Getty Jacksonville Jaguars WR Marvin Jones.
The Las Vegas Raiders have to be feeling good about their wide receiver with the trade for Davante Adams and the contract extension given to Hunter Renfrow. The two Pro Bowlers should form one of the best duos in the NFL. While the team is top-heavy at wide receiver, it remains to be seen who will take over the No. 3 spot.
Demarcus Robinson and Keelan Cole are the early favorites as they are both veterans who have had success in the past. However, the Raiders could still find an upgrade at wide receiver. There are good options like Odell Beckham Jr., Julio Jones and Will Fuller still available in free agency but the team could also look to the trade market.
Ian Wharton of Bleacher Report proposes that the Raiders send a fifth-round pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars for wide receiver Marvin Jones:
Jones just turned 32 years old and is coming off a solid season, but he’s also seeing his numbers slowly decline. Some of that is the result of playing with a rookie quarterback on a terrible team. However, it doesn’t make a ton of sense for Jacksonville to pay Jones’ $8.7 million cap hit in the final year of his contract since its roster is far from contention.
The Raiders would assume just $4.95 million to pair Jones with Derek Carr. Adding Jones to a receiving corps with Davante Adams, Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow would give the Raiders a strong fourth option. Carr’s aggressiveness and accuracy on back-shoulder throws also makes this a perfect fit for the offense.
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Jones Would Be Great WR3
Jones has never been to a Pro Bowl in 10 years but he’s been very productive. In 2017, he had 1,101 receiving yards while averaging 18.0 yards per reception. He hasn’t reached those heights again but he’s accumulated over 500 yards in each of the last four seasons.
A 32-year-old wide receiver isn’t much of an asset for a young team like the Jaguars. He’d likely prefer to play somewhere he has a chance to win. The Raiders would provide that if he’s willing to take on a lesser role. Adams and Renfrow can do pretty much everything the team needs a wide receiver to do but Jones is a proven deep threat who can make some big plays.
Marvin Jones is too smooth
Raiders Could Wait Until Training Camp to Make Moves
The Raiders have a new coaching staff this year so they haven’t had a real chance to evaluate the roster outside of OTAs and mandatory minicamps. Training camp will be illuminating for the team and allow the coaching staff to see if there are needs for upgrades. Until that rolls around, the Raiders are likely to avoid notable moves.
It’s always possible that a wide receiver steps up and shuts down any notion that the team needs an upgrade for a No. 3 wide receiver. The Raiders need an explosive offense to keep pace in the AFC West. Luckily, it doesn’t appear a lot of the top wide receivers on the market are close to making deals yet so Las Vegas has time to continue to evaluate the roster.
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