Veteran wide receiver Zay Jones is taking a free agent visit with the Dallas Cowboys on Wednesday, sources tell Jordan Schultz. It will be his third team visit since being released by the Jacksonville Jaguars on April 30.
Jones met with the Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals before his trip to Dallas. After signing a three-year, $24 million contract with Jacksonville in 2022, the former second-round pick spent the last two seasons with the Jaguars.
Jones had a solid first season with the Jags in 2022, notching career highs in receptions (82), and receiving yards (823). He scored five touchdowns in 16 games, starting 15 of them.
Injuries took a toll on Jones in 2023 and he missed eight games. He finished the year with 34 receptions for 321 yards and two touchdowns in nine games. He played at least 15 games in each of his first six NFL seasons.
Jones has a connection to the Cowboys through his father Robert, who Dallas selected in the first round of the 1992 NFL Draft. The elder Jones, a linebacker, spent his first four NFL seasons with the Cowboys and was a key member of their three Super Bowl-winning squads in the 90s. He started 66 of his 51 games with Dallas (including the playoffs) and started two of the Cowboys' Super Bowl wins.
Zay Jones was born in Dallas and attended high school in Austin. He followed in his father's footsteps and played college football at East Carolina University.
Cowboys looking for depth after draft
The Cowboys kept it even at the 2024 NFL Draft, using their eight picks on four offensive and defensive players, respectively. Now Jerry Jones is looking to add some role players who could end up being the difference for Dallas.
Outside of All-Pro wideout CeeDee Lamb, the Cowboys wide receiver room consists of Brandin Cooks, Jalen Tolbert and Pro Bowl return man KaVontae Turpin, among others. Dallas somewhat surprisingly released Michael Gallup on March 15 just two years into his five-year contract. He landed with the Las Vegas Raiders on April 30.
The Cowboys have emphasized that quarterback Dak Prescott's contract extension is their top priority this offseason but no progress has been made on a deal. Zay Jones' visit comes a day after Stephen Jones, Dallas' executive vice president, gave Prescott a vote of confidence and said he believes the 30-year-old gunslinger can still lead the franchise to a championship.
He also said that the Cowboys have been right there in terms of competing for a championship over the last three seasons and are “hanging around the rim.”
Signing Zay Jones won’t make the Cowboys any more of a contender than they already are, but he could be a solid addition and option for Dallas' offense. Given his trio of free agent visits, he is highly coveted around the league and should find a home for training camp at the very least.
The 2024 offseason has been pretty quiet for the Cowboys, which is a little surprising as the upcoming season is crucial for the organization. It's not every day you see a consistent NFL playoff team enter a season with both their head coach and quarterback in the final year of their respective contracts.
That's where things stand at the moment for the Cowboys.
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