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Raiders Sign James Jones

James+Jones+Jacksonville+Jaguars+v+Green+Bay+r9eXx-RaXLGlOakland snagged one of the few remaining starting-caliber free agent wide receivers on Monday, signing James Jones to a three-year, $11.3 million contract.

A physical receiver, Jones is coming off his best two statistical seasons of his seven-year career. Last season, he posted a career-high 817 yards, while in 2012 Jones led all receivers with 14 touchdowns.

Oakland entered free agency with a lot of money to spend, but it’s debatable how wisely they’ve invested. The Raiders let young talents Lamarr Houston and Jared Veldheer walk, and instead opted for aging veterans Justin Tuck and Lamarr Woodley along with marginal talent Austin Howard.

Jones fits Reggie McKenzie’s offseason narrative, as he’s another player on the wrong side of 30, which is typically not the kind of player you sign in a rebuilding phase. Still, the move does make sense for Jones since he grew up in San Jose and played his college ball at San Jose State.

Indeed, Jones did himself no favors joining a team with no viable quarterback, but he does trump anything currently on the Raiders' roster at wide receiver. Jones can be inked in as a starter, though it’s unclear who his running mate will be at this point – Denarius Moore, Andre Holmes, or Rod Streater.

Without a quarterback, it will be tough to roster Jones in fantasy leagues. He’s not a high-volume receiver, and he lacks big-play upside. If Oakland somehow manages to pull a rabbit out of a hat, we could see matchup fantasy value out of Jones, though the depth at the position this season means better options will be abundant.

 

Editor's Note: Be sure to check out our new Mock and Companion Draft Tool! Utilizing our updated player projections, run a quick mock draft and see where this year's crop of free agents are coming off the board in early fantasy football drafts.


Jeff Ratcliffe is the Assistant Managing Editor and resident IDP maven of PFF Fantasy. 

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