What Was The Purpose Of The Zay Jones Trade?
The Raiders went wide receiver heavy in the 2020 NFL Draft. Henry Ruggs, Bryan Edwards, and Lynn Bowden are incoming. Those rookies add to the existing group of Tyrell Williams, Hunter Renfrow, and Nelson Agholor who was signed as a free agent. Here’s my question. Why the hell did the Raiders give up a 5th round pick for Zay Jones? What was the purpose of that? I would really love to know.
Hey, I’ll eat some crow on this one too. Zay Jones was a player I was super high on during the 2017 NFL Draft. I would have taken him in the 2nd round too just as Buffalo did. Jones has not lived up to that status. He actually was pretty decent in 2018 but did very little after the trade to the Raiders.
Still, I don’t get this one. Why did the Raiders give up draft capital for Jones? It’s one less draft pick to use. It would have been an important one too considering that the Raiders didn’t have a pick after the 4th round this year. You’re better off throwing that pick down the toilet because Jones isn’t making this roster now. It just feels like the Raiders are throwing darts instead of having an actual plan.
I wouldn’t give up on Jones quite yet. I think Jones has talent and he’s still only 25. That’s not the point. It’s time to stop pretending that Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden are these great personnel guys. They get things wrong constantly. Hey, let’s get all excited about another 7 win season!
