Good things are being said about Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer this offseason following a coaching staff overhaul. Pro Football Focus seems to think this will be a breakout season for the third-year player.
Expectations were initially high for Mayer when the former brain trust of Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler drafted him a few years ago. Given the history of McDaniels and working with elite tight ends in New England, it was only natural. If you remember, many felt this would translate to the Raiders. Instead, Mayer languished under McDaniels. Once the head coach was gone, things still didn’t really take off though a quarterback game of musical chairs over the last two years didn’t help either.
Still, the talent remains.
With Chip Kelly taking over the Raiders offense (with head coach Pete Carroll overseeing the operation), Mayer is getting a clean slate. More than that, he’ll finally team up with All-Pro Brock Bowers in a system that’ll make use of both tight ends. So, it makes sense why PFF’s Bradley Locker believes Mayer is due.
Is Raiders TE Michael Mayer due for a breakout year?
“Mayer played only 461 snaps in his second season as he dealt with a personal matter, recording a 52.2 PFF receiving grade and just 156 total receiving yards,” Locker wrote. It’s true, personal troubles did indeed derail last season for Mayer, so that can’t be held against the Notre Dame product.
“Still, he found ways to stay on the field given his 99th percentile rate of positively blocked run plays and 77th percentile separation rate. Indeed, the Raiders finished fourth in snaps out of 12, 13 or 14 personnel last year,” Locker added. That’s interesting considering how much playing time he missed. When he did play, he managed to contribute even if it didn’t show up on the stat sheet.
Locker went on to point out what many Raiders fans already seem to know. For example, having Geno Smith at quarterback will provide a steady and proven hand. More importantly, the Raiders finally have stability with Smith and Carroll. That will go a long way to not only benefit Mayer but all of the team’s weapons. Don’t forget, Mayer was a second round selection. The talent was always undeniable but he was dropped into a less than stellar situation. Looking ahead, Kelly, his new play caller, will maximize Mayer’s tools.
Who knows, maybe it’ll end up vindicating the draft decision by McDaniels and Ziegler.
