josh Gordon and promising young speedster Corey Coleman, the Browns traded for perennial Pro Bowl receiver Jarvis Landry from the Miami Dolphins.
In addition to Janis, Cleveland added Packers cornerback Damarious Randall and intend to move him to safety. Their offensive transformation includes the acquisition of former Buffalo Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor and former San Francisco 49ers running back Carlos Hyde.
Their bevy of picks in the upcoming NFL Draft are highlighted by the first and fourth overall selections. It's expected that Cleveland will use one of them on a top QB prospect. It's rumored that they've narrowed their search on that front to USC's Sam Darnold and Wyoming's Josh Allen.
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