For most of the summer, the thinking seemed to be that eventually the Raiders and Khalil Mack would come to terms on a new contract that made one of the game's very best defenders its highest paid defender. But that's gone now, and most now expect Mack to be traded in the next day or two.
How did we reach this point? Well, the Raiders don't even have an offer on the table to Mack, apparently; have never had substantive talks with Mack about a new contract. They're now apparently mulling trade offers. I've wondered if it's a case of Jon Gruden thinking, our defense is going to be terrible even if we sign Mack, because it has been. So we may as well get some picks for him to rebuild with more good players, rather than spend $100 million and still be bad.
Because indeed, with Mack the Raiders have been bad. Mack has been in the league for four seasons, and although he's been awesome, Oakland's defense in that time has ranked 23rd, 22nd, 26th and 23rd in yards allowed, and 20th, 20th, 22nd and 32nd in points allowed. They're terrible, and they can be terrible without Mack, too.
Mack himself has been a bright spot in that time, and he'll be a bright spot on his new team, whoever that is. He's recorded 40.5 sacks over his four-year career, so 10 per year.
Over the last decade, there have been 47 seasons where one player accounted for at least 35 percent of their team's sacks. Mack has two of those years, and fell just short last year (when he had 10.5 of the team's 31 sacks, which is 34 percent).
| % TEAM SACKS, 2008-2017 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Pos | Player | Sacks | Team | % |
| 2014 | DE | J.J. Watt, Hou. | 20.5 | 38 | 53.9% |
| 2008 | OLB | James Harrison, Pitt. | 16.0 | 30 | 53.3% |
| 2008 | DE | Julius Peppers, Car. | 14.5 | 28 | 51.8% |
| 2008 | DE | John Abraham, Atl. | 16.5 | 32 | 51.6% |
| 2012 | OLB | Aldon Smith, S.F. | 19.5 | 38 | 51.3% |
| 2014 | OLB | Justin Houston, K.C. | 22.0 | 46 | 47.8% |
| 2012 | DE | J.J. Watt, Hou. | 20.5 | 44 | 46.6% |
| 2013 | OLB | Robert Mathis, Ind. | 19.5 | 42 | 46.4% |
| 2011 | OLB | DeMarcus Ware, Dall. | 19.5 | 42 | 46.4% |
| 2017 | OLB | Chandler Jones, Ariz. | 17.0 | 37 | 45.9% |
| 2016 | OLB | Vic Beasley, Atl. | 15.5 | 34 | 45.6% |
| 2008 | OLB | DeMarcus Ware, Dall. | 20.0 | 45 | 44.4% |
| 2010 | OLB | DeMarcus Ware, Dall. | 15.5 | 35 | 44.3% |
| 2016 | DE | Khalil Mack, Oak. | 11.0 | 25 | 44.0% |
| 2011 | DE | Jared Allen, Minn. | 22.0 | 50 | 44.0% |
| 2008 | OLB | Joey Porter, Mia. | 17.5 | 40 | 43.8% |
| 2009 | OLB | Elvis Dumervil, Den. | 17.0 | 39 | 43.6% |
| 2010 | DE | John Abraham, Atl. | 13.0 | 31 | 41.9% |
| 2011 | OLB | Tamba Hali, K.C. | 12.0 | 29 | 41.4% |
| 2015 | DE | Robert Ayers, NYG | 9.5 | 23 | 41.3% |
| 2010 | OLB | Terrell Suggs, Balt. | 11.0 | 27 | 40.7% |
| 2014 | DE | Carlos Dunlap, Cin. | 8.0 | 20 | 40.0% |
| 2009 | DE | Dwight Freeney, Ind. | 13.5 | 34 | 39.7% |
| 2015 | DE | Khalil Mack, Oak. | 15.0 | 38 | 39.5% |
| 2015 | DE | J.J. Watt, Hou. | 17.5 | 45 | 38.9% |
| 2009 | OLB | Tamba Hali, K.C. | 8.5 | 22 | 38.6% |
| 2008 | OLB | LaMarr Woodley, Pitt. | 11.5 | 30 | 38.3% |
| 2017 | DE | Demarcus Lawrence, Dall. | 14.5 | 38 | 38.2% |
| 2008 | DE | Gaines Adams, T.B. | 6.5 | 17 | 38.2% |
| 2010 | OLB | Tamba Hali, K.C. | 14.5 | 39 | 37.2% |
| 2009 | DE | Will Smith, N.O. | 13.0 | 35 | 37.1% |
| 2010 | DE | Charles Johnson, Car. | 11.5 | 31 | 37.1% |
| 2012 | OLB | Justin Houston, K.C. | 10.0 | 27 | 37.0% |
| 2010 | DE | Robert Mathis, Ind. | 11.0 | 30 | 36.7% |
| 2014 | OLB | Ryan Kerrigan, Wash. | 13.5 | 37 | 36.5% |
| 2011 | DE | Jason Babin, Phil. | 18.0 | 50 | 36.0% |
| 2010 | OLB | Cameron Wake, Mia. | 14.0 | 39 | 35.9% |
| 2013 | DE | Robert Quinn, St.L. | 19.0 | 53 | 35.8% |
| 2012 | DE | Cameron Wake, Mia. | 15.0 | 42 | 35.7% |
| 2016 | OLB | Dee Ford, K.C. | 10.0 | 28 | 35.7% |
| 2012 | OLB | Von Miller, Den. | 18.5 | 52 | 35.6% |
| 2010 | DE | Jared Allen, Minn. | 11.0 | 31 | 35.5% |
| 2014 | OLB | Paul Kruger, Clev. | 11.0 | 31 | 35.5% |
| 2008 | DE | Bobby McCray, N.O. | 6.0 | 17 | 35.3% |
| 2010 | DE | Carlos Dunlap, Cin. | 9.5 | 27 | 35.2% |
| 2017 | DE | Everson Griffen, Minn. | 13.0 | 37 | 35.1% |
| 2017 | DE | Cameron Wake, Mia. | 10.5 | 30 | 35.0% |
So where will Mack end up? The Jets, the Browns, the Bills and the Packers are the teams mentioned most often. All could really use him: Green Bay finished 17th in sacks a year ago, while the rest were 20th or worse. Would be a nice boost to those pass rushes.
While the Raiders, who finished 24th in sacks with Mack, will be headed the other way.
--Andy Richardson