It’s been over eight months since we’ve seen a Las Vegas Raiders regular-season game, but that ends this weekend with the Week 1 matchup against the Miami Dolphins!
This also kicks off (another) new era for the Raiders with Klint Kubiak’s first game as head coach and a revamped roster. However, Kubiak will be down one of his best players with tight end Brock Bowers undergoing a “meniscus trim” on Tuesday, leading us into this week’s mailbag.
Q: With Bowers out and Michael Mayer ascending to TE1, who
will be TE2 and TE3? I assume Ian Thomas is TE2. Maybe Connor Heyward as TE3 or a practice squad call-up, bruv? Who else needs to step up?
A: I think you’re correct that Thomas becomes the second tight end, and I’d imagine Heyward will be used similarly to how Kyle Shanahan deploys Kyle Juszczyk in San Francisco. According to Pro Football Focus, Juszczyk (I had to check the spelling three times and still got it wrong) actually spent more time as an in-line tight end than in the backfield last year (188 snaps to 167).
Part of the reason for that was that George Kittle missed six games, so Juszczyk basically became the second tight end in the 49ers’ two tight end formations. In other words, Shanahan leaned on 21 personnel to run his 12 personnel packages since the fullback has such a diverse skill set. Obviously, Heyward isn’t the same caliber as the 10-time Pro Bowler, but they have similar traits to be used similarly.
Heyward played both tight end and fullback at Michigan State, and he was used in-line a good amount during his first couple of seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. So, he’s an option as the third and maybe even second tight end. Thomas is more of a blocker, so I could see Kubiak leaning on Heyward more in the passing game.
That could eliminate the need to call someone up from the practice squad. But if that does happen, I’d imagine Chris Myarick gets elevated. Myarick hasn’t done much in his NFL career, but he’s been around for seven years to at least be a veteran option.
Someone else asked if there is any chance Mayer steps up, noting his lack of agility and underwhelming blocking so far in his career. Before the Bowers news, I listed Mayer as one of eight players who are entering a “make-or-break” season this year. However, that’s not the case anymore after the shocking news about his three-year, $45 million contract extension.
I’ll say this, though: After a big payday, it’s time for Mayer to hold up his end of the bargain and produce. And he now has a perfect opportunity to prove himself with the guy in front of him on the depth chart sidelined.
To be clear, I’m not expecting Mayer to do everything that Bowers can do. There’s a reason we consider the latter a unicorn; he has a unique skill set that most tight ends don’t have. Also, they’re built fairly differently, with Mayer being taller, thicker and more physical, while Bowers is lighter, more agile, and has more finesse to be a separator as a receiver and make defenders miss after the catch.
Will Mayer be split out wide and used from a variety of alignments in the offense, like how Bowers can be deployed? No, and it’d be unreasonable to expect that from him. However, this offense, especially the passing game, is supposed to go through Bowers. Meaning, with him out, there will be more opportunities for other pass-catchers to get targets, and Mayer has to take advantage of the balls that come his way.
This Sunday will be the first test to see if Mayer can live up to the new contract. Along the similar lines, Tre Tucker needs to step up as well and prove that he can be a go-to receiver. He’s also in the final season of his rookie deal, and it’s going to take more than one player to replace what Bowers brings to the table.
Q: With Bowers now out for a while, the schedule being what it is, this season could go off the rails quickly. Can you see Raiders throwing in the towel early and trading Crosby well before the deadline?
A: Someone else asked if the trade deadline (Nov. 10) is the most important date on the Raiders’ calendar this year, and if guys like Maxx Crosby, Kolton Miller, Malcolm Koonce, Aidan O’Connell and Kirk Cousins will be on the trade block while players with lingering injuries (Jermod McCoy, Bowers, Ashton Jeanty) will get shut down.
It’s weird to think of Week 1 as a swing game, but it kind of is for the Raiders this year. A little more on this in the next question; it’s hard to imagine Las Vegas winning many games if it can’t be a Miami team that completely revamped the organization in the offseason.
Hypothetically, if the Raiders lose on Sunday, things aren’t getting any easier with road games against the Chargers and Saints in the next two weeks. If they’re heading into October at 0-3 with a matchup versus the Chiefs to begin the month, that could absolutely accelerate the process of the Silver and Black being sellers in the trade market.
That being said, I think a Crosby trade would still depend more on whether another team is willing to meet John Spytek’s price tag. Maybe that isn’t two first-round picks anymore, but I’d imagine Spytek will want to be patient and field as many offers as possible to gain leverage. Then, timing becomes a factor, and it’d probably be the smarter wait as long as possible.
Sure, he doesn’t want to lose a potential trade partner by them getting tired of waiting for Crosby and agreeing to trade for another edge defender from another team. However, contenders can get desperate as the trade deadline approaches and up their offer.
Even if Spytek wants to move on from Crosby to pick up more draft capital, he can always wait until the offseason to make a trade. Crosby is under contract through 2029, and it’s arguably more beneficial to trade him after the draft order has been set so that the Raiders know exactly what they’re getting. When it comes to this year’s picks, at least.
As far as the other guys listed above, I touched on Cousins and O’Connell last week. Check out the related article below for a more detailed answer. For the cliff notes: I think Cousins stays, but AOC will be on the block.
When it comes to Miller, I’d keep him throughout the season. I like Charles Grant and could see a situation where Miller gets traded in the offseason to make room for Grant. But I’m not trusting a guy who has barely played in the NFL to protect Fernando Mendoza’s blind side during Mendoza’s rookie season. That’s the future of the franchise, and keeping him healthy is more important than picking up draft capital that you can’t use until the spring, anyway.
Koonce’s situation might depend on Crosby’s. If the Raiders move on from the latter, then there’s room to re-sign the former, assuming he’s playing well enough to warrant a return. That being said, there is a world where both get dealt since Kwity Paye is on a three-year deal and the defense has a couple of young/long-term options at edge with rookies Keyron Crawford and Cian Slone. Crawford can’t play this season and Slone is on the practice squad, but I’m thinking of 2027 and beyond.
As for resting players with injuries, I’d definitely consider shelving Bowers and honestly wouldn’t mind him getting put on IR (but designated to return) before Week 1. Meniscus injuries aren’t that devastating in the short-term, compared to an ACL or any of the other knee ligaments. However, a meniscus issue can get tricky when it comes to the long-term health of the knee.
It can lead to issues with the other ligaments down the line, and Bowers already had the PCL injury in the same knee last year. I’m certainly not a doctor or even a medical expert, but I’d imagine the two injuries are at least somewhat related. So, in a season where expectations are already low and he’s already going to miss time, be smart and don’t rush him back on the field like the coaching staff did last year.
The same logic goes for Jeanty, with the caveat being that a sprained ankle isn’t as much of an issue long-term as knee ligament damage. Don’t make the problem worse, but if he’s healthy and isn’t at risk of having problems down the line, let Jeanty get some reps.
With McCoy, though, I wouldn’t shut him down if he and the training staff aren’t worried about his knee. Remember, this is a guy who missed all of last season and looked rusty in the first preseason game. The rookie needs reps to develop, and that gives the Raiders a bigger sample size to see what McCoy looks like post-torn ACL.
A quick break for a note from my friends at Homage. They recently restocked the Raiders Starter jacket below, which originally released ahead of last season. If you’d like to get one, follow this link!
Q: If the Raiders lose to Miami, are they the worst team in the NFL?
A: It’s probably going to be a long season no matter what. But if the Raiders lose this week, it might be even worse than we thought…
The Dolphins are my pick to end up with the No. 1 pick of the draft, as they might be the only team to hit the reset button harder than the Raiders did this offseason. Of course, not having Brock Bowers is a big factor. But they still have the superior roster and head coach, in my opinion, to get the job done. So, if Las Vegas loses this one, expect most NFL Power Rankings to have the Silver and Black at the bottom for a while.
Q: Now that is settled, possibly not the first game, but do you believe, as I do, they will choose situations in games to put Mendoza in?
A: I wouldn’t rule that out. It’d be a preseason-esque move and give me flashbacks to 2012 with Terrell Pryor, but that could be a good way to get Mendoza some reps and get his feet wet without making him the starter. I know I brought up the idea of O’Connell being the backup—which didn’t come to fruition—to avoid Mendoza coming into the game off the bench. However, this would be a different situation where the coaching staff can game plan for the rookie to get a series or two.
Q: Do you think Dylan Laube will have 500 total yards being a backup running back and kick return guy?
A: Laube had 882 total yards just on kick and punt returns last season, per Pro Football Reference, so I think 1,000 would be a better benchmark. Granted, he might not get as many opportunities in the return game if he has a bigger role in the offense. On that note, I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets more opportunities in the passing game this year.
Jeanty talked about making strides as a receiver during training camp, which could make it more difficult for Laube to get targets out of the backfield. But that’s not Mike Washington Jr.’s forte, and the third-year pro made a handful of plays as a receiver during the preseason. Especially if the coaching staff wants to lighten Jeanty’s load early in the season with his ankle injury, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Laube get some run on third downs.
Q: Is it really a big issue that Tom Brady and now Troy Aikman are both broadcasters and heavily involved in the running of franchises? Is this something the NFL needs to further address?
A: In my opinion, I think the whole thing is overblown. Is it an advantage if coaches tell Brady and Aikman about their game plan and playbook, and can those two turn around and share that information with the teams they’re associated with? Sure, but coaches also don’t have to reveal that much information. They’re in control of what they say, and there are plenty of coaches like Bill Belichick who are/were notoriously vague with the media for similar reasons.
On top of that, Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson shed some light on the topic ahead of last year’s game against the Raiders (h/t Marquee Sports Network).
“I’m really not worried about it,” Johnson said in a Wednesday press conference. “I mean, we change week to week in terms of what we do. Schematically, he’s going to be able to turn on the tape and see what everyone else in the world is seeing right now. Personnel-wise, really the same thing.
“It’s not like I’m going to sit down with him and say, ‘Hey, don’t do this to Caleb Williams, or you might get it!’ Like, there’s not going to be any trade secrets that are going to be exchanged. I really don’t think it’s that big of a deal, to be honest with you.”
If Brady is calling a Raiders’ game or Aikman a Dolphins’ game, then it becomes a bigger conflict of interest because they’d be getting game plan info that’s specifically tied to their teams. But, again, coaches don’t have to say much in those meetings. In a way, it’s kind of an IQ test for a head coach…
Q: Raiders restructured 2 contracts. What is the benefit for players who just signed to restructure? Is the front office using the new space to re-sign someone on the roster or go after a free agent?
A: The benefit to the players with the contract restructuring is that it turns into a signing bonus, so they get the money right away instead of having to wait for it. Basically, they’re getting paid or at least more money up front. Then, if they’re smart/financially savvy, they can invest it and make even more money.
We’ll see if the Raiders end up signing someone, but the post below from Over The Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald says the restructures are more to create breathing room when it comes to cap space for the regular season. Most general managers like to have a little wiggle room to sign someone in case of an injury. It’s basically an emergency fund, and OTC has Las Vegas with about $11.25 million of cap space available, as of Friday.
That’ll do it for this week’s mailbag. Thank you all for submitting questions and, as your weekly reminder, if you’d like to have your questions answered in a future column, tweet them at me, @MHolder95, email them to SBPQuestions1@gmail.com or look for our weekly call for questions on the site. The latter will continue to publish on Thursdays.
