Raiders Urged to Move on From Disgruntled Star as Nightmare Season Continues

To say this year has been an ugly one for the Las Vegas Raiders would be putting things lightly. After acquiring Geno Smith, the hope was that he’d be an above-average quarterback. For parts of Smith’s career, mainly with the Seattle Seahawks, he showed some promise. During the 2024 season, he threw for over 4,300 yards. In 2022, he threw for 4,282 yards and 30 touchdowns. However, this year, the turnovers have been a significant issue, throwing for just touchdowns and nine interceptions. 

As a result, the Raiders sit at 1-4, and it’s possible they’ll have to sell a few pieces to further improve their future. Among the top options to move on from include Jakobi Meyers, who, according to Raiders Wire’s Justin Melo, should be traded.

“Furthermore, chemistry between Smith and Meyers doesn’t appear to be present. Even with high-volume pass catcher Brock Bowers missing Week 5 and being limited in Week 4, Meyers recorded a combined eight receptions for 62 yards in those contests. Smith appears to prefer Tre Tucker at wide receiver, who has made the majority of Vegas’ explosive plays.

“Meyers isn’t playing a big enough role in Chip Kelly’s offense. The Raiders opted not to rebuild this past offseason, hiring a 74-year-old head coach before acquiring a 34-year-old QB via trade. With disaster striking early, the Raiders may possess no choice but to properly rebuild next offseason. If that’s the case, trading Meyers for a draft pick would make sense,” he wrote.

Should the Raiders Trade Jakobi Meyers?

There are a few reasons to consider moving on from Meyers from the Las Vegas Raiders’ perspective. For one, he already asked for a trade during the offseason, given that he wants to be paid. Considering the Raiders will have to pay him soon, it’s either they do so, which might be questionable as he’ll turn 29 years old soon, or move on from him. 

Had the team played better, it’d make more sense to keep him around, but it sounds like big changes could be coming, considering Pete Carroll, according to the New York Post, stated after the game that he considered benching Smith during the Week 5 loss.

“Yeah, I was thinking that if there was a reason to do that,” Carroll said. “But here’s the reason why I didn’t do that – we need to stay out there and keep practicing.

“We need the reps. We need the turns. We need to run the system. We need to feel it. We need to see you guys get their opportunities that it takes to improve. That’s not like a big change is necessary. I thought about it, you know, because it was there.”

What Could the Raiders Get for Jakobi Meyers?

Regarding what the Las Vegas Raiders could get in return, they’ll have to hope that a team is desperate at the deadline. Considering there are a few teams on the cusp of being contenders, and could genuinely be a Meyers-type wide receiver away from accomplishing that, there’s reason to believe they could get a decent return. 

However, according to Raidersbeat.com, they only view a trade as a return of a fourth or fifth-round pick.

“Meyers will be an unrestricted free agent after the season, and he’s going to have a lot of interest if he gets to free agency. The window to re-sign Meyers at a bargain price is closing and if the Raiders want to double down on their rookie wide receivers next year, unloading Meyers ahead of the trade deadline would make sense.

“Meyers will turn 29 in November and might be worth a fourth or fifth round pick from a team looking to add a wide receiver for a playoff run,” they wrote.

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