The Las Vegas Raiders made several major changes this offseason, bringing in Pete Carroll as their head coach and turning over their starting quarterback duties to Geno Smith.
They have a stellar TE in Brock Bowers, but outside of WR Jakobi Meyers, their pass-catching situation leaves plenty to be desired — behind Meyers on the Raiders’ depth chart are rubber-handed third-year man Tre Tucker and rookie second-rounder Jack Bech.
Oh, and Meyers wants out.
The North Carolina State product is coming off the best season of his career, a year in which he posted 87 receptions for 1,027 yards and 4 touchdowns — and that was with target-sucker Bowers in the house. Meyers still managed to account for 21.6% of the Raiders’ targets, so a potential deal would leave a huge void for them on the outside.
In an attempt to give Smith better (or at least more) options, the Raiders agreed to a one-year dea with Amari Cooper on Monday. However, Cooper is 31-years-old and had just 44 receptions for 547 yards and 4 touchdowns last season while splitting time with the Browns and Bills.
If the Raiders decide to pull the trigger on a Meyers swap, who might be a logical trading partner?
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Pittsburgh Steelers
When the Steelers' quarterback carousel came to a stop this offseason, coach Mike Tomlin was left with creaky Aaron Rodgers behind center. Rodgers will turn 42 in December, so that was a win-now move.
The Steelers boast talent at the running back position in Jaylen Warren and Kaleb Johnson, and they have a pair of proven tight ends in Pat Freiermuth and Jonnu Smith all of whom should provide reliable options for Rodgers.
Pittsburgh made a big splash at wide receiver this summer, acquiring DK Metcalf from the Seahawks; however, they dealt George Pickens to the Cowboys, so the depth behind Metcalf isn't, well, deep: Fighting for the number two and three spots are Calvin Austin, Scotty Miller, and Roman Wilson, not exactly the 1989 San Francisco 49ers.
Adding Meyers would give Rodgers another solid pass catcher to help take their offense to the next level.
New York Jets
Unlike Old Man Rodgers, new Jets QB Justin Fields is known for his rushing prowess. In 2022, the former OSU Buckeye scampered for 1,143 yards and 8 touchdowns with the Bears. Last season, he appeared in just 10 games for the Steelers, yet still managed 5 rushing scores.
The Jets should have a run-heavy offense with Fields under center, and Breece Hall and Braelon Allen sharing the running back duties. However, when they do throw the ball, they don’t have a whole lot of game-changing options.
Garrett Wilson is a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver, but behind him are Josh Reynolds, Allen Lazard, and Tyler Johnson, a group that isn't anywhere near The Greatest Show On Turf. Their tight end spot should be led by rookie Mason Taylor, who caught 55 passes for LSU last season.
While the Jets might not be an ideal landing spot for Meyers for fantasy purposes, adding him would significantly upgrade them at WR2.
Minnesota Vikings
Like the Steelers and Jets, the Vikings will have a new starting quarterback, that being J.J. McCarthy, who missed all of his 2024 rookie season with a knee injury.
McCarthy is set up for success with Justin Jefferson as his top wide receiver. WR Jordan Addison will eventually be a great secondary option, but he has been suspended for the first three games of the season. Without Addison, McCarthy will be forced to rely on Jalen Nailor and rookie Tai Felton, so picking up Meyers would provide them with a proven option to take pressure off Jefferson early in the season.
Once Addison returns from his suspension, the trio would give the Vikings a ton of firepower as they try to take the loaded NFC North.
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