The Las Vegas Raiders made a surprise draft pick last year when they took tight end Brock Bowers with the No. 13 pick. What made it such a big surprise is that the team used an early second-round pick on Michael Mayer the year before.
It quickly became clear during the 2024 season that that was a savvy move as Bowers had the greatest season ever by a rookie tight end while Mayer was largely a non-factor. The Raiders are undergoing yet another offensive overhaul with offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and Mayer may no longer be a fit with the team.
According to Tashan Reed and Vic Tafur of The Athletic, the Raiders are talking to other teams about trading the young tight end.
"The Raiders have had discussions with teams who have interest in tight end Michael Mayer, according to league sources," Tafur and Reed wrote in a Feb. 28 column. "Mayer hasn't had the impact the Raiders hoped for when he was drafted in the second round in 2023. He had just 27 catches for 304 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games as a rookie. He missed six games due to personal reasons in 2024 and was delegated to a marginal role due to the ascent of tight end Brock Bowers, who was named a first-team All-Pro."
Mayer was a very good player in college and many considered him the best tight end prospect in the 2023 class. It's easy to see why a team might think he still has value but Bowers is clearly the Raiders' tight end of the future. The big question is what value Las Vegas can still salvage from Mayer.
