The NFL regular season is about to start, and the Las Vegas Raiders still haven’t resolved the situation with starting wide receiver Jakobi Meyers. He requested a trade from the team after the two sides failed to agree on a contract extension.
The Raiders seem adamant about not trading Meyers, but it’s still something lingering over the team. For the first time since the news broke, Meyers addressed where he and the Raiders are on the contract situation.
“I don’t even know. We are gonna find out together,” Meyers said, per ESPN’s Ryan McFadden.
Meyers hasn’t threatened to hold out, and he’s been practicing with the team. He hasn’t been applying pressure on the team to figure out his future right now.
While Meyers has requested a trade, it sounds like he’s willing to return to Las Vegas if the two sides can reach an agreement on a contract.
“If (they) want me here, then cool. If they want me here, we will see where the chips fall,” Meyers said, per McFadden.
Meyers was the Raiders‘ best wide receiver last season, so it stands to reason that they’d want him on the team. That said, it appears Las Vegas isn’t sold on paying him long-term.
Why Wouldn’t Raiders Want to Pay Meyers?
On the surface, Meyers seems like the type of player teams like to reward. He doesn’t stir up any drama, he’s productive on the field and is a hard worker. Last season, he had over 1,000 receiving yards and didn’t drop a single pass. He was the only player in the NFL to do that last season.
The Raiders also have plenty of salary cap space and aren’t paying any other wide receivers big money. Despite that, Las Vegas doesn’t seem overly keen on extending him. Perhaps that could be because Meyers wants No. 1 wide receiver money, even though he’s more of a high-end No. 2 wide receiver.
It could also be because the Raiders see Jack Bech as his eventual replacement next season, who will be much cheaper. Regardless, Meyers is a good player and will get paid next offseason if he hits free agency.
How Much Meyers Get Raiders in a Trade?
For the Raiders, there’s no reason for them to trade their No. 1 wide receiver right before the season unless they get some really good assets in return. Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report believes that he’d only get Las Vegas a fourth-round pick.
“The reality is that Meyers, who is in a contract year, is likely nearing the end of his Las Vegas tenure,” Knox wrote. The Raiders just used a second-round pick on his likely replacement, Jack Bech. With fellow rookie Dont’e Thornton Jr. already in the starting lineup, moving Meyers and getting both rookies on the field could make sense.
“Meyers may not command as much as Jennings because of his $10.5 million base salary. However, the Raiders could expect a reasonable return for a 28-year-old pass-catcher coming off a 1,000-yard season.
A fourth-round pick seems low for a player of Meyers’ caliber. At that point, the Raiders would be better off keeping him for now and seeing where things stand at the trade deadline.
Jakobi Meyers Breaks Silence on Raiders Trade Request With Blunt Message