2023 Rookie Needs a Change of Scenery

The Las Vegas Raiders selected tight end Michael Mayer in Round 2 of the 2023 NFL Draft, a pick that most onlookers celebrated.

Michael Mayer, a 2023 rookie, needs a fresh start, and the Las Vegas Raiders should trade him to one of these teams.

One year later, Las Vegas sprung for another tight end, Brock Bowers, this time from Round 1, and Bowers utterly set the world on fire as a rookie. He might even be the best tight end in all of the land.

Mayer is the odd man out amid Bowers’ emergence, wasting away on the bench and deserving a TE1 job elsewhere.

He’s reportedly on the trade block, and for a 5th-Round pick or so, a team can fetch his services.

These are the most realistic landing spots via trade for Mayer, ranked in ascending order.

5. New England Patriots

Remember Josh McDaniels? He head-coached the Raiders when Las Vegas drafted Mayer but was fired not long after.

He now offensively coordinates the Patriots, and that franchise has Hunter Henry as its TE1. New England also has no premier youthful option at tight end in the pipeline.

Quarterback Drake Maye needs more aerial targets. Maye to Mayer would be pretty sweet.

4. Houston Texans

Mayer to Houston makes sense for a couple of reasons.

The Texans employ Dalton Schultz, Brevin Jordan, and Cade Stover at tight end. None of those men are elite.

Meanwhile, Jerry Schuplinski worked for the Raiders as Mayer’s tight end coach in 2023. Now, he’s on the Texans’ offensive coaching staff.

3. Miami Dolphins

A man named Champ Kelly served as the Raiders’ assistant general manager when primary general manager (at the time) Dave Ziegler picked Mayer in 2023.

Kelly now works for the Dolphins, and Miami may be on the brink of trading Jonnu Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Miami should acquire Mayer as Smith’s replacement.

2. San Francisco 49ers

Mick Lombardi held the job of offensive coordinator for the 2023 Raiders when Mayer turned pro. He’s now the quarterbacks coach in San Francisco. Lombardi should know Mayer quite well.

George Kittle will turn 32 this autumn, and it would be wise to trade for Mayer, hedging the bet against an inevitable Kittle injury and preparing the 49ers for the Kittle afterlife with Mayer.

1. Tennessee Titans

The aforementioned Dave Ziegler personally brought Mayer into the NFL two years ago. He’s an assistant general manager in Tennessee these days.

The Titans might have the worst tight end room in the business, possessing Chig Okonkwo, Josh Whyle, and Gunnar Helm on the depth chart. Tennessee should finagle a Mayer trade to pair him with Cam Ward.

Mayer is also from that section of the country; he was born four hours from Nissan Field in Independence, Kentucky.

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