The Las Vegas Raiders aren't bursting with promise after a 2-6 start and road games in Weeks 9 and 10 against desperate AFC rivals in the Cincinnati Bengals and Miami Dolphins. However, the silver and black do have something a number of teams still want ahead of the NFL trade deadline next week -- a quality wide receiver in Jakobi Meyers that might be available via trade.
Athlon's Doug Farrar named Meyers a top trade candidate on Wednesday, Oct. 30. And while his idea involved a deal with the Houston Texans and their recently depleted receiver room, another notion involves looking the way of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pittsburgh has been in search of a wideout to pair with George Pickens since the summer, striking out on Brandon Aiyuk and Davante Adams before an injury to Christian Kirk last week removed him from the Steelers' list of options as well.
Meyers has never been a star, though he could certainly prove a capable second option to Pickens in the version of the Steelers offense that features Russell Wilson under center. And while Wilson is serving as QB1, there is little need for Justin Fields to waste his time on the Pittsburgh bench, which could open up the opportunity of the Raiders acquiring Fields in return for Meyers and another asset(s).
Fields is 4-2 as a starter in 2024 with 10 total TDs compared to just 1 INT. He lost his job to Wilson when the latter got healthy following a calf strain, but likely wouldn't have been pulled from the starting lineup were he part of the majority of other QB situations around the league.
Las Vegas needs a spark under center, and Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus named Fields as a possible free agent option for the Raiders if they don't draft a QB in the first round next April.
"Neither Aidan O'Connell nor Gardner Minshew ranks above 42nd in PFF passing grade among quarterbacks this year. In other words, there's no long-term answer at quarterback on this roster," Locker wrote on Oct. 30. "Las Vegas could opt to sign a cheaper free agent - like Sam Darnold or Justin Fields - but it feels like it's time to rip the bandage off and draft a marquee, dynamic young gunslinger."
Las Vegas should be in position to go after a player like Shedeur Sanders of Colorado or Cam Ward of Miami next April, but whoever the franchise selects -- should it decide to draft a QB in the first round -- may not be ready to step into a starting role right away.
A player like Fields would probably give the Raiders a better chance to be competitive immediately in 2025, and trading for him now would allow the QB some time to acclimate to his new teammates and an unfamiliar system.
Las Vegas could sign Fields to a one-year deal like the one Darnold got with the Minnesota Vikings this offseason ($10 million) and secure a bonafide starter with something to prove next year while also using its top draft pick to select the QB of the future.
Meyers won't be enough to deal for Fields straight up given the disparity in the importance of the two players' respective positions. However, including Meyers would allow the Raiders to significantly mitigate the cost of Fields in terms of the draft capital it would have to surrender as part of the deal.
