With a 2-5 record, plenty of holes on the roster and no quarterback of the future currently in the building, all signs should be pointing toward the Las Vegas Raiders being sellers at the November 4 trade deadline, which is suddenly just around the corner.
But a 74-year-old head coach in Pete Carroll changes that equation a bit. The Raiders just signed aging wide receiver Tyler Lockett as well, and the staff refuses to cut their losses and start a youth movement, so they're still competing in 2025, and perhaps anything is possible in the coming days.
Most have assumed that Las Vegas will trade veteran wide receiver Jakobi Meyers to gain extra draft capital as they start keeping an eye on the future. But with the Miami Dolphins currently crumbling, the Raiders should offer them a package for wide receiver Jaylen Waddle that includes Meyers.
Raiders should kick the tires on a Jakobi Meyers-Jaylen Waddle trade
It may sound a bit crazy, but the Dolphins fired general manager Chris Grier on Friday, plunging them into a bit of chaos before the trade deadline. Miami was already receiving calls about Waddle, but they turned them down, as sources said he was not going anywhere as long as Grier had a say.
Well, with Grier now gone, and Champ Kelly serving as the interim general manager in Miami, John Spytek should call his old colleague from the Denver Broncos' Super Bowl-winning scouting department and see if they can make a deal.
Not only is Waddle over two years younger than Meyers, but he's a lot faster and more dynamic, making him a more prototypical No. 1 wide receiver. Plus, he's recorded over 1,000 receiving yards in three of his first four NFL seasons, and he's on pace for over 1,100 in 2025.
Considering Meyers still wants out of Las Vegas, the Raiders need a true No. 1 wideout, the Dolphins are seemingly hitting the reset button and there is a connection between the two front offices, a deal here may not be as far-fetched as originally thought.
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Of course, Waddle is a good bit more expensive. Over the next three seasons, he would carry a cap hit of $11.6 million, $33.8 million and $37.2 million. However, there is an out in his contract after the 2027 season where Las Vegas would just owe him $9.7 million in 2028 if the experiment fails.
While that is still a lot more than Meyers would likely cost the franchise, the Raiders are equipped to handle it. They have $103.2 million available in 2026 ($132.98 if the team wins its grievance against Christian Wilkins), $173.8 million available in 2027, and $250.98 million available in 2028.
This means that Waddle's contract would take up roughly 11.2%, 19.4% and 14.8% of Las Vegas' salary cap space over the next three years, and that is the worst-case scenario. There are way worse things to spend good money on in the NFL than an established lethal weapon at receiver.
Miami is in a tough spot with its cap space, which spurred this wonky Tua Tagovailoa to Las Vegas trade idea. But this move would be a lot better, because the Raiders would get an actual difference maker at still a portion of the price, and it would still force Las Vegas to draft a college quarterback.
Possible trade packages for Waddle could include Meyers and a 6th-round pick, or Meyers and a 4th-round pick for Waddle and a 6th-rounder. It may be a bit outside the box, but desperation makes NFL teams do crazy things, and the Raiders should be first in line if Waddle is being shopped.