LAS VEGAS — Jakobi Meyers deflected the question without hesitation.
A week after the Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver said he still wanted to be traded, Meyers didn’t comment on whether Sunday’s 30-29 overtime loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars was his last game with the team.
“I don’t really like that question, I’m not gonna lie,” said Meyers in the locker room at Allegiant Stadium.
The next few hours leading up to the NFL’s Nov. 4 trade deadline (4 p.m. ET) will be met with uncertainty for Meyers and others. With the Raiders at 2-6 and having less than 1% chance of making the playoffs, according to ESPN Analytics, they look like a group that should be planning for the future and consider trading away key players with the hope of getting draft capital.
But due to the lack of talent and depth on the roster, Las Vegas is better off standing pat at the deadline and pushing forward with the group it has.
“Maybe there’s something there. It doesn’t seem like a lot is going right now, but we’re listening,” coach Pete Carroll said. “[General manager John Spytek] is competing like crazy with his guys to find out any opportunity that’s there.”
Realistically, Meyers is the Raiders’ best player who could give them reasonable compensation. He is in the final year of his contract and could bolster a contender’s offense despite his numbers declining in recent weeks. Meyers has recorded fewer than 40 receiving yards in four straight games after averaging 76 yards in the first three weeks.
The Raiders would deal the veteran only if they felt they were getting strong value in return, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. A trade offer of that nature has not materialized, according to sources.
But trading away Meyers means the Raiders will have to turn to rookies Jack Bech and Dont’e Thornton Jr., both of whom have shown they have a long way to go before becoming reliable players. Against the Jaguars, Bech didn’t play any snaps on offense. Thornton was inactive in favor of veteran Tyler Lockett.
Outside of Meyers, the options are fairly thin. Las Vegas has no plans of trading away defensive end Maxx Crosby, and the three-year, $106.5 million contract extension that he signed in the offseason was a sign of the long-term commitment that both parties have with each other.
“I just have a special connection with the fan base,” Crosby said. “I’ve been here for seven years, and they’ve been through it, just like I’ve been through it. …I’m [going to] continue giving everything I got until I can’t anymore, and whatever day that is, we’ll see.”
Cornerback Eric Stokes could be another option. Stokes, who signed a one-year deal, has been the best at the position. He has allowed a passer rating of 89.4 in 266 coverage snaps.
There’s a significant drop in talent if Stokes is out of the picture. Second-year corner Kyu Blu Kelly has struggled all season, allowing 27 catches for 423 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Rookie Darien Porter replaced Kelly in the starting lineup against Jacksonville, and he had his fair share of struggles. He gave up 6 catches for 78 yards on 7 targets and had a hard time tackling.
“I’d love to see this group together,” Stokes told ESPN. “I know we got a lot of guys that really want to win, but that’s part of the business.”
Edge rusher Malcolm Koonce is another name to monitor. Koonce, who is coming off a torn ACL, is second on the team in pressures with 20.
The Raiders have made it hard on themselves to climb out of last place in the AFC West, so it doesn’t make much sense to add reinforcements for a late-season push, especially if it means losing draft picks. A trade or two won’t solve all the issues that have plagued the Raiders through eight games.
Another way to look at this is that the outlook of Las Vegas’ season might be different if kicker Daniel Carlson‘s game-winning field goal attempt hadn’t been blocked in the loss to the Chicago Bears and if quarterback Geno Smith hadn’t pump-faked on the go-ahead 2-point conversion attempt, resulting in a batted pass on Sunday.
Las Vegas certainly feels that way, which is why the team still believes in the talent at hand. Despite the loss to Jacksonville, the Raiders walked away optimistic. Tight end Brock Bowers totaled 12 catches for 127 yards and 3 touchdowns after missing three straight games due to a knee injury.
Rookie running back Ashton Jeanty has flashed the potential of being an elite playmaker. He had a touchdown and 89 total yards on 18 touches.
“As terrible as it is, I know we’re getting better, for whatever that means,” Crosby said. “We gotta find a way to get over the hump and get a win.”
