The Oakland Raiders, believe it or not, have added another wide receiver. On Friday, the team announced on Twitter that it has signed former Arizona Cardinals receiver J.J. Nelson.
Even more speed.
We have signed WR J.J. Nelson: https://t.co/13lfgDzGPY → @_ThaJizzleMan #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/l3EsvzxmQS
— Las Vegas Raiders (@Raiders) March 15, 2019
As the Raiders indicate, speed has been the diminutive Nelson's defining characteristic for the entirety of his football career. The University of Alabama-Birmingham product blazed to a 4.28 40-yard dash at the NFL combine leading up to the NFL draft, the second-fastest time for a wide receiver since then. He was subsequently selected with a fifth-round pick by the Arizona Cardinals.
Nelson has spent the duration of his NFL tenure in Arizona. He had career-lows of seven catches for 64 yards and zero touchdowns last season, as rookies Christian Kirk and Trent Sherfield surpassed him in the team's hierarchy at wide receiver. Nelson best season came in 2016, as a sophomore, when the 5-foot-11, 160-pounder caught 34 passes for 568 yards and six touchdowns. The 26-year-old also has a history of returning punts and kicks, though hasn't done so since the 2016 season.
This is the third wide receiver acquisition Oakland has made in the opening days of the player-movement period. On Sunday, the team agreed in principle to a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers that sent Antonio Brown to the Raiders in exchange for third and fifth-round picks in the upcoming NFL Draft. Just a few days later, Oakland signed underrated wide receiver Tyrell Williams away from the Los Angeles Chargers with a four-year, $44 million contract.
The Raiders have been slow to address a defense that finished dead last in points per game last season, though they did sign former Los Angeles Rams safety LaMarcus Joyner. The team has a league-high three first-round picks in the NFL Draft, all of which could be used on defensive players.
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