TUESDAY, 3:23pm: The base value of Jones’ three-year deal is an even $10MM, with $3.65MM in guaranteed money, as Albert Breer of the NFL Network Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun detail (Twitter links).
MONDAY, 6:38pm: Jones’ deal is for three years and $11.3MM, per Schefter (via Twitter).
4:45pm: The Raiders have reached an agreement with James Jones that will bring the free agent wide receiver to Oakland, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). According to Schefter (via Twitter), Jones will ink a three-year deal and reunite with general manager Reggie McKenzie, a longtime Packers executive before he took over the GM job in Oakland.
Jones, 29, finally emerged as a full-time starter in Green Bay over the last couple seasons, due in part to injuries and free agent departures. He responded by setting career-highs in receptions (64) and TDs (14) in 2012, then establishing a new career-high in receiving yards (817) in 2013. Like Eric Decker, Jones benefited from having a future Hall of Fame quarterback throwing him the ball and shouldn’t be counted on as a No. 1 receiver, but he makes a nice addition to a Raiders offense that could use another weapon or two.
Prior to reaching an agreement with the Raiders, Jones was linked to the Panthers, Jets, and Lions. While the Jets and Lions made significant splashes with their own receiver additions this week (Decker and Golden Tate, respectively), the Panthers’ receiving corps may be in real trouble. Carolina has already lost Steve Smith, Brandon LaFell, and Ted Ginn Jr. this offseason, and sees another reliable veteran come off the board with Jones landing in Oakland.
by end of month Jones will be 31, how many more players over 30 do Raiders need? Should entire roster be similar? Where’s long term focus? we should not be trying to win 6 or 7 games, but building strong team into the future. To me this move is a complete waste and of no significance at all. Needs are simple: Strong, Tall, Young DT, LT, DE, CB, then a QB who’s smart, that eats, drinks, sleeps winning. What about focusing on QB next year & taking Christian Hackenberg.
its called vet leadership…… the draft is still coming up… plus they have a top 5 pick they need vets with a winning mentality to turn things around and tuck,woodley, and jones are good solid pick ups…..
Well I didn’t know you can get 2 years older in 1 year. They are building this team with strong vets that can still play at a decently high level. They need to be worrying about upgrading the talent level of this team which they have done so far.
not to be sarcastic, but his B Day is the 31st of March, thus he’ll be 31. Nobody seems to want 2 remember we Raiders just purged entire roster. Is Mike Mitchell to old? Steelers don’t think so and that’s just a single example. Winning a couple games now at the expense of later will kill the franchise & us. Build slowly thru the draft, stop signing older players, period.
You do realize Jones is currently 29 right? You don’t jump from 29 to 31 in 1 birthday. And like I said, I don’t care what age the guys they’re bringing in. This roster was so devoid of talent that they really needed to just upgrade the talent level. It takes a few drafts before you start seeing returns and the Raiders just needed bodies. They had less than half the roster filled before free agency and they don’t have 30 some odd picks. Of course they have to sign people.
Jose, if you feel the Raiders are ready to win now and be playoff bound within two (2) years there should be no problem w/ signing five or six guys over 30 years old. However, I feel the team was in such disarray that at this point the Oakland Franchise in a brand new franchise starting from scratch. If we are efficient, secure solid drafts this year & next, ” THEN “, we’d be in position to think about veteran leadership. I don’t feel we are anywhere near that point thus the vast difference of opinion.
Yes, I will die as a Die Heart Raider fan…as it seems to be like a disease and grows & grows over time. George Blanda is the reason I’m a Raider fan and since he got my attention I’ve never looked back.
look man this team is turning things around in the toughest division in football lets just wait and see what happens.Al davis aint here no more this team is being run by someone who knows what hes doing and changing the way of thinking by bringing in quality vets to bring in that winning mentality….. free agency isnt over but their doing good with what they have done so far
Toughest division? The NFC West says hello. They have the two best teams in football and the Cards are a playoff team in any other division….
3 out of the 4 teams in the acf west are a playoff team broncos,chiefs,raiders,chargers.
Sure three out of four made it, but the records were inflated. The AFC West had to play the NFC North and the AFC South this year. Those were arguably the two worst divisions. I mean every team in your division had to play Jacksonville, Houston, NYG, Washington and Tennessee. Also they had two games against the Raiders (no offense, but the Raiders were pretty bad). That is seven games against pretty bad to terrible teams. Although the NFC W played the AFC south as well, they also played the NFC S that had Carolina and NO.
Jones will be this year’s Greg Jennings… a good receiver who was great because of the quarterback he played with…. GO PACK GO,,,
Mr. Wolf, Ur exactly right as the offensive system was set, the QB top notch and a variety of targets w/ a protected quarterback. The Raiders have none of that and Jones will disappear among all the other receivers. I’m not saying Jones isn’t a good athlete. It just doesn’t matter if he is or not at this point.