Khalil Mack has yet to show up for work this offseason, and the Oakland Raiders have given no indication that they are going to cave to his demands by making him the highest-paid defender in football — at least this offseason. If the tension between the two sides gets worse, is it possible Mack could be playing for a different team in 2018?
In a roundup of one player from every NFL team who is a potential trade candidate, ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez listed Mack for the Raiders. While that seems farfetched, Gutierrez notes that Mack’s holdout has been “mystifying” to Oakland’s front office.
Now, would it be smart for Oakland to trade the face of its defense as it begins a rebuild under Jon Gruden? Probably not, but as Gruden himself recently told NFL Network, the Raiders’ defense was not that good in 2017 with Mack. Ouch. GM Reggie McKenzie (jokingly?) asked me at the NFL owners meetings in March if I had an extra $100 million to help him pay Mack. And if a team flashed a first-round pick at Oakland for the services of Mack, who wants an extension beyond the almost $13.5 million he is scheduled to make this season under the fifth-year option of his rookie contract and the two franchise tags that could await him in 2019 and 2020, the Raiders would be silly to not at least listen.
Mack is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and some feel his holdout is a bit premature. While it would make sense for him to play hardball if the Raiders used the franchise tag on him next offseason, he clearly wants long-term security as soon as possible.
There’s very little chance that the Raiders will trade Mack. The former No. 5 overall pick has 36.5 sacks over the past three seasons and is arguably the most important defensive player in football. Still, it sounds like things have gotten ugly between Mack and the team.
