Jaguars get unexpected validation of an offseason wide receiver move

The Jacksonville Jaguars added Brian Thomas Jr. and Gabe Davis to the wide receiver corps in the offseason. This made Zay Jones an unnecessary luxury, so the team's brass chose to move on from him. Following recent news, the decision looks much better in retrospect.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reported that Jones will be serving a five-game suspension to start the season for violations of the league's personal conduct policy. Other analysts and outlets later confirmed the news.

The suspension stems from Jones being arrested on a domestic battery charge last November. He spent a night in Duval County Jail and was released on a bond the day after. Although the state attorney later dropped the charges, his actions were in violation of the NFL's conduct policy.

A second-round pick by the Buffalo Bills in the 2017 NFL Draft, Jones was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020. He went on to appear in 43 games with 18 starts for the Silver and Black. The former East Carolina Pirate then signed a three-year deal worth $24 million with the Jags in 2022. The decision raised eyebrows because, at that point in his career, he had amassed more than 600 yards in a season just once and had scored a combined 11 touchdowns in five years.

Jones silenced critics and rewarded Jacksonville's trust by setting new career bests for catches and receiving years in a season. He also came up clutch at crucial times. The most memorable one might've been when he scored the two-point conversion that helped the Jags beat the Baltimore Ravens during their 2022 playoff push.

Unfortunately, the Texas native wasn't able to build off of his promising first season with the Black & Teal. The culprit was a knee injury that limited him to nine games with seven starts for 34 receptions for a measly 321 yards with two touchdowns.

Looking to upgrade their wide receiver room, the Jags signed Davis in free agency and later drafted Thomas 23rd overall. Not long after acquiring the latter, the front office released Jones. The move left $6.17 million in dead money but also freed up $4.18 million in space. Not long after he was let go, the veteran joined the Arizona Cardinals on a contract worth up to $2.25 million.

If Jacksonville hadn't drafted Thomas, they might've kept Jones. However, there was no longer room for him in a crowded wide receiver room that includes the aforementioned Thomas, Davis, Devin Duvernay, Christian Kirk, and sophomore Parker Washington.

The Jaguars no longer had use for Zay Jones

Make no mistake, Zay Jones stepped up when the Jaguars needed him in 2022. On the other hand, their offense also suffered a dip when he wasn't available last year. Not wanting to depend on him, the team added reinforcements in the offseason.

For the sake of argument, let's say the Jaguars had kept Jones and they didn't know a suspension was looming. With Christian Kirk, Brian Thomas Jr. and Gabe Davis slated to start, Jones would've been the fourth receiver option at best. When you factor in that tight end Evan Engram will also play an important role in the passing game, along with his inability to play special teams, there was no longer use for him in Jacksonville.

Even if Zay Jones hadn't gotten a suspension to start the 2024 season, the Jaguars no longer had room for him. That he did validates their decision to move on from him.

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