Although they were initially resistant to the idea, the Las Vegas Raiders traded wide receiver Jakobi Meyers at Tuesday's trade deadline. While the return was initially thought to be great, a handful of fans were confused about how the New Orleans Saints got a bit more in return for Rashid Shaheed.
Then, Jacksonville Jaguars general manager James Gladstone gave some insight as to how fellow first-year general manager John Spytek handled the ongoing saga with Meyers for Las Vegas, and he gained a bit more respect back from Raider Nation.
However, new details are emerging every day as the fallout from the deadline continues. The latest tidbit about the Raiders and Jaguars' trade involving Meyers is another feather in the cap of Spytek, even if it is a bit confusing.
Raiders reportedly let Jakobi Meyers choose his trade destination
Pittsburgh sports reporter Andrew Phillipponi noted that Mark Kaboly, the Steelers' correspondent for ESPN's The Pat McAfee Show, said that the Raiders had the exact same offer on the table for Meyers from both the Jaguars and Steelers.
Apparently, Las Vegas let Meyers choose where he wanted to go, seeing as both options were superior AFC foes and the Raiders would have gotten the same picks back in either scenario. Meyers, obviously, chose Jacksonville, likely given his connection with wide receivers coach Edgar Bennett.
If true, this is incredibly classy by Spytek, and it is the correct way to run an organization when all things are equal. Taking care of the players, especially ones like Meyers, who were professionals throughout the process and handled business correctly, is super important.
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There is a bit of a snag with this report, however. The Steelers do not currently have a 6th-round pick in either the 2026 or 2027 draft. They traded the pick in next year's draft for safety Kyle Dugger, and in the following year's draft in the George Pickens deal.
It is unlikely that Pittsburgh was looking to trade its 2028 6th-rounder for Meyers, and even more unlikely that the Raiders would view a 6th-rounder next year and a 6th-rounder in three years as the same value.
Regardless of the deal's exact intricacies, Las Vegas clearly ended up with the best return possible. Not only are they getting the better of the Jaguars and Minnesota Vikings' picks in the 4th round, but they are getting the New York Jets' pick in the 6th round.
Pittsburgh has a better record than each of these three teams right now, so the Raiders would not have gotten as good a pick in either the 4th or 6th round. The details on this story are a bit fuzzy, but again, it is perhaps a peek into the front office's mechanics.