Raiders finally conduct inevitable trade

The Las Vegas Raiders could no longer deny Jakobi Meyers his wish.

On Tuesday, the veteran wide receiver was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for fourth and sixth-round picks.

It was clear that Meyers was at the tail end of his tenure in Las Vegas and, with the postseason looking like a pipe dream, the Raiders decided to get something for a player who was likely out the door instead of losing him for nothing in the spring.

The telling piece of information was how the Raiders did not extend Meyers after his 1,000-yard season in 2024. Despite the receiver launching a trade request, the team did not fulfill it due to his important role in the offense.

So far, Meyers’s usage was somewhat inconsistent with that message.

While Meyers did tie for the team lead with 29 catches and second with 329 yards, it was clear that the Raiders were going a different direction. New quarterback Geno Smith developed stronger rapports with Brock Bowers and Tre Tucker, and the team invested draft picks in Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton Jr. to bolster the room. When the Raiders signed Tyler Lockett last week, the writing was on the wall.

The Raiders conducted a complete overhaul of their offense with Smith and running back Ashton Jeanty joining the fold, but it has still yet to find its footing.

Now, the team will be challenged to do so without last season’s leading wide receiver.