Who Should I Start? Matthew Slater or Zay Jones

Tuesday, February 20, 12:01 PM

New England Patriots wide receiver and special teams ace Matthew Slater announced on Tuesday that he is officially retiring from professional football. Slater holds the record for most special teams Pro Bowl appearances with 10. "I have given all that I possibly can to respect and honor the game," Slater wrote. "Though it is time for my relationship with the game to evolve, the love I have for it will last a lifetime." The former fifth-round pick by the Patriots in 2008 out of UCLA spent his entire 16-year career in New England and won three Super Bowls with the team and is the franchise's all-time leader in special teams tackles. Slater played in 239 games with the Patriots, second in team history behind only Tom Brady (285). Slater's 25 career postseason games rank ninth-most in NFL history. The 38-year-old was a team captain for 13 straight seasons.

Friday, May 10, 3:47 PM

Free-agent wide receiver Zay Jones is signing with the Arizona Cardinals, according to NFL insider Ian Rapoport. The 29-year-old went on visits with the Tennessee Titans and Dallas Cowboys this week, but he ultimately landed in a spot where he can compete for targets right away. Jones was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars after they selected LSU wideout Brian Thomas Jr. in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, but there's a real chance his situation is better in Arizona. Rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. is expected to occupy the WR1 role right away, but Jones is almost certainly slated to start in three-wide sets, and he might even beat out Michael Wilson to start in two-wide sets. He and tight end Trey McBride could battle it out to be Kyler Murray's No. 2 option in the passing game. Pencil in Jones as at least a deep league flex option in 2024.