The Bears may not have been the only team that was willing to part with two first-round draft picks to acquire Khalil Mack, but the Raiders’ decision to work out a deal with them says a lot about the type of season the higher-ups in Oakland believe the Bears are going to have.
While discussing the Mack trade, Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie said his team ultimately decided on the Bears because they expect Chicago’s first-round pick in 2019 to be a high one.
Reggie McKenzie said "more than half the league" inquired to trade DE Khalil Mack. Club narrowed suitors to teams who Raiders believed had chance to present high first-round pick in 2019.
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) September 2, 2018
In other words, the Raiders think there’s a good chance the Bears will stink this season — even with a former Defensive Player of the Year now on their roster.
The Raiders obviously didn’t want to make Mack the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL, and the Bears had no problem doing that. Several other teams would have paid Mack, too, so it’s somewhat surprising that Oakland wasn’t willing to write the big check. One player typically doesn’t make or break a season, but even Derek Carr seems to realize the type of impact the Mack trade could have on the Raiders.
