Raiders News: DC Says Khalil Mack Needs to Catch Up When Contract Holdout Ends

Oakland Raiders defensive coordinator Paul Guenther said Tuesday that defensive end Khalil Mack will need to make up for lost time when he reports to the team.

According to Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Guenther said the following with regard to Mack's lack of preparation relative to his teammates:

"He's going to have a lot of catching up to do. We're going to have to have a plan for that, for sure. Really, I'm concerned about the guys that are here now working. These guys have been busting their tails every day —coming in early, meeting with the coaches, being great in the meeting rooms, communicating on the field."

Mack is currently holding out for a new contract since he can become a free agent next offseason.

While every OTA practice and meeting Mack has missed thus far has been voluntary, they will become mandatory starting next week.

Guenter added that he doesn't know if Mack will attend the three-day session that begins Tuesday.

Mack is coming off another dominant season, as he registered a career-high 78 tackles to go along with 10.5 sacks in 2017.

He has been named to the Pro Bowl in each of the past three seasons, and Mack was the 2016 NFL Defensive Player of the Year for the 2016 season.

In four NFL seasons, the 2014 No. 5 overall pick out of University at Buffalo has racked up 40.5 sacks, making him one of the league's most feared pass-rushers.

The Raiders tied for 24th in the NFL last season with 31 sacks, meaning the team has little to speak of aside from Mack in terms of pressuring the opposing quarterback.

Guenther was the Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator from 2014-2017, but he will now assume that role in Oakland after new Raiders head coach Jon Gruden hired him in January.

There will likely be a learning curve for Mack in transitioning from Jack Del Rio's defensive system to the one instituted by Guenther. However, Mack has already gone through a coaching change in the NFL before, and he has shown he can make the necessary adjustments.