Well, Raiders fans, it happened. All-Pro defensive lineman and preseason holdout Khalil Mack has been dealt to the Chicago Bears for a pair of first round draft picks and, reportedly more. Mack, who is entering the final year of his current contract, has sat out all preseason looking for a new contract and appears to have gotten one with the Bears.
With the haul, the Raiders free up cap space into the future and secure a strong position heading into the 2019 and 2020 drafts. Of course most Raiders fans believe Mack is worth more than two potential swing-and-misses. Head coach Jon Gruden is about to feel the wrath of Raider Nation as he goes from sweetheart to Mr. Burns in less than 24 hours.
News of the deal leaked out early Saturday morning while most on the west coast slept. Millions of Raiders fans are still just waking up to the news and their reaction on social media has been as exciting as watching a Denver Broncos fan dive into The Black Hole.
The intensity with which their anger slowly rises is entertaining, especially when he was beloved before most Raiders fans went to bed last night and is now reviled. While some Raiders fans are letting it rip, some are actually showing reverence to Mack and the time he spent in the Silver & Black.
The trade itself will be broken down for a long time to come, especially heading into a season in which the defense was already a question mark. Two years removed from a potential Super Bowl run, the Raiders have now traded away their best defensive player and an all-time great. They also received the LARGEST trade haul for a defensive player in NFL history. If anything, this could actually benefit the Raiders more in the long term. Cap space, draft picks, and a new system. There's no guarantee Mack would've fit well into this current system (he's too good not to, of course) and the divide between Gruden and Mack may have reached irreparable in recent days. The Bears were one of the top four potential landing spots for Mack early in the week, with Green Bay the frontrunner with two 2019 first round draft picks at their disposal. Somehow, Bears GM Ryan Pace pulled the rug out from under their rivals to the north and secured a player who will give Aaron Rodgers hell for the entire length of his new $176 million contract. The news of a trade didn't seem to sit well for Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, who specifically structured his contract so Mack, Amari Cooper and Gabe Jackson could get paid when it was their turn.
It can be seen as a win-win for both franchises as this saga comes to an end. The Bears just built a Top 5 defense to go with their revamped offense, making them an instant contender if they can score any decent amount of points, and the Raiders save $23 million per year as they head to Las Vegas's lack of a state income tax in 2020 to go along with their multiple first round draft picks the next few seasons.
This could really benefit the Raiders in the long term using addition by subtraction.
For now, Raiders fans will have to take out their wrath on the nearest Chiefs fan.
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