Zay Jones is no longer a member of the Buffalo Bills.
The team traded him to the Oakland Raiders on Monday night, according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN. In return, Buffalo is receiving a fifth-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
The @Bills have traded WR Zay Jones to @Raiders for 2021 fifth round pick #BillsMafia
— Chris Mortensen (@mortreport) October 8, 2019
Zay Jones Traded to Oakland Raiders
The writing was on the wall that Jones’ potential departure from the Bills was imminent. He appeared in just a single snap and didn’t register a single target in Buffalo’s 14-7 win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. There was even a photo of him sitting alone on the bench as the rest of the offense was huddled up discussing strategy.
Zay Jones is sitting by himself on the end of the o-line bench while the rest of the offense strategizes on the bench to the left. He’s appeared on just one snap in this game. #BUFvsTEN pic.twitter.com/JHPGnREBQT
— Matt Parrino (@MattParrino) October 6, 2019
The move marks the end of a rather underwhelming tenure for Jones with the Bills. In the first five games of this season, he caught just seven passes for 69 yards and didn’t tally a single touchdown reception. His catch rate of 38.9 percent was the worst among Bills players who’ve caught at least five catches in 2019.
2018 was his most productive from a stats standpoint. In 15 starts, he managed 652 receiving yards and seven touchdown grabs, both of which led the team. But this year, he took a back seat in terms of players Josh Allen looked to in the passing game including prominent free agency acquisitions Cole Beasley and John Brown. The emergence of Duke Williams, who caught the game-winning touchdown pass against the Titans just a day after Buffalo added him to the active roster, might have been the last straw regarding Jones’ future with the team.
Buffalo selected Jones in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. It came after he enjoyed a hugely successful college career at East Carolina. He totaled 4,273 yards, 23 touchdown catches, and 399 receptions during his four-year career with the Pirates. His career reception total remains an FBS record.
Both the Bills and Raiders are on bye in Week 6. The following week, Buffalo returns home to face the Miami Dolphins while the Raiders head to Lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers.
