Currently sitting at a 2-4 record, this season has certainly not gone the way the Las Vegas Raiders had in mind.
Currently sitting at a 2-4 record, this season has certainly not gone the way the Las Vegas Raiders had in mind.
The additions of head coach Pete Carroll, quarterback Geno Smith and running back Ashton Jeanty during the offseason provided the Raiders with some promise heading into the season. However, that has yet to materialize into anything tangible, and the results have yielded more of the same struggles that have plagued the Raiders over the past few seasons. With the trade deadline on Nov. 4, Carroll and general manager John Spytek now have to take a long look at the roster and make decisions off of who they do or do not envision as a member of their core.
The most intriguing piece the Raiders have to offer is wide receiver Jakobi Meyers, whose trade request shortly after preseason was denied due to his important role on the offense.
However, the situation has changed dramatically since then. Meyers has seen his targets dry up in favor of the likes of Tre Tucker, and rookies Dont’e Thornton Jr. and Jack Bech are trying to push for more playing time. If the veteran wide receiver truly is not returning to the Raiders after this season, it would be at least prudent for the team to see what they can get, whether it be a young player, a draft pick or both.
With that in mind, here are three teams who can make convincing pitches to the Raiders for Meyers.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Out of virtually every team, the Steelers make the most sense as a candidate to acquire Meyers’s services.
The team made serious moves to bolster their receiving room in the offseason, swapping George Pickens out for DK Metcalf. However, the position group is still thin, with the Steelers being propped up in the receiving game by the tight end room and running back Jaylen Warren. With hopes of an AFC North divisional title and trying to make good on what could be quarterback Aaron Rodgers’s final NFL season, Meyers can help with both this season and beyond to help out a potential rookie under center.
The Steelers might not be overly interested in handing a third-round pick over to the Raiders, but the players they have for potential trade bait do not necessarily fit the timeline in Las Vegas. A player who could be of interest, however, is wide receiver Roman Wilson, a 2024 third-round pick who had promise, but injuries have caused him to never gain traction with the Steelers. An unproven receiving room like the Raiders would be the perfect place for him to showcase what he can do at the NFL level.
New York Giants
A 2-4 team buying at the deadline sounds like backwards thinking, but the Raiders and Giants are in two separate boats.
With surprising wins over the Los Angeles Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles, the Giants have renewed hope for their season. Quarterback Jaxson Dart and running back Cam Skattebo have been revelations this season, and the team can now shift towards building around them. With head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen pushing to get another season, a wide receiver room that lost Malik Nabers to a torn ACL sounds like a fine place to start.
The Giants are still not in a place to give up premium draft assets yet, so they will have to be tactical about what they offer. Cornerback Deonte Banks might not be a bad place to start, given the Raiders’ lack of long-term plans in the secondary. Other options include edge rusher Chauncey Golston and wide receiver Jalin Hyatt, so the Raiders have options if they want to pursue a player in the deal on top of a draft pick.
Seattle Seahawks
At first glance, the Seahawks feel like an unconventional choice to land Meyers.
The team already invested in Cooper Kupp this offseason, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba is in the midst of a breakout campaign. Despite that, the Seahawks still feel like a team in the second tier of what is shaping up to be a wide-open NFC. The right moves at the deadline could turn the Seahawks into a Super Bowl dark horse, and adding another offensive weapon in Meyers would only help the cause.
The Raiders might also be interested, as any Meyers talks with the Seahawks could segue into talking about cornerback Riq Woolen. Woolen played his best football under Carroll, but this season has seen his playing time reduced due to the emergence of Derion Kendrick and Josh Jobe. It would be a perfect swap of players; Meyers gets the chance to add to an offense with an impressive list of skill players, while Woolen gets a change of scenery with the same coach who drafted him.
Category: General Sports
