49ers Should Trade for Raiders Tight End

A viable No. 2 tight end is something the 49ers have been after for the last two years.

Nov 19, 2023; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer (87)] runs with the football against the Miami Dolphins during the first quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

A viable No. 2 tight end is something the 49ers have been after for the last two years. 

The benefits of having one can improve and give the offense a new dynamic. It’ll also ease George Kittle's burden. Surely the 49ers will look to find that player this offseason in free agency and the NFL draft.

But there is another way the 49ers can find their No. 2 tight end. It’s by trading for one and there happens to be an available player. According to a report by The Athletic, the Raiders are shopping tight end Michael Mayer. 

He was a fairly touted draft prospect two years ago. The Raiders drafted him in the second-round with the 35th overall pick. However, that was two regimes ago for the Raiders. The staff that drafted him is long gone and the Raiders have All-Pro Brock Bowers now.

Mayer missed six games last season due to personal reasons and only tallied 21 catches on 31 targets for 156 yards. With Bowers already an elite player, there’s no room for Mayer to fit. 

Mayer is expendable, so it makes sense why the Raiders want to trade him. He is a player the 49ers should be all over. Mayer was a solid blocker and pass catcher going into the draft. He would be an excellent fit as a No. 2 tight end and understudy of Kittle. 

Plus, the 49ers will have him under contract for the next two years. It shouldn’t cost the 49ers more than a fifth round pick to acquire him. They should give up the one they just acquired from the Commanders in the Deebo Samuel trade. 

The Raiders have zero attachment to Mayer now that this is the second new regime under head coach Pete Carroll and General Manager John Spytek. A fifth round pick would be looked at as a win for the Raiders.

Now, the pushback is the Raiders never deal with the 49ers. However, I think that changes now that Tom Brady is helping call the shots. If there is a deal to be made to help the team, the Raiders will do it. I think doing business with the 49ers will be plausible from now on. 

Mayer should be a player the 49ers can bring in without any hang up. He is by no means a sure thing to be excellent in his role or even sufficient, but he’s worth the acquisition. See what he can do in an offense that will know how to utilize him and go from there. 

It fits into the youth movement the 49ers appear to be on, so why not?

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