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Khalil Mack

AFC West Notes: Raiders, Mack, Chargers

August 2nd, 2018 at 12:27pm CST by Zachary Links

Could taxes play a big role in Khalil Mack‘s approach to negotiations with the Raiders? The standout defensive end is looking for a new multi-year deal, but he may favor a contract with significant guarantees that kick in after the Raiders relocate to Las Vegas, as Mike Florio of PFT points out.

California has the nation’s highest income tax rate at 13.3% while Nevada is one of the few states with no income tax. Mack may want to push a lot of his guaranteed cash to 2020 and beyond, but the Raiders may be wary about having guarantees on the books years in advance.

The Raiders have yet to make an offer to Mack, so there’s no real end in sight for his training camp holdout.

Here’s more from the AFC West:

Raiders Have Not Made Offer To Khalil Mack

July 31st, 2018 at 12:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Khalil Mack has yet to show for training camp and there’s no resolution in sight for his quarrel with the team. The Raiders still have not made an offer to the pass rusher and there have been no talks between the two sides since February, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. 

[RELATED: Raiders Set To Jettison OL Vadal Alexander]

The lack of progress on a deal is a head scratcher, especially considering recent comments from GM Reggie McKenzie.

“Khalil is my guy. … It’s unfortunate that we have to go through this. But his camp decided to do it this way … and Khalil is not the first guy to hold out,” McKenzie said this week. “But we’ll get through this. But there is nothing really to report. He is going to hold out until he gets an extension, and that’s where we are.”

Mack is coming off of another strong season in which he tallied 10.5 sacks and 78 total tackles. The former No. 5 overall pick graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 5 ranked edge rusher in the league and he is looking for a deal that will position him as one of the game’s highest-paid non quarterbacks.

As it stands, Mack is slated to reach unrestricted free agency after the 2018 season. The Raiders can control him via the franchise tag after he collects on his $13.846MM salary, but Mack wants a long-term deal today that will provide him substantial guarantees.

AFC Rumors: Mack, McKinney, Big Ben

July 30th, 2018 at 9:56pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders are far later in the game with Khalil Mack than they were when they signed Derek Carr to a then-record-breaking extension, with Mack on the verge of his fifth season compared to Carr being midway through the offseason prior to his fourth. Reggie McKenzie addressed the All-Pro defensive end’s status. The seventh-year Raiders GM does not anticipate Mack reporting to camp without an extension, one that’s shown no progress and featured zero dialogue between Mack and Jon Gruden.

“Khalil is my guy. … It’s unfortunate that we have to go through this. But his camp decided to do it this way … and Khalil is not the first guy to hold out,” McKenzie said, via Vic Tafur of The Athletic (subscription required). “But we’ll get through this. But there is nothing really to report. He is going to hold out until he gets an extension, and that’s where we are.”

Mack’s already accrued sufficient years for free agency, unlike Aaron Donald. But the two are linked together because of similar pursuits: those of a contract that would raise the bar for defensive players. McKenzie insists the Rams’ impasse has nothing to do with the Raiders. Though, one of these players agreeing to terms would undoubtedly make matters easier for the other team’s negotiations.

“No, our waiting game is just with Khalil. Our focus … I will be honest, we are not even thinking about Aaron Donald,” he said. “Aaron Donald could sign tomorrow, and we’re only focused on Khalil. … Setting the market, all that, that is not the case at all.”

Here’s the AFC latest:

  • One difference Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk observes between Mack and Donald: rumors aren’t circulating about the Rams’ wherewithal to construct a Donald contract. However, some are wondering if the Raiders can give Mack the kind of guarantee he’s seeking, Florio notes. Mack will be requiring his guarantees be north of Von Miller‘s $70MM ($42MM guaranteed at signing), and Mark Davis‘ franchise is on the lower end of the cash spectrum among NFL teams. Mack is due $13.8MM this season. A prospective franchise tag in 2019 would bump that to around $20MM. Florio suggests, if this is truly the case (and if it was, that would certainly qualify as a crisis), then the Raiders should consider trading their superstar defender to a team that can afford to pay him.
  • Benardrick McKinney‘s five-year Texans extension is worth a bit more than originally reported. It’s a $51.1MM deal rather than a $50MM accord, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports. The inside linebacker received just a $3.75MM signing bonus, with Wilson adding a $5.25MM 2018 roster bonus came McKinney’s way as well. Overall, $21MM is guaranteed in this deal. Wilson notes McKinney will make $6MM in 2019 base salary; that figure is guaranteed. His $6MM base in 2020 is guaranteed for injury but becomes fully guaranteed if he’s still on the roster by the fifth day of ’20 league year. McKinney’s cap figures are as follows: $7.7MM (2018), $7.5MM (’19), $7.5MM (’20), $8.5MM (’21), $10.25MM (’22), $10.25MM (’23).
  • Ben Roethlisberger is down approximately 15 pounds at Steelers camp, with Mark Kaboly of The Athletic noting the 15th-year quarterback weighs 250. Big Ben hinted at retirement following the 2016 season but reaffirmed his commitment to the Steelers after last season concluded. He’s now hinted at being interested in signing another Pittsburgh extension, with negotiations likely set for 2019 (his contract year).

Raiders Rumors: Mack, Conley, Richard

July 29th, 2018 at 8:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

The latest on the Khalil Mack front continues to paint a picture of a situation that has no resolution in sight. Mack remains a Raiders holdout. He and the team are not making progress on an extension, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (on Twitter). If that weren’t enough, Rapoport adds no communication’s commencing and no optimism exists. Jon Gruden having yet to speak with his top player is certainly interesting, with the now-two-time Oakland coach having accepted the job in January. Mack has not reported for any Raiders activities this year. But more than five weeks remain until the regular season begins. Unlike Aaron Donald, Mack has already accrued four seasons toward free agency after not holding out last year. This provides the 2016 defensive player of the year with leverage to continue his holdout beyond August 7, whereas Donald will have to make a big choice by then to avoid possible restricted free agency in 2019.

Here’s the latest from the AFC’s Bay Area franchise:

  • A shin injury Gareon Conley cost almost his entire rookie season, and the corrective surgery cost the 2017 first-round pick part of his offseason. The second-year cornerback has not experienced additional known shin trouble, but he now has encountered a hip problem. Conley missed Saturday and Sunday’s Raiders workouts because of this, and this raised eyebrows among some coaches, Vic Tafur of The Athletic notes (subscription required). The Raiders are calling this ailment a hip strain, but new DC Paul Guenther doesn’t anticipate Conley being out for too long. Daryl Worley took Conley’s place with the Oakland first-stringers, per Tafur.
  • Jalen Richard‘s also dealing with an injury, and without a roster spot secured, this setback figures to pose trouble for his latching on with Gruden’s Raiders. The return man/passing-down back suffered a calf strain at Sunday’s practice, Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. Richard was spotted walking without crutches after practice, however, but Gehlken anticipates the Raiders adding another running back. Richard and DeAndre Washington, both 2016 additions who have backed up Latavius Murray and then Marshawn Lynch, are believed to be competing for one roster spot. Richard is not expected to factor into the Raiders’ new-look return-men competitions, with the team having signed Dwayne Harris and traded for Ryan Switzer — both having experience under new ST coordinator Rich Bisaccia.
  • Kolton Miller has a legitimate chance to win Oakland’s starting left tackle job, with Donald Penn on the mend for now.

AFC Notes: Foster, Joseph, Mack

July 29th, 2018 at 11:44am CST by Rory Parks

Good news for Steelers fans. Left guard Ramon Foster, who was carted off the practice field yesterday, hyperextended his knee but did not suffer any ligament damage and will not require surgery, as Aditi Kinkhabwala of the NFL Network reports (via Twitter). Kinkhabwala adds that Foster will miss four to five weeks but is expected to be ready for Week 1.

Now let’s get to more notes from around the AFC:

  • Browns owner Jimmy Haslam expressed unwavering support of head coach Hue Jackson during Haslam’s traditional training camp address yesterday. Per Tony Grossi of ESPN 850 WKNR, Haslam said, “I think we will see the real Hue Jackson (this year). He has good quarterbacks, he has some skill players, he has veteran offensive line – now, we have to figure out left tackle – and three really good backs and a good defense. I think this will be the first opportunity Hue will have to do what we know he can do as head coach and as a leader. We are excited to see it.” That certainly sounds to some, like Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, that Jackson is getting a clean slate, which is quite surprising for a head coach who has compiled a 1-31 record over his two seasons with the club. But Grossi suggests that the Haslams could also be subtly putting Jackson on notice that he is out of excuses.
  • Johnathan Joseph, who signed a two-year, $10MM deal to remain with the Texans this offseason, does not plan on calling it quits anytime soon, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle writes. The 34-year-old Joseph is entering the 13th year of his career, but he remains a starting cornerback and stills loves the game and the camaraderie it engenders. Joseph said, “as long as I’m healthy and I’m fine, I’m going to go out there and compete and contribute to the team. I’ll never play this game just to be playing and out there taking checks and stuff like that. So, if I’m able to be out there playing winning football, I’ll always play.”
  • We learned several days ago that Raiders star defensive end Khalil Mack, who is staying away from the team in an effort to land a new contract, has not spoken with head coach Jon Gruden since Gruden was hired in January. That report sent some of Raiders Nation into panic mode, but as Jerry McDonald of the Mercury News opines, there is no cause for alarm. He says Gruden is right to stay out of the negotiations, which is the domain of GM Reggie McKenzie and ownership, and that there should be no issues between Mack and Gruden when the contract situation does get resolved. McKenzie, meanwhile had no updates to offer on the negotiations.
  • In other Raiders news, Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com reports that rookie Kolton Miller will be given every chance to win the starting LT job from Donald Penn, who is currently on the PUP list.
  • Embattled Bills DE Shaq Lawson could be on his way out of Buffalo, but DC Leslie Frazier isn’t casting him aside just yet. Frazier said Lawson’s best football is ahead of him, and that he is much too young to say that 2018 is a make-or-break year (via Joe Buscaglia of WKBW on Twitter). However, as Mike Rodak of ESPN.com tweets, Frazier also refers to Trent Murphy as the team’s starting left end, which is further evidence that Lawson has ground to make up if he wants to remain a Bill.

Raiders’ Mack Has Yet To Speak With Gruden

July 26th, 2018 at 11:02am CST by Zachary Links

Is there real trouble brewing in Oakland? Defensive end Khalil Mack and Jon Gruden have not spoken once since the Raiders hired their new coach in January, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears. 

[RELATED: Mack Won’t Show For Camp]

The Raiders are presently in a standoff with Mack, who is staying away from the team as he pushes for a new contract. Mack is obviously a big part of the puzzle in Oakland, so it’s shocking to hear that there has been no communication between him and Gruden over the last seven months.

Mack has averaged 12 sacks per season over the last three years. Last year, he graded out as the fifth best edge rusher in the entire league, per Pro Football Focus.

As it stands, Mack is slated to reach unrestricted free agency following the 2018 season. He’s scheduled to earn $13.846MM, per the terms of his fifth-year option. His deal accounts for nearly 8% of the Raiders’ salary cap, and he is likely seeking a deal that will give him a similar piece of the pie over a six-year span, even as the cap continues to increase. So far, talks have dragged.

Raiders’ Khalil Mack Won’t Show For Camp

July 25th, 2018 at 1:51pm CST by Zachary Links

Defensive end Khalil Mack will not report to the Raiders when camp opens on Thursday, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter). This does not appear to be a case of posturing, Schefter adds. 

[RELATED: Raiders Deciding Between Richard, Washington?]

Mack is scheduled to earn $13.846MM after having his fifth-year option picked up, but he’s pushing for a long-term deal before he hits free agency next offseason. Fellow 2014 first-round picks Aaron Donald and Jadeveon Clowney are in similar situations, and it appears that each player is waiting for one of the other two to sign first. Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie has said that the organization won’t use other contracts as a basis for Mack’s extension, but it’s hard to imagine that those other deals would not be used as reference points.

In a recent poll, more than half of PFR’s readers said that Donald would finish the offseason as the league’s highest-paid defender. However, Mack was not far behind in voting.

Mack has averaged 12 sacks per season over the last three years. It is believed that he is seeking a multi-year deal worth roughly $20MM per season.

Latest On Khalil Mack, Raiders

July 21st, 2018 at 12:45pm CST by Ben Levine

Khalil Mack sat out Raiders mandatory minicamp back in June as he pushed for a new contract. With training camp right around the corner, Jon Gruden made it sound like making the defensive end happy is a top priority. The head coach told ESPN’s Paul Gutierrez that the organization is “going to find a way to get Khalil Mack back” (Twitter link).

“That might be the toughest decision I have to figure out right now,” Gruden added. “We’re not the only team that’s faced with that. It’s tough. It’s part of this business and we’ll just keep our fingers crossed.”

The 2014 fifth-overall pick is scheduled to earn $13.846MM next season after having his fifth-year option picked up, but he’s pushing for a long-term deal before he hits free agency next offseason. As our own Zach Links previously pointed out, Aaron Donald and Jadeveon Clowney are in similar situations, and Mack could be waiting to see if one of the other 2014 first-rounders sets the market. Von Miller‘s league-leading average annual salary of $19.1MM seems to be what these defenders are aiming for. For what it’s worth, Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie previously said that the organization wouldn’t use other contracts as a basis for Mack’s extension.

With the organization having already signed quarterback Derek Carr and offensive lineman Gabe Jackson to extensions, it would make sense that they’d now shift their focus to their defensive leader. Mack has made a pair of first-team All-Pro teams, and he’s been named to three straight Pro Bowls. He had another productive season in 2017, finishing with 78 tackles and 10.5 sacks.

Poll: Who Will End Offseason As NFL’s Highest-Paid Defender?

June 16th, 2018 at 2:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

The league’s seen a large number of standout players skip mandatory workouts this week, setting up an eventful stretch despite teams being on break between minicamps and training camps.

The star power from the 2014 draft is driving part of this spree of holdouts, and this summer figures to produce at least one mega-contract for a defender (and likely more). By the time this offseason concludes, the defensive contract landscape will look different. Who will be the league’s new standard-bearer here?

Von Miller‘s held that title for two years, since signing his six-year, $114.6MM extension at the 2016 franchise tag deadline. Multiple stars drafted in the 2014 first round are gunning for contracts that would surpass Miller’s.

Will it be Aaron Donald? Despite playing a position that has not been traditionally compensated as well as Miller’s, Ndamukong Suh‘s 2015 free agency windfall notwithstanding, Donald has been the league’s most dominant interior defender for a bit now. With quarterbacks’ release times steadily accelerating, defenders lined up closer to the ball have seen a change in compensation patterns. Defensive tackles like Fletcher Cox and Kawann Short are each paid more than $16MM annually, and Donald’s operated on a higher level than each during his four-year career.

Holding out for a second straight year, Donald is a key component to a Rams operation that’s taking a more aggressive approach to contention than it did last year. While no deal is imminent, talks will presumably heat up soon. Les Snead‘s already said a Donald resolution will need to involve an NFL-high defender contract, but will other defenders end up with a better deal?

Khalil Mack didn’t follow Donald’s lead and hold out last year, despite both being on the same timeline and the Raiders defensive end beating the Rams defensive tackle to the defensive player of the year throne. Now, Mack’s stayed away from the Raiders throughout the offseason. While the Raiders may be a tad behind the Rams on the preseason hype scale, Mack has been vital to their defense — a perennially shaky unit despite his dominance — and plays the game’s most valuable defensive role.

At 27, Mack is two years younger than Miller. And the cap is now $22MM higher than it was when the Broncos signed their edge-rushing phenom. It stands to reason Mack will sign a more lucrative deal. However, Derek Carr accepted less than market value at $25MM per year to help Oakland be in better position to keep its core together. With that contract on the books, and a situation the Rams do not have to navigate with Jared Goff just yet, will Mack end up just behind Donald in this pursuit? The Raiders also signed Carr in June of last year. Mack signing in June, to conclude a less contentious process than Donald’s, would open the door for Donald to come in and exceed whatever deal the Bay Area parties reach.

What about Jadeveon Clowney? Not as accomplished as the California-dwelling duo, the No. 1 pick in 2014 has become a star in his own right. And at 25, he’s two years younger than both. As injuries have sidetracked J.J. Watt‘s otherworldly career, Clowney’s become one of the league’s best players. The Texans have a history of authorizing this kind of contract — as they did with Watt’s six-year, $100MM pact in 2014 — and have a quarterback at least two years away from an extension.

While Watt’s maladies have clouded his future and made Clowney more indispensable in the process, might Houston be leery of paying league-record money to another injury-prone performer? Clowney is not holding out, but he did not participate in minicamp while recovering from another surgery.

So, which defender will assume Miller’s position? What will it take to finalize such a deal? Will this derby end with a $20MM- or $21MM-per-year contract? Is there a darkhorse player (perhaps the franchise-tagged Demarcus Lawrence?) that could swoop in here? Vote in PFR’s latest poll and weigh in with your view in the comments section!

Examining Key 2018 Holdouts

June 15th, 2018 at 7:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

The 2014 first round produced some of the NFL’s best players, and they comprise part of an extensive group of that skipped minicamp and could well be training camp holdouts. But several other standout players didn’t show for their respective teams’ mandatory workouts either. Here’s a look on where things stand with this absent contingent.

Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams: The reigning defensive player of the year is holding out for a second straight summer. He skipped the Rams’ minicamp, as expected, and remains focused on a landscape-changing deal. Both Donald and Khalil Mack are in line to eclipse Von Miller‘s $19MM annual salary, but the California-based franchises may be hesitant to be the first to authorize a $20MM-per-year pact for a defender. However, Les Snead‘s already conceded the Rams will have to finalize a Donald deal that makes him the league’s highest-paid defender. But with the Broncos superstar having signed his extension in a $155MM cap year, it’s likely Donald’s camp — particularly on the heels of a season where the all-world interior defender won DPOY honors after his holdout induced a two-game absence — is targeting a figure well north of Miller’s, with the cap now at $177.2MM.

The Rams see this process unfolding in a less contentious fashion this year, but a Donald deal — one that’s putting other priorities on hold — isn’t imminent.

David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals: Unlike Le’Veon Bell and the Steelers, this process features no immediate deadline. But Johnson’s contract expires after this season, with no fifth-year option available to the franchise. Johnson and the Cards are engaging in extension discussions, and Steve Keim said this week — as his All-Pro back skipped minicamp — the team looks forward to signing Johnson long-term.

This has not proven to be an acrimonious situation, but Johnson is on a slightly different timetable than Bell. Despite being a fourth-year player compared to Pittsburgh’s All-Pro entering his sixth season, Johnson is a few months older than Bell and will turn 27 in December. However, it may be in his best interests to wait and see what happens with Bell by the July 16 franchise tag extension deadline.

Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons: The NFL’s seen its wide receiver salary landscape shift since Jones signed his extension in August 2015. That contract made Jones the NFL’s highest-paid wideout, but seven receivers have since surpassed him. This includes Sammy Watkins and slot target Jarvis Landry, who respectively signed 2018 deals for $16MM and $15.1MM annually. Atlanta’s top weapon wants a revised contract and skipped OTAs and minicamp, and the Falcons are discussing such an amendment.

Jones has three seasons and minimal guarantees remaining on his deal, which averages $14.25MM per year. The team’s response a Jones camp proposal did not meet with the group’s approval, but the sides continue to negotiate. The 29-year-old pass-catcher said recently he has no intentions of forcing his way out of Atlanta.

Taylor Lewan, Tennessee Titans: The left tackle is part of the 2014 first-round contingent entering fifth-year option seasons, and he joined some of the group’s higher-profile players in skipping mandatory June workouts. Jon Robinson said upon being informed of Lewan’s impending minicamp absence that the parties are participating in ongoing re-up dialogue, but as recently as late May, no reports indicated this was the case.

A two-time Pro Bowler, Lewan is entering his age-27 season and is now shooting for Nate Solder‘s $15.5MM-AAV standard. That’s $2MM-plus more than any other left tackle makes, and the Giants authorized that contract amid free agency circumstances. This will complicate matters for Lewan and other extension-seeking tackles. Lewan’s option season is set to be worth $9.341MM.

Khalil Mack, Oakland Raiders: After not joining Donald in a 2017 holdout, despite being in essentially the same situation, Mack is doing so this year. He has not reported to the Raiders this offseason. The 2016 defensive player of the year saw 2014 draftee teammates Derek Carr and Gabe Jackson sign lucrative extensions, only to see the Raiders put his on hold — mirroring other teams’ processes with ’14 first-rounders — because of the franchise-friendly fifth-year option. Reggie McKenzie‘s maintained the franchise intends to extend Mack in 2018 and said other players’ situations aren’t factoring into these discussions. Though, it’d be hard to believe Donald’s process isn’t impacting Mack’s at all.

The Raiders and Mack weren’t close on terms in April, but both Carr and Jackson signed their extensions in June of last year, perhaps pointing to a near-future resolution. Unlike the Rams, however, the Raiders have a top-tier quarterback salary on their books. That could cause issues elsewhere on the roster. Although, the cap’s perpetual rise negates some of those potential problems.

Earl Thomas, Seattle Seahawks: Perhaps the most interesting of these situations, the Seahawks have dangled Thomas in trades but expect him to report for training camp. Like Jones, Thomas saw several at his position usurp him in the salary hierarchy since signing an extension. Thomas signed a $10MM-AAV contract to make him the highest-paid safety in 2014. Again in a contract year, he’s threatened a holdout for months and is following through. The Cowboys and Seahawks discussed a draft-weekend deal for the three-time All-Pro. While Dallas balked about sending a second-round pick for the 29-year-old defender, the teams may well revisit these talks.

Either way, Thomas is going to want Eric Berry money ($13MM AAV) on his third contract. With Richard Sherman in San Francisco and Kam Chancellor‘s career in doubt, Thomas is the last remaining member of the Legion of Boom. It’s just uncertain if he’ll finish out his second contract in Seattle or be shipped elsewhere and end that dominant era.

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