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Zay Jones, WR, Jacksonville (1 Viewer)

I was going to try and come in here and be positive. But it’s impossible. There’s a chance he turns it around but the only thing that is a “positive” for him is that the other WRs on the team aren’t very good either and he’s gets targets by default. His PFF grade from last year was 43.6 and firmly in the “poor” category. It seems like he’s wasted the offseason too. Being that his big thing out of college was supposed to be his catching and last year he didn’t even display that. Add in that his QB situation doesn’t look great.

 
In an interview with WGR 550 Buffalo, Bills GM Brandon Beane said Zay Jones will have to "earn his way" following a disappointing rookie season in 2017.

"He’s not just going to necessarily go right to the top of the line," said Beane. "He’ll have to earn his way." The 23-year-old sat out OTAs while recovering from knee surgery, meaning he has yet to catch passes from newcomers A.J. McCarron and Josh Allen. Jones won't face much competition at receiver in Buffalo, but it will be hard for fantasy owners to trust him after hauling in just 41.5 percent of his targets last year.

Source: WGR 550 

Jun 17 - 11:20 AM
 
Seems to have increased his target count recently. For people that watch, is Allen building a report with Zay or is this just dumb luck?

 
Seems to have increased his target count recently. For people that watch, is Allen building a report with Zay or is this just dumb luck?
Jones has definitely improved this year.  To be frank, he was absolutely terrible last season and showed literally no signs of promise whatsoever.  In particular he really struggled to catch anything thrown his way.  He's done much better this season and the past few weeks in particular, and I'm starting to think I was wrong to write him off as a bust.  

 
Jones has definitely improved this year.  To be frank, he was absolutely terrible last season and showed literally no signs of promise whatsoever.  In particular he really struggled to catch anything thrown his way.  He's done much better this season and the past few weeks in particular, and I'm starting to think I was wrong to write him off as a bust.  
The light seemed to come on about halfway through this season. Maybe when Derek Anderson came in. His routes have been much more polished and his hands haven't really been an issue this year.

I still think he tops out as an NFL #2 WR, and a fantasy #3, but that's more than I expected at the end of last year.

 
This is great to hear. I did think he was a promising prospect as a rookie.

His rookie season was so bad that I thought I was wrong about that. Nice to see him turning that around.

It's still Buffalo which is challenging, but maybe I'm wrong about Josh Allen and Jones becomes valuable next season.

 
To be frank, he was absolutely terrible last season and showed literally no signs of promise whatsoever.  In particular he really struggled to catch anything thrown his way.
Well, according to his father he played most of the last season with a torn labrum

 
Finished the year pretty solid. Allen looks like he has a ton of potential which helps Zay’s outlook the next couple of years. Buffalo probably adds a WR but I don’t think it will be super early anymore with Zay doing solid and Foster showing some promise as well. 

Dont think he turns into anything to special but could end up as a nice possession and redzone guy.

 
Zay Jones said he is "bigger and stronger" entering his third season.

"I have been focusing on how I can maximize my frame and my body to be the best I can this year," Jones said. "I think it’ll help in many aspects. My blocking, my play strength, endurance, stamina, prevention of injury." Jones improved his efficiency as a sophomore on his way to a 56-652-7 line, but he will struggle to reach those numbers again after the Bills added John Brown and Cole Beasley in free agency.

SOURCE: buffalobills.com

May 21, 2019, 9:44 AM ET
 
What's the deal with this kid?  He is REALLY flying under the radar but I think he is Josh Allen's favorite WR.  The 2 of them have a rapport.  am I nuts or can Zay Jones be one of those sneaky late round Wrs that go for close to 1000 yards and 7-8 TDs this year?  

 
rickyg said:
What's the deal with this kid?  He is REALLY flying under the radar but I think he is Josh Allen's favorite WR.  The 2 of them have a rapport.  am I nuts or can Zay Jones be one of those sneaky late round Wrs that go for close to 1000 yards and 7-8 TDs this year?  
That would be Beasley.  I see no reason to think that Jones is even Allen's second-favorite WR, and even if he was, Zay hasn't done much with the opportunities he's been given so far.  As a fan of the team, I would love to see him break out, and it's certainly not impossible or anything, but I don't think there's any special reason for optimism.

 
That would be Beasley.  I see no reason to think that Jones is even Allen's second-favorite WR, and even if he was, Zay hasn't done much with the opportunities he's been given so far.  As a fan of the team, I would love to see him break out, and it's certainly not impossible or anything, but I don't think there's any special reason for optimism.
One reason would be that Jones led the Bills in targets last season.

Jones had one of the worst rookie seasons I have ever seen from a statistical efficiency standpoint. He isn't getting any favors from the QB play thats for sure.

He did improve a lot in his second season despite playing with a rookie QB who is not a very good passer yet in his young career. Jones scored 7 TD and his catch rate improved to above 50% (baby steps) with his targets increasing.

Cole Beasley is a different kind of receiver. I could see a scenario where he led the Bills in targets but for now I am going to assume that continues to be Zones.

 
I would be very surprised if John Brown and Cole Beasley aren't the top 2 WRs in Buffalo. 

Nobody really has any clue what the Bills have in mind for Jones, but he isn't showing up in any meaningful way in practice or in preseason games and the Bills had him playing special teams for the first time in forever and playing into the 4th quarter the last preseason game. 

There is a legitimate chance that Zay does not make the team. I think he probably does, but it is no sure thing.

 
Pretty big admission of failure considering he was a second rounder just  a couple of years ago.
Which is way better than refusing to admit a mistake.

John Brown is 11th in the league in receiving yards. Brown and Beasley are both top 25 in receptions. Knox has been a nice weapon and Duke Johnson looked promising in his first game this week. And Robert Foster may get his hamstring healthy and be a weapon too. All of those guys have produced. Zay just never did.

 
Which is way better than refusing to admit a mistake.

John Brown is 11th in the league in receiving yards. Brown and Beasley are both top 25 in receptions. Knox has been a nice weapon and Duke Johnson looked promising in his first game this week. And Robert Foster may get his hamstring healthy and be a weapon too. All of those guys have produced. Zay just never did.
Did I miss something?

 
Which is way better than refusing to admit a mistake.

John Brown is 11th in the league in receiving yards. Brown and Beasley are both top 25 in receptions. Knox has been a nice weapon and Duke Johnson looked promising in his first game this week. And Robert Foster may get his hamstring healthy and be a weapon too. All of those guys have produced. Zay just never did.
Agreed

 
Doesn't seem like it. Brown and Beasley seem to be the main cogs in the limited passing offense. Plus Singletary will be back after the bye and will likely soak up some targets.
This is about right.  Brown and Beasley are the top two receivers, and I imagine Duke is now #3.  Then there's Singletary and Yeldon out of the backfield, and Dawson Knox, and probably Kroft at some point.  I don't expect to see much of Foster.

 
to be fair, it's the press that brings this up, not Mayock. And I dont think JuJu  was available for trade
Not sure I follow this...this was Mayock's pre-draft rankings. Nothing about a trade even close to it.

I think I get what you're saying, though; it just takes a few inferential steps to get there. You're saying Mayock doesn't still value Zay Jones that way and that JuJu is not available for a fifth right now. 

 
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Yeah we have never seen a Bills WR go on to another team and have success.
Not that it really matters because it's an entirely different time and place now, but who was the last Bills WR who had success elsewhere?

The jury is still out on Watkins, but the other few I recall are Kelvin Benjamin, who busted with the Bills and now out of the league. Also, Stevie Johnson, Lee Evans and Peerless Price all busted after leaving. Probably forgetting some though. 

 
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Not that it really matters because it's an entirely different time and place now, but who was the last Bills WR who had success elsewhere?

Last few I remember are Kelvin Benjamin, who busted with the Bills and now out of the league. Stevie Johnson, Lee Evans and Peerless Price all busted after leaving. Probably forgetting some though. 
Robert Woods

Sammy Watkins (well, he did have 3 TDs week 1)

 
Robert Woods

Sammy Watkins (well, he did have 3 TDs week 1)
I added Watkins above in my edit, but right about Woods. Also helped though that he went to a great system, otherwise I think we might not be talking about him much.

 
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I added Watkins above in my edit, but right about Woods. Also helped though that he went to a great system, otherwise I think we might not be talking about him much.
I mean it certainly helped going to the Rams and McVay, but that dude is a good WR. He just had no one to get the ball to him in Buffalo.

 
Not that it really matters because it's an entirely different time and place now, but who was the last Bills WR who had success elsewhere?

The jury is still out on Watkins, but the other few I recall are Kelvin Benjamin, who busted with the Bills and now out of the league. Also, Stevie Johnson, Lee Evans and Peerless Price all busted after leaving. Probably forgetting some though. 
Robert Woods is a WR who I always thought was talented but he didn't put up good numbers at all until he left Buffalo.

I think Zay Jones it similarly talented. The Raiders maybe not as good a landing spot as the Rams, but the Rams were not considered a good landing spot until after he got there. 

The Bills havent been a good place for WR since Jim Kelly retired.

 
Robert Woods is a WR who I always thought was talented but he didn't put up good numbers at all until he left Buffalo.

I think Zay Jones it similarly talented. The Raiders maybe not as good a landing spot as the Rams, but the Rams were not considered a good landing spot until after he got there. 

The Bills havent been a good place for WR since Jim Kelly retired.
John Brown is #12 in receiving yards right now. Robert Woods is 24th.

And Robert Foster was a top 10 WR over the last 6 games of last season.

 
Much needed scenery change.  He was drafted by Rick Dennison and his ECU WR coach that didn’t last.  Much better fit in Oakland.  He’s a nice buy low in deep, deep leagues.  Trade worked for both teams.  His head-case father and mother on social media and him just going through the motions all summer and to start the season did him in. 

 

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