Buffalo Bills GM on WR Zay Jones: 'He'll have to earn his way'

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Zay Jones is going to need to earn his spot, according to Bills general manager Brandon Beane.

Jones dealt with a shoulder injury last year and knee surgery this offseason after being selected by Buffalo with a second-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. He is presumed by many to start opposite Kelvin Benjamin in 2018, although Beane wasn't guaranteeing as much during an appearance on WGR 550.

"He's not just going to necessarily go right to the top of the line," Beane said, via NewYorkUpstate.com. "He'll have to earn his way. Part of that will just be getting his feel. He's only played with Nathan Peterman. He has not got to play with Josh Allen or AJ [McCarron] yet. So that bond there will just have to form."

Jones recorded 27 receptions for 316 yards and two touchdowns during his rookie season for the Bills, whose thin wide receiver corps consists of Jones, Benjamin, Andre Holmes, Jeremy Kerley, Ray-Ray McCloud and Brandon Reilly, among others.

The 23-year-old Jones made bigger headlines in a bizarre incident in March when he was arrested on suspicion of felony vandalism.

Video of the incident showed him naked in a hallway in an apartment building, arguing with his brother, Cayleb Jones, who is a wide receiver with the Minnesota Vikings. Prosecutors declined to pursue criminal charges, citing insufficient evidence.