The Oakland Raiders have made some moves ahead of the trade deadline which included the acquisition of former Buffalo Bills wide receiver Zay Jones in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
It is no secret that the Raiders receiving corps have been relatively thin since the start of the 2019 NFL season. It has only gotten worse with Tyrell Williams already ruled out for Week 7 against the Green Bay Packers with a foot injury.
This means Jones will now have an opportunity to enjoy a bit of a resurgence after a slow start to his career in Buffalo. It appears he has already started to notice the difference in his change-of-scenery.
Jones was admittedly taken back by the realization of joining a franchise with such a rich tradition and history, via the team’s official Twitter:
“It wasn’t practice for me, it was actually later on in that week I had come into the facility and I’m walking around and it’s quiet because not a lot of people are here,” Jones said. “I see the John Madden meeting room, I’m looking at Jerry Rice on the wall, Tim Brown on the wall, Al Davis, and I’m seeing all these legendary people in the history of this organization.”
Jones added that it provided extra motivation for him:
“This is special. This is something I get to be a part of.”
There is certainly plenty of truth to Jones’ comments. The Raiders have long been one of the more household names in the NFL regardless of whether or not they were winning most of the time.
Jones now has a chance to play a part in a potential turnaround that is currently taking place in Oakland following a 3-2 start to the year. Given the current state of their passing attack, they may very well rely on him to make an immediate impact on offense.
Although his career got off to a rocky start with the Bills, he still managed to finish the 2018 campaign as their leading receiver with 56 receptions for 652 yards and seven touchdowns. The 24-year-old flashed plenty of promise with the prototypical size and speed that made him such an intriguing prospect in the 2017 NFL Draft and the Raiders are hoping that he can emerge as a potential weapon for quarterback Derek Carr.
Jones’ comments indicate that he is looking forward to making it work as both a short and long-term option.
The post Raiders News: Zay Jones Excited To Join Organization With Rich Tradition appeared first on Raiders Nation.
