The Las Vegas Raiders may have a full room at wide receiver, but they should definitely check in on Atlanta Falcons star wideout Julio Jones.
During the 2020 NFL season, the Las Vegas Raiders took a flyer on Nelson Agholor, who was basically laughed out of Philadelphia due to his case of the dropsies. For the Silver and Black, Agholor was an absolute terror, becoming the top option at wide receiver for Derek Carr, and putting together his best season as a pro.
Now a member of the New England Patriots, Agholor will attempt to continue his rebirth of a career, and the Raiders will have to find a way to replace his production. They added some veterans this offseason in John Brown and Willie Snead, and have two second-year players coming back with something to prove.
Henry Ruggs III and Bryan Edwards showed flashes during their rookie seasons, but were very inconsistent, and battled the injury bug. If they are not seen as ready to step up, Las Vegas will have to look elsewhere, and Julio Jones from Atlanta could certainly be a perfect piece of the puzzle.
Raiders could use Jones atop the depth chart
The hope is that Brown can replace Agholor’s production, at least some of it and that Ruggs and Edwards prove to be NFL-ready in Year 2. However, that is asking a lot of two players who combined for 58 catches last season, so kicking the tires on a veteran like Jones makes a lot of sense.
Though he has had injury issues in the past, Jones has at least a few more good seasons left in him, and there is enough talent around him on this Raiders offense where he could really flourish. Having Jones atop the depth chart would give Derek Carr an elite weapon, as the Raiders look to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016.
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In no way am I saying the Raiders should give away top draft capital, or even some of their better players to get JOnes, but I would certainly deal a third or fourth-round pick for his services. With how young Ruggs and Edwards are, a veteran like Jones would be a godsend for this wide receiver room, and we have already seen what Gruden can do with older wideouts in the past.