National Football League

James Jones: I was 'extremely surprised' to get cut by Raiders

Published May. 12, 2015 10:43 p.m. ET

foxsports

James Jones goes way, way back with Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie.

So the receiver was a little bit shocked when McKenzie told him he'd no longer play on the Raiders.

“I was extremely surprised, because I thought I was one of the bright spots on our team last year and I helped us win some ball games,” Jones admitted on CSN Bay Area’s Yahoo! Sports Talk Live. “When he (McKenzie) called me, it was a difficult conversation."

It was a talk Jones said he ultimately understood. He saw his team trending in a younger direction last season, even after his six-touchdown season.

Still, it came as a shock that Jones would spend only one year as a Raider. He said the team played him out of position -- in the slot, where he's less comfortable -- and that contributed to his dip in receptions.

“That’s not where my strengths are at," Jones said. "I do whatever the coach tells me to do and, with a young quarterback in Derek Carr, they felt like having me in the slot would best suit him. I did what they wanted me to do. I believe I’m stronger on the outside. That’s where I do all my damage, making tough catches in traffic."

But with the additions of Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree, there was too much traffic atop the Raiders' receiving depth chart. Jones says he's been contacted by a few teams since his release, but now that the shock has subsided, there's no sour grapes with the Silver and Black.

"At the end of the day, they’re doing what’s best for their football team," Jones said. "I came into this league with Charles Woodson and Donald Driver and they told me from the get-go that the NFL is a business. You can’t hold any grudges. I love everybody over there.”

(h/t CSN Bay Area)