Raiders not ruling out trading DE Mack, per media reports

[August 27, 2018]  If the Oakland Raiders can't come to terms with holdout defensive end Khalil Mack, a three-time Pro Bowl selection and the 2016 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, as many as a dozen teams are interested in trading for him, according to media reports.

NBC Sports is reporting that the Raiders haven't ruled out trading Mack, though perhaps they are waiting to see whether he will extend his holdout into the regular season, which begins for Oakland on Sept. 10 with a home game against the Los Angeles Rams.

Four teams are said to be "seriously" exploring landing Mack, who likely is seeking to become the highest-paid defender in NFL history at more than $20 million annually.

Entering the fifth-year option of his rookie deal, Mack, 27, is due to make $13.85 million this season. He has 40.5 sacks in four NFL seasons while starting all 64 games. He had 10.5 sacks last season.

Mack, selected by Oakland with the fifth pick in the 2014 draft, has not received any offers from the team since February, according to Pro Football Talk.

Another factor in how much Mack will demand could be the deal that is said to be close between the Rams and defensive tackle Aaron Donald, the 2017 Defensive Player of the Year.

Donald's contract is expected to be in the neighborhood of $22 million per year, with as much as $80 million guaranteed (total guarantee, not fully guaranteed) at signing, per Pro Football Talk.

The New York Daily News reported last week that the New York Jets were one of multiple teams that have reached out to the Raiders about acquiring Mack. Several teams have made multiple overtures, according to the report.

The Daily News report added that Oakland has not given any interested teams permission to discuss a new contract with Mack, and that permission would presumably be the final step to any deal, assuming the Raiders decided to trade Mack and could agree with a team on compensation.

Pro Football Talk reported last month that some wonder if the Raiders are financially able to give Mack the type of contract he wants. That concern relates less to the Raiders' limited cap space (around $4.5 million, 26th in the NFL), which is flexible, than to the team's fungible cash.

A dated rule in the collective bargaining agreement requires teams to put all guaranteed money for signed contracts in escrow, which can limit team's financial flexibility when it comes to blockbuster contracts.

--Field Level Media

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