Raiders Veteran Entered Camp in the Best Shape of Career

Third-year tight end Michael Mayer is ready to establish himself as a productive part of the Raiders' offense. After training camp, the talented tight end confirmed he feels the better right now than his previous two training camps.

"I think you're right. I think this is the best I felt in my two and a half, three years in the NFL, no doubt about it. And I think that that comes with mentally and emotionally being where you want to be, because your body's not going to be where you want to be, if your mental is not where you want it to be. And my mental and my emotional is the best it's been also," Mayer said.

"So, it's a connection of all three and the physical also. A.J. Neibel, the strength coach, he's done a great job with me this offseason, and I did a great job with myself when I was home for the three, four, or five weeks this break. And I'm just really excited to keep getting better. Man, it's day by day, step by step. I'm working on all my routes out there. There's still a million things that I need to get better at in terms of the blocking game, hands inside, keeping my feet moving, stuff like that. So, it's wake up every day, 'What can I get better at today?' And then take it day by day." 

Mayer has been through his fair share of ups and downs since he was drafted by the Raiders two offseasons ago. However, his talent and untapped potential are undeniable. He explained that his confidence has not wavered in any way.

"Yeah, I think coming into the offseason in general, I think I had a lot of confidence in myself. And I think you say, no matter what anybody says about me, I know what I can do. I know what I'm going to do. And I came in, and I feel like I had a great spring. So even hearing that, it kind of seconds it a little bit, which is great," Mayer said.

"At the end of the day, it's in here. It's for me, it's in here. It really doesn't matter what any coach is saying, what any media person is saying; it's what I have to do to get myself prepared to play football and to be the best of my ability, physically, emotionally, and mentally. That's what it comes down to." 

Some have incorrectly assumed Mayer's value took a hit with the emergence of Brock Bowers. However, the Raiders are in need of talent, and Mayer has plenty of it. The Raiders appear to finally have an offensive coordinator that will figure out how to use both Mayer and Bowers.

Las Vegas also now has a competent starting quarterback on the roster. After finding himself in a challenging situation his first two seasons in the league, Mayer may be trending upward.

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