Getty Raiders WR Jakobi Meyers
At 2-6, it might well be time to give up on the hopes for the 2024 Raiders for once and for all. Already, the team has dealt away veteran star receiver Davante Adams, in a move that made pretty simple sense–Adams did not want to be with a go-nowhere franchise anymore, and the Raiders want to stockpile draft capital ahead of a push to revamp the offense.
Next up, could be a trade of veteran receiver Jakobi Meyers, who has been solid in the two years since he arrived with the Raiders on a three-year, $33 million contract after he left the Patriots. Meyers had 807 yards and eight touchdowns last season, and has racked up 325 yards on 31 catches for the Raiders this year.
The NFL trade deadline looms on Tuesday, November 5.
While the wide-receiver market has been very busy thus far–with Adams, Amari Cooper and Diontae Johnson among the big names on the move–there are still teams that have seen their pass-catching units walloped by injuries. The 49ers are on that list, as are the Buccaneers and the Texans.
And one league analyst sees Houston as the ideal spot for a Meyers trade.
Raiders’ Jakobi Meyers Could Be in Demand
Presumably, the return for Meyers would be slightly less than what the Raiders got for Adams and what the Browns (third-rounder and a pick swap) got for Cooper. Meyers won’t command a third-round pick. But a fourth-rounder, and perhaps a late-draft swap of sixth-round and seventh-round picks, could maybe do the trick.
The Texans could use Meyers. Star wideout Stefon Diggs is out for the year with an ACL injury, and the team is also dealing with an injury to Nico Collins, who has a hamstring problem.
The Raiders should be poised to take advantage of the Texans desperation, as Houston seeks to carry through with its breakthrough season as an AFC contender. That’s the view of veteran NFL writer Doug Farrar of Athlon Sports.
He writes: “Jakobi Meyers, who might be on the block if the 2-6 Raiders are ready to admit that the 2024 season has been an abject failure, would be able to help the 6-2 Texans in multiple ways. First of all, his skill set replicates Collins’ to a point as a big (6-foot-2, 200-pound) ball-winner on contested catches, and second of all, he can get open on underneath routes as Diggs is able to.”
There’s some question about whether the Texans would want to pay Meyers going forward (he is under contract for next season), but he is a good fit for their offense. Such a deal would push more money off the Raiders’ books, too, allowing Las Vegas to expand what is expected to be a huge pool of free-agent money for next offseason.
