Ahead of the NFL trade deadline, wide receiver Jakobi Meyers and defensive end Maxx Crosby have been the most talked-about trade candidates for the Las Vegas Raiders. However, it sounds like there could be more players that teams could be interested in trading for.
The Raiders are a struggling team right now, which means they could likely afford to trade away key players in order to add draft picks. Despite that, it sounds like the team isn’t keen on making many deals.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer gave the latest intel on where the Raiders stand ahead of the trade deadline, and named two players who haven’t really been talked about in trade rumors.
“The situation in Las Vegas is interesting in that Pete Carroll is trying to build a program, and the roster is so thin that trades could undermine his ability to make progress on that front over the back end of the year,” Breer wrote. “Teams have called on TE Michael Mayer (whom Vegas could actually extend in the offseason) and CB Eric Stokes, and have been told no. Guard Jackson Powers-Johnson has drawn interest, too, and has had his fits and starts with the new staff, so there’s a possibility he’ll get moved. Jakobi Meyers’s name has been floating around for a while, but that’s another spot where the Raiders lack depth. There haven’t been many calls on him, either. With his deal up, he could bring more in a 2027 comp pick than a ’25 trade.”
Why Raiders Don’t Want to Trade Mayer or Stokes
Many have viewed Mayer as expendable since the team drafted Brock Bowers in last year’s draft. However, the Raiders continue to be high on the young tight end.
Mayer has had a chance at an increased role in recent weeks due to Bowers being injured, and he’s made some plays, but hasn’t put up huge numbers. The Raiders still believe that when they can get the running game going, the duo of Mayer and Bowers can be a problem for defenses.
Stokes has been the Raiders’ best cornerback this season. The former first-round pick is only 26, so the team might see him as a building block. He’s only on a one-year contract, so the Raiders wouldn’t turn down trade inquiries on him unless they had hopes to re-sign him this offseason.
Will Powers-Johnson Be Traded?
The rise and fall of Powers-Johnson is one of the most confusing storylines with the Raiders. He looked like a future All-Pro at center last season, but the coaching staff wanted him at guard.
He hasn’t played well there, and he continues to have to battle for his job. It’s obvious that there’s a disconnect between him and the coaching staff. It’s a shame because he has a lot of talent. He’s still young enough that the Raiders should be able to get some value if they were to trade him.
Unfortunately, it’s unlikely they can get more than a third-round pick. It makes more sense to just keep him, especially with the offensive line playing poorly, but the Raiders may find it better to move on from him entirely.
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