The Oakland Raiders have an extra first-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft because of their trade that sent Khalil Mack to the Chicago Bears, and fans are expecting Jon Gruden to use it wisely. Trading Mack has looked like a bad move after the way he dominated last season, but Gruden is tired of hearing about that.
While speaking with reporters at the NFL Scouting Combine on Thursday, Gruden got very testy over a question about the Mack trade. He also made it seem like he had no choice but to deal the star pass-rusher.
Gruden asked about getting 2019 picks from Mack trade: "I'm getting tired of you bringing that up, Khalil Mack. We made the trade for a lot of reasons, whether it's popular or not … for the fans that aren't happy about that, we're really sorry about that."
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) February 28, 2019
Gruden on Mack: "It's hard to replace a guy like that. It's sensitive. I'm still sensitive about it … I do know this: my brother didn't get anything for Kirk Cousins except a compensatory pick. At least we got some picks. We got a chance to do something with them."
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) February 28, 2019
The return for Mack was bountiful, as the Raiders got a first-round pick in each of the next two drafts in addition to some later-round selections. Still, it’s hard to hit on players in the draft, and Mack terrorized opponents in 2018 to the tune of 12.5 sacks and six forced fumbles. He’s the definition of a game-changer, and Oakland certainly could have used him.
It will probably be a few years before we can truly evaluate the Mack trade, but Raiders owner Mark Davis does not seem concerned about the blockbuster moves Gruden has made. The results will eventually speak for themselves, and Gruden is going to be scrutinized for the Mack trade for a long time if he doesn’t land at least one star player in the draft.
