Oakland Raiders Front Office Structure Clouds Khalil Mack Issue
By Erik Lambert
OAKLAND, CA – OCTOBER 08: Khalil Mack #52 of the Oakland Raiders lines up to rush the quarterback during their NFL game against the Baltimore Ravens at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on October 8, 2017 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
On the surface, this looks like a no-brainer. Khalil Mack needs a new contract. He’s far and away the best defender the Oakland Raiders have, right?
Just pay the man and move on. The stats speak for themselves. Mack has topped double-digit sacks for three-straight seasons. He hasn’t missed a game in his career and has firmly established himself as one of the best defenders in football. The fact he’s done so without a lot of help from the 10 other players on that Raiders defense speaks volumes about how good he actually is.
Mack just turned 27-years old. He’s in his physical prime. Everything points toward him being the highest-paid defender in the league or very close to it. He’s earned that much and his value to this defense might be even more so. Yet the Raiders continue to stay silent on the subject. There are assurances that something will get done, but no movement has been reported. So Mack decided to invoke his right of protest.
The #Raiders are not expecting star DE Khalil Mack for mandatory minicamp this week, sources say. That makes him an official holdout as he seeks a lucrative contract extension. A strong stance for the player who has averaged 12 sacks over the past 3 seasons.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 11, 2018
The two-headed situation in front office makes Mack situation difficult
If this were two years ago there’s no question what the end result would be. GM Reggie McKenzie drafted Mack and would do everything in his power to ensure the defensive end wore silver and black for life. Problem is McKenzie isn’t calling the shots anymore. He’s still GM, yes but the man running the personnel department is head coach Jon Gruden and there is absolutely no telling what his addition to the mix will do.
Gruden has already made a series of questionable decisions regarding the roster. There’s just no telling where his head is at regarding Mack, even if everything logical says not to let him go. Keeping McKenzie in place with his bias on the matter could make the situation even worse if the two happen to not be on the same page. It could drag the talks out and end up costing the team their best player in 2019. Unless they’re willing to pay through the nose for the franchise tag.
Next: 2018 NFL Power Rankings: Likeliest Team to Win 1st Title
The good news is the Raiders have time. There are months to go before they reach the red line. That said, the more they drag it out, the more Mack is likely to dig his heels in. This needs to get done fast as a measure of good faith if nothing else.