Star cornerback Jalen Ramsey finally got traded from the Miami Dolphins after months of speculation. The Las Vegas Raiders were one team that made sense for Ramsey, but he ended up with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
However, there could still be a deal to be had with the Dolphins. As part of the Ramsey trade, Miami sent away tight end Jonnu Smith, which now leaves the team with a need at the position.
The Raiders have a star tight end in Brock Bowers, and former second-round pick Michael Mayer has failed to make much of an impact over his first two seasons. Las Vegas has suggested that they have plans to utilize Mayer more this offseason, but it’s hard to imagine they’d turn down a trade for the right offer.
According to Omar Kelly of the Miami Herald, the Dolphins have been interested in Mayer for some time, and could be a player they’d like to trade for.
“Miami has had their eye on Raider TE Michael Mayer for a while. He’s had some on and off-field challenges with the Raiders,” Kelly wrote on X. “But he’s slated to make $1.6M in 2025 and $2M in 2026.
“Dolphins also shopping for cornerback help.”
Raiders Unlikely to Trade Mayer
While the Dolphins might like Mayer, the Raiders don’t seem eager to trade him. Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal isn’t buying that a deal will happen.
“The Raiders have no interest in trading Michael Mayer,” Bonsignore wrote on X.
Things could always change, but with the Raiders having such a young wide receiver corps, it could make sense to keep two capable tight ends. Plus, Las Vegas isn’t likely to get much value for Mayer right now, which will change if he has another big season.
Bowers Talks Geno Smith
The Raiders want to get Mayer more involved, but Bowers might already be the best tight end in the NFL, and he’s going to get a high number of targets. Geno Smith is coming in as the new starting cornerback, and Bowers is going to be his favorite target early on.
According to the young tight end, the two are already building a strong rapport.
“We just have been getting after it, I really like him,” Bowers said on “SportsCenter.” “He has been a really smart dude. He has been really focused. So I am really excited to see what he brings to the table, and obviously throws a great ball and I am excited to get to work with him more in training camp and throughout the year.
“I feel like we are always building. Even if you have known the guy for a long time, I think it still needs to get those reps in. Get all those different routes and those different looks and everything. So he could kind of know what you are going to do. Just keep going with it and keep building off stuff.”
If Bowers and Smith can get on the same page early on, the Raiders offense could be formidable in 2025.
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