The Los Angeles Rams, potentially looking to bolster their tight end room and add versatility to their offensive schemes, could become a suitor for a young, high-potential tight end currently on the Las Vegas Raiders roster. While All-Pro Brock Bowers is the prominent name at the position for the Raiders, third-year tight end Michael Mayer, a second-round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, might be available for trade.
In a recent proposition by Brock Vierra, a Los Angeles Rams beat writer for SI.com, a draft-day trade scenario was outlined that could see Mayer land with the Rams in exchange for a third-round draft pick.
Los Angeles Rams Trade 3rd Round Pick For Michael Mayer
Vierra noted that Mayer, coming out of Notre Dame, was once highly regarded as a potential future star tight end in the NFL. However, his opportunities in Las Vegas have been somewhat limited, particularly following the emergence of Brock Bowers as a standout rookie, impacting Mayer’s playing time and resulting in a modest production of 48 receptions for 460 yards and two touchdowns over his first two seasons.
Vierra suggests that with the Rams possessing two third-round selections in the upcoming draft, one of those could be used to acquire Mayer.
Such a move would immediately establish Mayer as the second-best tight end on the Rams’ depth chart, and with further development, he could potentially become the long-term successor to Tyler Higbee as the team’s primary tight end.
This potential interest aligns with recent comments from Rams head coach Sean McVay following their playoff loss, where he discussed the strategic advantage of utilizing multiple tight ends in the offense to create versatility and prevent defenses from dictating terms.
“It’s been big. In a lot of instances, it allows us to not let people sometimes dictate the terms on you,” McVay said. “[It provides] a little bit of versatility, a little bit of a change-up, and maybe some different things. That’s what’s cool about the playoffs. Really, we’ve utilized a little bit more 12-personnel. We were able to get a couple of snaps… our first touchdown was in a 13-personnel grouping.”
Subscribe to LAFB Network’s Los Angeles Rams YouTube Channel