Too logical not to happen.
I’m of the belief that the Philadelphia Eagles should try to retain Dallas Goedert for the 2025 NFL season.
He’s still a good player. It’d be ideal to keep him for one more year while also investing in a replacement option who can take over as the Eagles’ starting tight end in 2026.
But it sounds like that scenario just might not be in the cards as the Birds look to shed salary. At least one NFL agent is reportedly convinced that Goedert is a goner. Another report indicates that the Eagles are “holding out hope for at least a fourth-round pick” in return for him.
The Eagles have already lost multiple key players to free agency and by trading C.J. Gardner-Johnson. The understandable aspect to those departures is that there are potential in-house replacements ready to step up for them. The same can’t be said for the Eagles’ tight end position.
If Goedert isn’t back, the Eagles will be left with the following internal options: Grant Calcaterra, E.J. Jenkins, Nick Muse, and Cameron Latu. Calcaterra is a solid pass-catching option but he’s struggled as a blocker and he’s entering the final year of his rookie contract. Jenkins, Muse, and Latu are hardly sure bets to even make next season’s roster. In other words, the cupboard will be bare if Goedert is gone.
So, what are the external alternatives? The free agent market just isn’t very enticing; there’s no one that really jumps out. This year’s tight end class in the 2025 NFL Draft is considered to be strong but relying on a rookie isn’t a great strategy, especially when players at this position typically take more time to develop. Brock Bowers and Sam LaPorta are the exceptions, not the rule.
And so the most realistic option for the Eagles seems like trading for a tight end on an affordable rookie contract.
Enter 2023 second-round pick Michael Mayer.
Mayer is reportedly being shopped by the Las Vegas Raiders, which makes sense since 1) they have the aforementioned Bowers ahead of him on the depth chart and 2) new head coach Pete Carroll and new general manager John Spytek obviously weren’t part of the regime that selected him.
Mayer only saw 32 targets in 2024, which resulted in 21 receptions for 156 yards and zero touchdowns. That was a step back from his rookie season when his 40 targets resulted in 27 receptions for 304 yards and two scores. The asset the Raiders can acquire for Mayer could be more useful than he’ll be as a No. 2 tight end for them.
The Eagles have an indirect connection to Mayer in Tommy Rees, who was the tight end’s offensive coordinator at Notre Dame from 2020-2022. Rees is said to be close with Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni with the two overlapping on the San Diego Chargers’ coaching staff in 2016. So, it’s not like the Eagles are flying blind when it comes to knowing about Mayer’s game and his mental makeup.
Mayer’s pre-draft scouting reports indicate he could be a good stylistic replacement for Goedert:
Big combination tight end with the demeanor for run blocking and the size for tough, chain-moving catches underneath. Mayer will come into the league with better blocking technique than most tight ends in this year’s draft. He’s built for in-line duty and was an extension of the Notre Dame offensive line at times. His feet are a little heavy getting into and through his routes, but he has the hand strength and contact balance to win heavily contested catches on the first two levels. Mayer might need to polish his route running to become a high-volume target, but he’s a safe pick and will be a good pro who can become a plus player as a run blocker and pass catcher.
What would it take to acquire the 23-year-old Mayer, who has two seasons left on his rookie contract? The guess here is the Eagles could send their late third-round pick (No. 96 overall) for Mayer and a Day 3 pick from the Raiders in return.
What say you?
