Buffalo Bills wide receiver Zay Jones has been a weight-room warrior in the off-season — so much so that the team had to give him an award.
A year ago, Buffalo Bills wide receiver Zay Jones was coming off an off-and-on rookie season, and couldn’t improve on it in practice, as he was nursing ankle and shoulder injuries. Now in 2019, the same can’t be said; Jones is coming off a team-leading season (56/652/7) and has bulked up in a healthy off-season.
Jones, a few weeks ago, told BuffaloBills.com that he’s been focusing on improving his frame heading into year three. He noted that it would help his game and ability to stay healthy, saying;
"I have been focusing on how I can maximize my frame and my body to be the best I can this year. I think it’ll help in many aspects. My blocking, my play strength, endurance, stamina, prevention of injury. Nothing is guaranteed. Getting bigger and stronger doesn’t guarantee anything, but it can only help you and give you a greater opportunity to be successful."
Jones’ efforts in the weight-room haven’t gone unnoticed by the Bills. On Thursday, he posted on social media that he won the team’s “most improved overall body composition champion.”
worked extremely hard this offseason with my strength staff and training staff to be awarded the most improved body comp champion. looking forward to constant growth this season !! pic.twitter.com/irMSUw9txz
— zay (@zayjones11) June 13, 2019
Jones’ motivation to strengthen his body is coming off the heels of a busy off-season for the Bills. The receiver will enter 2019 as a starter, but with veterans John Brown and Cole Beasley now on-board, he has some competition to be the No. 1 option.
To become the leading receiver for the Bills, Jones must show improvement. Though he was solid in his second year, there are obvious areas in need of progression. Jones’ frame is one of them — many thought he wasn’t NFL ready due to his build. Of course, he’ll also need to stay on the field. In terms of his game, he’ll need to continue to speed up his release and deep route-running.
As it currently stands, Jones isn’t a complete receiver. But throughout his short career, he’s showed a willingness to hone his craft and now build chemistry with Josh Allen. So far — unlike the last off-season — he’s taken all of the steps needed to be the No. 1 option the Bills hoped he’d be when they drafted him at the top of the second-round in 2017 out of East Carolina.