Who Should I Start? Kyle Philips or Velus Jones Jr.

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.

Sunday, March 16, 9:25 AM

The New Orleans Saints have signed free-agent wide receiver Velus Jones Jr. to a one-year deal. Jones is a former third-round pick of the Chicago Bears from 2022. He was never able to make much of an impact in Chicago and was waived by the team in October. Jones finished out last season with the Carolina Panthers, but he didn't see much of the field over there. He'll compete for a spot on the 53-man roster in training camp and could serve as a depth option or kick returner if he's able to make the team.