Who Should I Start? Kyle Philips or Velus Jones

Tuesday, February 18, 8:54 PM

The Las Vegas Raiders signed free-agent wide receiver Kyle Philips to an undisclosed deal on Tuesday. Philips, a former fifth-round selection by the Tennessee Titans in 2022 out of UCLA will head to the AFC West after spending all of the 2024 campaign on the practice squad of the Philadelphia Eagles. In 2022 and 2023, he caught only 23 of 35 targets for 259 yards and no touchdowns in 13 games played (no starts). The 25-year-old pass-catcher also saw time on special teams as a kickoff and punt returner, which will probably be his best path to a roster spot with the Raiders. Philips will be reuniting with his old head coach at UCLA in Chip Kelly, who is now the Raiders' offensive coordinator under new head coach Pete Carroll. Philips's familiarity with Kelly won't guarantee him a roster spot out of training camp, though.

Tuesday, December 10, 2:27 PM

The Carolina Panthers signed wide receiver/running back Velus Jones Jr. to the active roster from the Jacksonville Jaguars practice squad, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz. The 27-year-old was a third-round pick by the Chicago Bears in 2022 out of Tennessee and totaled just 135 receiving yards and 165 rushing yards in two-plus seasons with the organization. It will be interesting to see what plans Carolina has for him, as the team could use help and wide receiver and running back. Ball carriers Jonathon Brooks (knee) and Raheem Blacksheer (chest) were both injured in last week's loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Either way, it would be a surprise if Jones ends up on the fantasy football radar.