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It’s official, the Oakland Raiders have announced their trade with the Buffalo Bills to acquire wide receiver, Zay Jones. The former second-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft has failed to live up to his draft status thus far, but could easily find new life with a Raiders offense that is desperate for the wide receiver help.
Jones is coming off a decent season where he caught 56 passes for 652 yards. He hasn’t fared as well this season as he only has 7 catches for 69 yards. The Bills don’t exactly have the most loaded receiving corps in the world, so hopefully, this is just a case of him not being a good fit for their offense. Jones won’t completely solve the Raiders’ wide receiver troubles, but for a fifth-round pick, he’s certainly worth the risk. Oakland just put up a win against the Chicago Bears without their top two wide receivers. The sky’s the limit for this offense if they can find a consistent number two behind Tyrell Williams.
In a corresponding move, the team waived Marcell Ateman, who was just recently activated from the practice squad for the game against the Bears. Ateman saw a lot of playing time towards the end of the 2018 season due to injuries all over the roster. The 2018 seventh-round pick will have to wait a little longer to get another chance to hit the field.
Marcell Ateman Could Get Back on the Practice Squad
Though Ateman will surely be disappointed about getting let go, if he can clear waivers, it’s very possible the Raiders will bring him back on the practice squad. The health of their wide receiving corps has been very unpredictable, so Jon Gruden should keep some wideouts close to home in case something happens. It’s Ateman’s second year in the offense and he should be really familiar with Gruden’s playbook. He would be an asset to keep on the practice squad.
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Are the Raiders Done Adding WRs?
While the Raiders have already made two trades for wide receivers within the last month, there could be more moves on the horizon. Trevor Davis has proven to be a solid acquisition and Jones could grow into his potential, but neither guy is a wide receiver one or two currently. Tyrell Williams is an excellent number two options, that’s why lining him up next to Antonio Brown was supposed to be lethal. Obviously, that imploded and Williams has struggled to take on the role of the number one guy.
A true number one receiver isn’t going to fall on the Raiders’ lap. Stefon Diggs could be available, but he’s going to demand a lot in a trade. A.J. Green could become available, but he’s injured and in a contract year. Now, it’s possible that Oakland is an elite wide receiver away from true playoff contention. If that is indeed the case and the Raiders feel that way, they should pursue one of the two previously mentioned players aggressively. The move for Jones makes it seem like Oakland may stay put for a couple of weeks. They have two games to play before the October 29th trade deadline. They should see how the group is shaping up before they make any big moves.
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