The Las Vegas Raiders need to be incredibly realistic about where they stand right now.
As the Raiders try and build a foundation for success, their AFC West rivals continue to look stronger. The Kansas City Chiefs maintain a stranglehold on the NFL, while the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos rode strong offseasons into playoff berths.
The current Raiders rebuild will take more than one season to complete, while the other teams in their division load up to either re-establish their dominance or get stronger in the hopes of making a run.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, one such team has a path open towards completing their goal. An anonymous NFL coordinator proposed a deal that would further shift the balance of power away from the Raiders: the Chargers acquiring Seattle Seahawks wide receiver D.K. Metcalf.
“The Seahawks can still get good value for him, and he could pair with Ladd McConkey for a good inside-out tandem,” the coordinator said of Metcalf. “[Chargers quarterback Justin] Herbert to Metcalf would be scary. I think [Los Angeles] will be looking to help the quarterback in a big way.”
According to Spotrac, the Seahawks are one of seven NFL teams above the cap ceiling, meaning cost-cutting measures will have to be implemented. With the breakout of second-year wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the fates of Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are uncertain.
If given a post-June 1 designation, Metcalf’s cap savings in a move would shoot up to $18 million. With the Seahawks currently staring at $23 million in the red, those cap savings are too good to simply ignore.
The Chargers have a potentially elite receiver in McConkey, but their Wild Card loss against the Houston Texans highlighted the need to continue stockpiling weapons. Adding the two-time Pro Bowler Metcalf to the mix creates issues not only for the Raiders, but the entire NFL.
Another interesting point not mentioned by the coordinator is the presence of wide receivers coach Sanjay Lal in Los Angeles. Lal was in the same position with the Seahawks from 2022-23, and Metcalf put up over 1,000 receiving yards in both seasons.
There are some caveats to the deal, however: second-year general manager Joe Hortiz’s stance on using premium draft capital to acquire established players is still unknown, as is the Chargers’ willingness to sign Metcalf to an extension before he even plays a game for them.
However, if the Chargers are able to land Metcalf, it will create another headache for the Raiders to have to contend with.
