Could the Oakland Raiders Really Trade All-Pro Khalil Mack This Season?

Imagine pairing Khalil Mack with Aaron Donald, Ndamukong Suh, Marcus Peters and an offense that's stacked with Jared Goff, Todd Gurley, Brandin Cooks and more.

That might sound like something straight out of Madden 19, but for many NFL teams, the prospect of adding the league's best young edge-rusher could be a reality. All it will cost them is a long-term contract for Mack—one that will make him the highest-paid defensive end in football (around $18-20 million per year)—and the draft picks the Oakland Raiders are looking for.

According to a report from Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports on the current status of the Raiders' situation with Mack, it "is now likely to result in the All-Pro defensive end missing regular-season games, according to sources familiar with the standoff." 

So, is time to trade for Khalil Mack?

The first consideration is what you're getting; then you can ask what the price is. Here's who Khalil Mack is.

In four seasons with the Raiders, Mack has 40.5 sacks. He did that despite only notching four in his rookie season. So, 36.5 sacks in three seasons. That's dominant. The three-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro has also never been in trouble off the field or an issue in the locker room. You're trading for a 27-year-old with as close to zero bust factor as possible in a game so dominated by injuries and abrupt changes in skill set.

"I really don't think there's anything else like him in the NFL right now. Maybe Von [Miller] but he's getting older. I'd rather have Mack if we're talking about filling out a roster," said one NFL director of player personnel.

So what's the asking price for a player so decorated on the field? "Probably a 1 and a 2" is what one AFC vice president of player personnel told me this week. Another general manager echoed the same asking price, "It probably depends on where you think you'll be drafting. If we're in the top five, it's probably an easy first and second. If we're where we hope we are [drafting late first round], you're going to have to send more."

Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images

I asked both if they were calling about Mack.

Said the director of player personnel: "That's too rich for us. Realistically, we're drafting in the top 10. We can't send two picks in the top 40 for a 27-year-old pass-rusher that needs a new contract."

The VP of player personnel wouldn't answer, only laughing and asking what I'd heard.

There is no doubt among NFL executives that Mack is worth it, but one thing must be considered before teams send two premium draft picks to the Raiders for his services—and that's the 2019 NFL draft class.

Scouts are already lining up to evaluate Ohio State's Nick Bosa. While talking to an area scout this summer for another story, we got on the topic of Bosa and the loaded 2019 pass-rusher class. He suggested that teams will be more cautious in free-agency spending because there is such a talented crop of pass-rushers coming down the pike in the draft. And it's important to note that draft prospects get paid on a flat scale for four or five seasons. That allows general managers to build a more expensive roster of free agents if the team isn't paying a pass-rusher $20 million for five years.

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In conversations around the league, the belief is the Raiders want to trade Mack. In fact, that's a rumor that made the rounds after the 2018 NFL draft when it was said that Jon Gruden wanted to hire his own personnel man. During that under-the-radar search for an executive, the idea was floated to trade Mack, reap the benefits of early draft picks and plug holes in a roster that Gruden feels is close with Derek Carr, Amari Cooper and now a reloaded offensive line.

To many of you reading this, the concept of trading a healthy, elite pass-rusher seems sacrilegious. But to the Raiders, this is a chance to steal extra draft picks for a player one scout in the building I spoke to felt is "replaceable by scheme and a strong rotation of young players."

Every time rookies Arden Key or Maurice Hurst make a play this preseason, that comment echoes in my mind. Maybe the Raiders really would trade Mack and rely on their young defensive line talent while allowing owner Mark Davis—who isn't known for his wealth relative to other NFL owners—to get control of the salary cap before moving to Las Vegas.

It all sounds like a conspiracy theory straight out of Area 51, but in the NFL, where there is smoke, there is usually fire. For Khalil Mack, that could mean a new team before Labor Day weekend.

Matt Miller covers the NFL and NFL draft for Bleacher Report.