Raiders acquire WR Zay Jones from the Bills

Oakland give up fifth-round draft choice in 2021 in order to bolster thin wide receiver corps

by Tom LaMarre

The Oakland Raiders acquired wide receiver Zay Jones from the Buffalo Bills for a fifth-round draft choice in 2021, multiple media outlets reported on Monday.

The Raiders were short at wide receiver during the game against the Chicago Bears in London on Sunday, as starters Tyrell Williams and J.J. Nelson did not suit up because of injuries.

That left Keelan Doss, Hunter Renfrow, and Trevor Davis as Oakland’s wide receivers against the Bears, and quarterback Derek Carr relied heavily on tight ends Darren Waller, Derek Carrier and Foster Moreau.

The 6-2, 201-pound Jones was selected by the Bills in the second round (No. 37 overall) of the 2017 NFL Draft out of East Carolina, where he was an All-American selection as a senior in 2016 after catching 158 passes for 1,746 yards and eight touchdowns.

In three seasons with the Bills, Jones caught 90 passes for 1,037 yards and nine touchdowns, but has not played as much this season as Buffalo turned more to wide receivers John Brown, Cole Beasley, Isaiah McKenzie and Duke Williams.

Jones played only one snap on Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

The Raiders also signed cornerback Nevin Lawson, who spent the offseason program with Oakland, and waived guard Lester Cotton Sr., who last week was elevated from the practice squad to the active roster.

The 5-9, 192-pound Lawson was drafted in the fourth round (133rd overall) of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions out of Utah State and spent five seasons with the Lions.

In his NFL career, Lawson started 54 of the 63 games in which he has appeared, amassing 194 tackles (163 solo), 25 passes defensed, one sack, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery that he returned for a touchdown.

The 6-4, 324-pound Cotton was signed by the Raiders earlier this year as an undrafted free agent out of Alabama, where he started for four seasons.