It's no secret that the Indianapolis Colts roster is riddled with so many holes, filling them all through free agency and the draft will be near impossible. There are definitely some positions that are more urgently needed, though, and tight end is definitely at the top of that list. It's why so many mock drafts have the Colts going after Tyler Warren.
The Colts' tight end room was notoriously bad in 2024. Between the four of them, they couldn't manage to get over 40 catches... in the entire season. (Ouch.) While some, like Mo Alie-Cox, did well blocking, overall, the Colts desperately need better talent at tight end. Two of them, Alie-Cox and Kylen Granson, are set to be free agents, so the timing is perfect for the Colts to pick up some new TEs through a trade or free agency.
Enter the Los Vegas Raiders.
Michael Mayer, a first-round pick for the Raiders, is evidently on the chopping block. Mayer showed some promise in his rookie season, particularly in the second half, but any momentum his career may have been able to gain came to a screeching halt after the Raiders selected Brock Bowers in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Mayer got buried in the depth chart, and spent 2024 not doing much of anything. Bowers, meanwhile, was named a first-team All-Pro. (Ouch again.)
The Athletic has reported that the Raiders are already done with Mayer, and are looking to negotiate a trade with another team. Hopefully, Chris Ballard is paying attention.
Michael Mayer update, via @Raiders: pic.twitter.com/kQr9Ci2xk6
— Jack Soble (@jacksoble56) August 8, 2024
Mayer could be said to have underperformed in 2024, but as mentioned, he also was extremely low on the depth chart, and... well, the Raiders have one of the worst offenses in the NFL. There's no reason to believe that, with a better team, Mayer won't continue developing into the generational talent so many believed he would be coming out of Notre Dame.
He was still a capable blocker, and is a reliable receiver. The latter immediately puts him above literally every tight end the Colts currently have, and this is likely the cheapest a team will ever be able to get him - especially if his career does take off after leaving Las Vegas.