It’s 5 o’clock somewhere…
The 5 o’clock club is published from time to time during the season, and aims to provide a forum for reader-driven discussion at a time of day when there isn’t much NFL news being published. Feel free to introduce topics that interest you in the comments below.
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Here’s an excerpt from an article published this week by Last Word on Sports:
Pete Carroll’s Latest Comments Suggest A Michael Mayer Trade
Las Vegas Raiders tight end Michael Mayer is a popular trade target, and for good reason. Selected in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Notre Dame product has been a league-average player during his first two seasons in the league, which is normally a fine thing. However, with superstar Brock Bowers already on the roster, Mayer has no clear path to a featured role. Now in the thick of the offseason, head coach Pete Carroll spoke positively about the third-year tight end in what was likely an attempt to boost his trade value.
“I thought Mike had a great offseason,” Carroll said. “We started out going heart to heart with him to understand what we’re all about. And he embraced it and took it as well as anybody could take the challenge of bringing it day in and day out. He had a great camp.”
For those unfamiliar with offseason hype pieces, this is the type of language coaches use when trying to inflate a player’s value. Perhaps Mayer could become a starting-caliber player, but he’ll never be better than Bowers. A trade would be the best thing in the world for Michael Mayer, and the following four teams could roll the dice on the veteran.
Washington Commanders
Zach Ertz is back for another season with the Washington Commanders, but the longtime veteran isn’t getting any younger. Perhaps second-year tight end Ben Sinnott can establish himself as a key part of Jayden Daniels’ passing attack, but it wouldn’t hurt to trade for a safer option in Michael Mayer. The Commanders have the biggest competitive advantage in sports: a franchise quarterback on a rookie contract. The time is now to go all-in and try to win a Super Bowl before Daniels resets the quarterback market with his second professional contract.