A big part of the Las Vegas Raiders' offseason plan will be surrounding presumed No. 1 overall pick Fernando Mendoza with suitable talent on offense. Beyond the obvious of needing to bolster the offensive line, adding a top-end talent at wide receiver feels like an order.
Luckily, there are multiple potential options out there to fill the void left by Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers over the year, and the Raiders have the resources to pursue those ideas. It's also fair to say that the list of WR1 options they'll actually pursue can be whittled down based on cost or overall fit.
Some ideas about who the Raiders could pursue to be their No. 1 wide receiver are better than others, of course. Some ideas, like DK Metcalf, may have made sense not that long ago. But they absolutely don't anymore.
Fantasy analyst offers nearly the worst idea for Raiders to acquire their WR1
SI.com fantasy analyst Mark Morales-Smith has suggested the Raiders "need" to trade for Metcalf, now the Pittsburgh Steelers' star wide receiver. Las Vegas can do much better than Metcalf, especially at that price, as they need to be "sellers" and not "buyers" right now.
Las Vegas Raiders Receive:
WR DK Metcalf
6th-Round Pick
Pittsburgh Steelers:
3rd-Round Pick
4th-Round Pick
"Metcalf's fantasy value in Las Vegas will likely significantly hinge on the production of projected first-overall pick Fernando Mendoza. The Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback is heavily favored to land with the Raiders in April's draft. Your faith in him will likely shape how you value Metcalf. We not only view Mendoza as an immediate upgrade over what he had in Aaron Rodgers last season, but it is undoubtedly positive for his dynasty value."Â
"If you own shares of Metcalf, you should be cautiously optimistic about this move. While it's always hard to trust the Raiders as a franchise, we already know the situation in Pittsburgh hasn't been great."
In seven NFL seasons, Metcalf has topped 1,000 yards just three times. He has caught more than 80 passes just twice, with a high of 90. His size and physical tools would seem to make him a touchdown maven, but he has had six or fewer scores in three of the last four seasons.
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Speaking in fantasy terms, Metcalf has been a "WR1" (a top-12 finish) twice in his career. Morales-Smith framed how landing with the Raiders would be beneficial to Metcalf and his fantasy value, and residually, any fantasy managers who are afflicted with having him on a dynasty league roster.
But if the Steelers are willing to trade him one year after acquiring him and paying him big, how is acquiring him appealing to the Raiders or any other team? The frank answer is that Metcalf is not all that appealing a trade target.
At a certain point, his consistent underachievement can't be blamed on his team's circumstances. As the Raiders try to get a rookie quarterback on the right track next season, any lack of production could be freshly blamed on that, and no finger-pointing needs to occur in Las Vegas.
It's also worth noting that the Seattle Seahawks traded Metcalf to the Steelers after Klint Kubiak was hired as offensive coordinator. Not getting the contract he wanted drove Metcalf to ask for a trade last offseason, but if Kubiak really wanted him, Seattle would have found a way to keep him around.
A year ago, with his tie to Pete Carroll, Metcalf made a level of sense for the Raiders. But with that tie gone, any idea of Metcalf as a fit is also long-gone.