The Los Angeles Rams should swing a trade for former elite draft prospect to add a young playmaker around Matthew Stafford
The Los Angeles Rams have tried for years to add a dynamic tight end to their roster, trying in back-to-back years to trade up for Dalton Kincaid and Brock Bowers in their respective drafts. The trades didn't work out, but it's clear the Rams have been searching for a young playmaker they can build around […]
The Los Angeles Rams have tried for years to add a dynamic tight end to their roster, trying in back-to-back years to trade up for Dalton Kincaid and Brock Bowers in their respective drafts.
The trades didn't work out, but it's clear the Rams have been searching for a young playmaker they can build around in that room.
Now, one has become available that the team should take a swing on to build out their tight end room and add another playmaker to the offense.
The Las Vegas Raiders have made it known that former 35th overall pick Michael Mayer is available for trade and that they are listening to offers.
It's important to note that both Mayer and Sam LaPorta were taken off the board right ahead of the Rams at 34 and 35. In fact, the Raiders traded up one pick ahead of the Rams to select Mayer.
Los Angeles would go on to select guard Steve Avila at 36th overall. While the Rams are certainly happy with Avila, it would have been interesting to see who would have been taken if both were still on the board.
Now, the Rams have an opportunity to "buy low" on a player many believed was the top tight end in the 2023 NFL Draft.
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The impending offseason for the Los Angeles Rams is perhaps their most interesting in years. The rumors around quarterback Matthew Stafford are still circling as loud as ever, star wide receiver Cooper Kupp seems at his end in Los Angeles, and the team has plenty of pending free agents to retain. However, thanks to their […]
Mayer has struggled to find his footing in Las Vegas, but it's important to note the instability around him with the Raiders. He finished fourth on the Raiders in yards and tied for third in touchdowns as a rookie, but the ascension of Brock Bowers in 2024 and the Raiders' inability to have a passing offense dropped his production off. His role decreased in his second year. Furthermore, he missed six games in 2024 due to personal reasons while on the non-football illness list.
Yet, it's hard to not be intrigued by the upside of a player like Mayer, and an addition like this would give the Rams flexibility in the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft to use their picks to add the best player available without having to force a tight end pick if they don't want to.
Mayer isn't a field stretcher in the sense that Kincaid or Bowers were, but he would be an outstanding addition to the Rams' offense as a player capable of winning across the middle of the field and after the catch. Unlike many of the tight ends that would likely be available when the Rams pick, Mayer is also an outstanding blocker and has the intangibles the Rams covet in their players.
Additionally, Mayer would be a dirt-cheap addition for the Rams. He would hold just a $1.5M cap hit in 2025 and $2M cap hit in 2026. It's also likely that the Rams wouldn't have to pay a lot of capital in a trade, as Mayer would cost a Day 3 pick or two at the most in a trade. A worthwhile and cheap upside swing.
As the Rams build around Matthew Stafford for one final Super Bowl push, they should explore all possible avenues to upgrade the roster and maintain flexibility in the draft. Trading for Michael Mayer could allow them to find a standout player they can build around for years at a cheap cost while keeping their draft possibilities wide open.
