Raiders starter hit the team with a sucker punch out of nowhere by giving them news they did not want to hear ahead of the season

Raiders WR Jakobi Meyers has requested to be traded

Meyers is coming off his first ever 1,000 yard season in the NFL during his second season with the Raiders. After a big season, it seems Meyers believes he deserves a pay raise. He is owed $10.5 million this season and has just under a $15 million cap hit on the Raiders' books. He, without a doubt, has outplayed his contract, and many teams around the league would be willing to give Meyers the new deal he seeks. It has already been reported that the Raiders have no interest in trading Meyers, but if they did, they would take on just over $8.5 million in dead cap, which would result in a savings of just over $6 million if they were to move him. The Raiders' WR room doesn't have an abundance of talent in it right now, though, so the question is what they would do if Meyers is traded or if he were to hold out to start the year?

The Raiders' plan at WR if they do trade Jakobi Meyers

When the Las Vegas Raiders’ new regime took over, it was clear that some changes were going to be made roster-wise. The focus also became clear in terms of surrounding Geno Smith with as many weapons as possible, which is why they drafted a running back and three wide receivers. However, drafting one of the receivers could have always been a backup plan, or a plan for the future. Jack Bech and Jakobi Meyers play very similar styles of football when it comes to the position. They’re both great route runners that aren’t elite at the deep ball, but find ways to get open in both the short and intermediate areas. Both are taller WRs with sure hands, but neither is the fastest guy on the field. Paying Meyers and Kolton Miller was always something the new regime would have to address. It appears they’ve made their decision, and they were ready for the consequences that followed.