The Las Vegas Raiders were up against the clock on Tuesday, but they finally dealt Jakobi Meyers to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a 4th and a 6th-round pick. This is an incredible trade struck by general manager John Spytek, as the Raiders are now flush with resources in next year's draft.
But Las Vegas is not having a fire sale. Stars like Maxx Crosby, Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty are all seemingly non-starters in trade talks, as the franchise is not looking to completely tear things down. They're under the belief that within a year or two, they can start legitimately competing.
As such, the Raiders should not be eager to ship off valuable players on rookie contracts like Tyree Wilson or Tre Tucker, as they factor into Las Vegas' immediate game plan and long-term future. The same goes for Michael Mayer, even though he is reportedly being pursued.
Raiders should ignore any calls about trading Michael Mayer
On Tuesday, Packer Report's Easton Butler reported that the Green Bay Packers called the Raiders about trading for Mayer. This is understandable, as on Sunday, star Packers tight end Tucker Kraft tore his ACL and will miss the remainder of the 2025 NFL season.
Green Bay is in a championship window, and they are barely atop the NFC North in a tight race for the divisional crown. So, this deal would make a lot of sense for the Packers. But it makes absolutely no sense for the Raiders.
Chip Kelly's offense had a ton of success in Week 9 against the Jacksonville Jaguars running 12 personnel, which means they had both Mayer and Brock Bowers on the field at the same time. In fact, Mayer played more snaps than Bowers did on Sunday.
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With Meyers now gone, the emphasis figures to be even more on playing through the team's talented duo of young tight ends. Mayer still has another year on his rookie deal after this, and he could even be a candidate for a small extension after this season.
Yes, the presence of Bowers theoretically would make Mayer expendable. But Mayer's value was clearly seen when Bowers went down with an injury this season. Also, on Sunday, with everyone back in the lineup, Mayer got the second-most targets on the team behind Bowers.
Las Vegas should absolutely be looking to offload veterans and pending free agents for draft picks as they keep an eye on the future. But Mayer is a part of that future, so the Raiders can't act on this potentially disastrous follow-up to trading Meyers.