When the Oakland Raiders traded for Buffalo Bills wide receiver Zay Jones earlier this week, it was thought to be a move to add depth to a depleted receiving core. With wideouts Tyrell Williams, Dwayne Harris, and J.J. Nelson all sitting on the injury report, there seemed to be a clear need for Jones.
On Thursday, one of those receivers got the boot as the Raiders decided to cut J.J. Nelson. It has not been a good week to be an Oakland receiver. The team cut receiver Marcell Ateman earlier in the week only to bring him back at a cost, that being Nelson.
The Raiders have cut veteran WR J.J. Nelson and re-signed WR Marcell Ateman, per source.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) October 10, 2019
While Nelson has seen very little action with the Raiders, with only four catches on the season, Ateman has seen essentially none. Ateman has not caught a pass the entire season, but the matter seems to be deemed on health.
Oakland is in need of healthy bodies that can actually get on the field and Nelson's knee injury prevented that from happening.
After signing with the team this past offseason, the 27-year-old Nelson has struggled to receive targets for the last two seasons, only receiving 19 in 14 games last season in Arizona. In an Oakland offense that seems more geared to the run, Nelson's ineffectiveness was costly.
According to Marcus Mosher of the Raiders Wire, there might be a chance the Raiders re-sign Nelson once he gets back to full health, but the possibility is slim. With Derek Carr yet to have a 300-yard passing game, opportunities to put up numbers as a receiver are rare in Oakland.
Follow Us
Subscribe