Green Bay Packers given the best odds to land Khalil Mack

One of the biggest stories of 2018 so far is the ongoing holdout of star Raiders pass rusher Khalil Mack. So how does that concern the Green Bay Packers?

It’s a simple enough answer. Green Bay has lingering question marks regarding their edge rusher position. Outside of an aging Clay Matthews and injury-prone Nick Perry, they don’t have a ton of options they can lean on. This inevitably has led many fans to call on the team to make an aggressive play to grab Mack in a blockbuster trade.

The reason for this, outside of team need, is that the Packers are probably the best-equipped team to make a deal happen. Thanks to their trades in the draft a few months back, they have two 1st round pick going into 2019. They could easily give up both of them in a deal for Mack without sacrificing too much of their future. In return, they get one of the best defensive players in football.

It would be hard to not pencil in Green Bay as Super Bowl favorites were that to happen. A return of Aaron Rodgers combined with a defense featuring Matthews and Mack on the edges? That’s a frightening prospect to think about. Is it possible though? Mike Sando of ESPN asked an NFL agent whether Oakland will put the rumors to bed with a deal in the end.

The answer he got was eye-opening.

"“I don’t think Mack gets done. He did not light the league on fire last year, so you wonder if the Raiders are reticent to pay him that kind of money, and because he was a top-10 pick in the draft, his salary is higher than what Donald is getting.”"

Vegas gives Packers the best odds to grab Mack before trade deadline

Often in these situations, it’s interesting to see what Las Vegas has to say. The betting odds regarding which team has the best chance to employ Mack after the trade deadline was recently posted on Twitter. The results will certainly excite Packer fans, but also comes with a word of warning as well.

Indeed the Packers, with their resources and winning situation are rated as the likeliest option if the Raiders do indeed go for a trade strategy. At the same time, lurking right there in the background are the Chicago Bears. Their defense is on the rise, having ranked in the top 10 last season. They just got done adding #8 overall pick Roquan Smith to mix. So try to imagine what would happen if they secured Mack as well.

That is not a scenario this organization wants to let unfold. Especially with the growing prospects of Mitch Trubisky and that Bears offense. So not only is this move advisable to make the Packers team better, it also would be a move that would keep a hated rival from becoming an even greater threat to their crown.