When the Las Vegas Raiders hired general manager John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll this offseason, the intention was to give this franchise a complete makeover. They would no longer be the laughing stock of the AFC West as they were hiring an experienced head coach who had been to the mountaintop of the NFL and a general manager who had played a pivotal role in several successful front offices.
This meant that there was destined to be plenty of roster turnover this offseason after a four-win campaign in 2024. This came in the form of losing half of their defensive starters from last season in free agency and acquiring cheaper, high-value players to replace them.
Trade rumors have swirled around some of the team's expendable players as well, including running back Zamir White and tight end Michael Mayer. However, the Raiders made a signing on Tuesday that signaled what the team intends to do with Mayer.
Does Raiders' signing of Ian Thomas affect Michael Mayer?
The Raiders announced on Tuesday that they were signing veteran tight end Ian Thomas, which could indicate that Michael Mayer is not going anywhere. At this point in his career, Thomas is simply a blocking tight end, which poses no threat to Mayer's playing time or livelihood with the franchise.
Thomas is a seven-year NFL veteran who comes to Las Vegas after spending his entire career with the Carolina Panthers. He is averaging just 150 receiving yards per season, and has not had over 200 yards since his rookie year all the way back in 2018.
If Las Vegas intended to move Mayer this offseason, they might have added a tight end with more receiving upside in free agency, but they let Harrison Bryant walk and landed on Thomas, who has a total of eight catches over the last two seasons.
Mayer still figures to be the No. 2 tight end behind Brock Bowers but with few solutions at wideout or in the backfield, he could see his duties increase this season under offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, who is known to cleverly scheme players open.
Las Vegas used a second-round pick on Mayer in 2023, and while his production has not popped off the page, he is an integral member of the locker room and has the opportunity to play his first full season in 2025.
While Mayer could always be moved later in the offseason, as any player could be, the signing of Ian Thomas does nothing to indicate that Mayer is on the way out. In fact, by signing a different style of tight end, it actually reinforces how much the team values his skillset.