Marvin Jones, Detroit Lions
Of all the players on this list, Marvin Jones may be the most ambitious. He certainly isn’t Antonio Brown, but he has shown his fair share of talent during his time in the NFL.
In his seven year NFL career, Jones has caught 285 passes for 4,268 yards and 33 touchdowns. He struggled with injuries in 2018, but really broke onto the scene during the 2017 season. Starting all 16 games he caught 61 passes for 1,101 yards and nine touchdowns. Jones lead the league with an average of 18 yards per reception.
Compared to Ross and Parker, Jones has proven he could succeed in the NFL. At just 28, a move to the Raiders would allow him to function as the team’s WR1 in both the short and long-term. Jones is under contract until 2020 on a deal that never sees him surpass $10 million in cap space. At that price, Jones could be a solid bargain for a Raiders team desperate for outside receivers.
Jones holds multiple similarities to former Raiders’ receiver Amari Cooper. Jones stands at 6’2″ compared to Cooper’s 6’1″ while Cooper ran a 4.42 40-yard dash compared to Jones’ 4.46. It’s hard to directly compare both players as they have had wildly different career trajectories. That being said, adding Jones would give the team a WR1 in the mold of Cooper, at least athletically. Derek Carr shined when having Cooper in the fold, adding Jones could perhaps bring the QB back into Pro-Bowl form.
As for the Lions, the team already dealt Golden Tate at the 2018 trade deadline. While moving Jones would hurt their depth, the team has Kenny Golladay locked as their WR1. Head Coach Matt Patricia has also shown a propensity to run a more ground-and-pound type offense. Detroit was 18 in rushing attempts as Head Coach Matt Patricia frequently gave that ball to journeyman LeGarette Blount up the middle.
With the Lions firing Offensive Coordinator Jim Bob Cooter, Patricia is likely to bring in an OC that fits his running style. It wouldn’t be a shock to see the Lions run the ball even more in 2019. If that becomes the case, then Jones could be expendable for the right price.
On the Raiders, Marvin Jones would function as the team’s WR1 and step into a high-powered role. He doesn’t garner the same amount of attention as AB, or even Cooper, but has proven he has what it takes to succeed in the NFL.
He may not be a “big name” to some, but of the players on this list, Jones would likely make the most immediate impact.
