When the Seattle Seahawks traded quarterback Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders on Friday, the rumors of a talent exodus from the Pacific Northwest to Sin City kicked into overdrive.
First-year head coach Pete Carroll clearly values players with familiarity in his system, and the Raiders have been connected to a number of Seahawks because of it. Wide receiver Tyler Lockett has been linked to Las Vegas since being cut on Wednesday, but the real prize was fellow receiver D.K. Metcalf. Many teams, the Raiders included, were in to see if they could secure the services of the big-bodied star wideout.
A decision was made by the Seahawks on Sunday and, unfortunately, the Raiders did not receive a second player from Seattle this time around.
On Sunday, the Seahawks agreed to trade Metcalf to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport, the Steelers are sending a 2025 second-round pick in exchange for Metcalf. Pittsburgh and Seattle are also swapping sixth and seventh-round picks in the 2025 draft, as well.
The Steelers did not stop with the news there, as they agreed to a five-year, $150 million contract extension with Metcalf shortly after the trade was announced.
While the Raiders missing out on Metcalf is a bit of a blow in an otherwise strong offseason so far, it is fair to wonder if bringing him in would hamper the team’s plans.
According to Over the Cap, the Raiders sit at 13th in the league in usable cap space with a little under $51 million. This includes Maxx Crosby ‘s extension and the trade for quarterback Geno Smith, but does not currently account for Adam Butler’s extension on Sunday. Metcalf would be a nice addition, but adding another high cap hit this soon in the off-season could lead to tough decisions later on.
The Raiders did not land Metcalf as some fans wanted, but it is only a slight damper on what has been an excellent start to the Carroll era.
