NFL Trade Machine: Chicago Bears Go After Khalil Mack

If ever there was an ideal solution to a major team problem, projected Khalil Mack to the Chicago Bears is about as on-the-nose as it gets.

The Bears are starved for a pass rusher to put opposite Leonard Floyd in their defense. Right now their best option is Sam Acho. He’s been a serviceable veteran for years but he’s never come close to double digits sacks. Being him in a hodgepodge of castoffs like Aaron Lynch and unproven youngsters like Isaiah Irving and Kylie Fitts. The pickings are slim and given the quarterback strength of that division? Not a good problem to have.

That’s where the Mack situation comes into play. The 27-year old All-Pro is one of the best edge rushers in football. He’s never missed a game in his career and has topped at least 10 sacks for three-straight seasons. Now he’s holding out from the Oakland Raiders in protest of a new contract extension. Yet talks have been virtually non-existent and aren’t expected to pick up anytime soon.

In fact, former Redskins GM Vinny Cerato went so far as to say he believes the Raiders will end up trading their star in hopes of accumulating a large package in return.

"“My gut tells me that they’ll trade him and try to get some good draft picks for him. That’s what (my gut tells me) — especially if he holds out and especially if they’re doing well in the preseason and the defense is doing well.”"

If that’s the case, the bidding could get intense. Would Bears GM Ryan Pace be willing to pay the price, both in assets and money to acquire the star pass rusher?

Bears would need to pay a heavy price but it could work

More from NFL Mocks

The standing belief is it may cost as much as two 1st round draft picks for a team to get the Raiders to part ways with Mack. That would mean the Bears giving up their 2019 and 2020 choices. For a guy like Pace who prefers to work through the draft, that’s asking a lot. However, some speculate there may be a creative way to pull it off.

Now this is in no way saying that such an idea will happen. It’s purely speculation. The Bears are currently locked in a contract dispute with #8 overall pick Roquan Smith. There is no end in sight to the standoff, which is reportedly over an issue with language in the deal not protecting the rookie against non-football related transgressions. Neither side seems willing to budge.

The Bears could just stick it out and wait for Smith to come around, which he inevitably has to. Or they could use him as bait to secure Mack. The Raiders lack a true playmaker at middle linebacker in their defense. Somebody like Smith would be exactly what they’re looking for. Jon Gruden loves athletic linebackers after all. Smith along with the Bears’ 1st round in 2019 could meet the price required.

Chicago would still have veteran Nick Kwiatkoski ready to start who’s having the best training camp of his career. It would be a tough sacrifice, but the benefits would be instantaneous. Suddenly the Bears have Floyd and Mack on the edges with Akiem Hicks and Eddie Goldman in the middle. Not to mention an underrated secondary. Nobody would want to play that defense.

Is it out there? Sure. Is it impossible? Not even a little.

Home/NFL Hot Takes