Who Should I Start? Tim Jones or Jacob Cowing

Tuesday, March 18, 9:19 PM

The Minnesota Vikings signed free-agent wide receiver Tim Jones to an undisclosed deal on Tuesday, according to Vikings.com's Craig Peters. Jones heads to the NFC North after spending the last four seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars, where he caught just 17 of his 27 targets for 154 yards and no touchdowns in 51 games (three starts) -- he spent all of the 2021 campaign on the practice squad and didn't see any action in the NFL that year. The 26-year-old product of Southern Miss will now join a Vikings receiver room that already includes All-Pro Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Jalen Nailor as well as Lucky Jackson, Thayer Thomas and Jeshaun Jones. He will most likely factor in for the Vikings on special teams and won't be guaranteed a spot on the 53-man roster out of training camp this summer.

Friday, June 13, 12:14 PM

The Athletic's Matt Barrows writes that one of the themes among coaches and players this spring was that nobody took better advantage of the offseason than San Francisco 49ers second-year wide receiver Jacob Cowing. The 24-year-old was selected 135th overall (fourth round) last year but had a minimal role, catching just four passes for 80 yards in 15 games (zero starts). However, he trained with quarterback Brock Purdy and receiver Ricky Pearsall (hamstring) early in the offseason and had a prominent role during spring practices. It helped that Pearsall, Brandon Aiyuk (knee) and Jauan Jennings (calf) were sidelined, but it's notable nonetheless. Cowing has great speed and is doing a better job of maintaining it throughout his cuts and breaks. He's good with the ball in his hands and could be a nice little gadget player in 2025, although it's unlikely to amount to much fantasy value.