The Oakland Raiders added more talent to the quarterback room this past week, signing former Pittsburgh Steelers backup Landry Jones.
Last season, the Oakland Raiders went into the summer with E.J. Manual and Connor Cook battling it out to be the backup to Derek Carr. However, at the last minute, Oakland traded for A.J. McCarron, sending both Manual and Cook packing, and going with the veteran from the Cincinnati Bengals.
This offseason, McCarron has signed on with the Houston Texans, and for a while, the Raiders only had Nathan Peterman as the backup to Carr. Well, all of that changed last week, when the team signed two veterans to fight for the No. 2 spot, signing Mike Glennon and Landry Jones.
Jones was the more recent signing, and comes to the Silver and Black after backing up Ben Roethlisberger during his entire career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He joins the Raiders in the same offseason as former teammate Antonio Brown, and should be in the fight to the end to try and earn a spot on this roster.
Here is the contract details, national reaction, and grade for the Landry Jones signing.
Contract Details
According to Spotrac, Landry Jones signed a one-year deal with the Oakland Raiders, earning $805,000 in 2019, with a cap hit of $645,000.
National Reaction
The Raiders have signed free-agent QB Landry Jones.
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) March 26, 2019
The first Landry Jones pass that sails over Antonio Brown's head will be worth the price of admission.
— Eric Hagman (@esh714) March 26, 2019
JONES TO OAKLAND: Another former @steelers player is headed to the bay area as quarterback @LandryJones12 has signed with the @Raiders . Jones joins former wide receiver and teammate @AB84 . https://t.co/TQ7pLwqY56
— KDKA (@KDKA) March 26, 2019
Grade
Landry Jones was a fourth round pick of the Steelers, and has played for them throughout his entire career. He has appeared in 19 games, making five starts, and comes to the Raiders with a TD/INT ration of 8/7, and has completed 63.9 percent of his passes. He is as a consummate professional, and will get every chance to make this team out of camp.
There is no guarantee that Jones will be on the Raiders roster when the season kicks off in September, but if he does make the team, he has proven to be a solid backup, and comes at a much cheaper price tag as McCarron. Jones started at least one game for Pittsburgh in 2015, 16, and 17, and while he did not step on the field in 2018, he can be counted on to come in and start if needed.