Khalil Mack

Raiders Have Made Offer To Khalil Mack

February 28th, 2018 at 5:40pm CST by Dallas Robinson

The Raiders have made an extension offer to star edge rusher Khalil Mack, according to Vic Tafur of the Atheltic (Twitter link). Mack and his representatives are currently mulling the terms of the deal, per Tafur.

Mack, who turned 27 years old last week, is one of the NFL’s premier pass rushers, and has solidified that status by posting 36.5 sacks over the past three seasons. In 2017, Mack put up 10.5 sacks, finished second in the league with 53 pressures, and graded as the NFL’s No. 5 edge defender, per Pro Football Focus. The fifth overall selection in the 2015 draft, Mack has never missed a game during his four-year pro career.

The Raiders have Mack under contract for one more year, and he’ll earn a fully guaranteed base salary of $13.846MM in 2018. While Oakland could conceivably use the franchise tag on Mack in 2019, the club surely prefers to hammer out a long-term deal. General manager Reggie McKenzie recently indicated that a 2018 extension was likely to be arranged.

Mack will likely seek to top fellow AFC West pass rusher Von Miller‘s $19.083MM annual value, and should be fully expected to shoot for a $20MM per year salary on his next contract. For what it’s worth, the Raiders generally prefer to avoid signing bonuses (and in turn, work out contracts that are relatively easy to escape), but Oakland did give quarterback Derek Carr a $12.5MM signing bonus on his recent extension. Whether the Raiders will stick to their typical contract structure, or be amenable to changes given Mack’s talent and importance, is unclear.

Extra Points: Freeman, Broncos, Mack, Eifert

November 18th, 2017 at 9:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Broncos have authored one of their worst modern-era stretches over the past five weeks, with now both their offense and defense struggling. John Elway lobbed some criticism at the team he put together.

“I think we got a little bit soft. To be dead honest with you, we got a little bit soft,” the Broncos GM said, via Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post. “We went 4-0 in preseason; we started out 3-1; we get a bye week, and if you exhale in this league, you’re in trouble. To be dead honest with you, I think we exhaled and it’s hard to recover from that.”

However, the seventh-year front office leader offered support for Vance Joseph despite the first-year coach having the Broncos in danger of their first sub-.500 season in seven years. The Broncos’ schedule eases up after the Chiefs-Eagles-Patriots gauntlet, with the Bengals making a trip to Denver in on Sunday, but Joseph may profile as a one-and-done candidate if this pace continues. The Broncos have lost all five games by at least 10 points. Elway threw some cold water on that prospect, though.

“There’s going to be growing pains as a head coach, especially as a first-year head coach (and) we got a lot of youth on staff when it comes to coordinators, too,” Elway said. “So there’s growing pains there. Just like with players, we have to give them a chance to grow and get better and learn from certain situations. Vance, in my mind, is doing just fine and continues to get these guys to play hard and the energy is still there. So we’ll work our way through.”

Here’s the latest from around the league going into Week 11 Sunday.

Devonta Freeman has been ruled out for Monday night’s Falcons-Seahawks game. This wasn’t a surprise given the star running back’s concussion history. He suffered a second concussion of the season against the Cowboys. Tevin Coleman will start.
Reggie McKenzie wants to sign Khalil Mack to an extension next year, and the cornerstone Raiders defender has no problem with that. Mack does not seem interested in exploring a potential path elsewhere down the line. “Of course; that’s not even a question,” Mack said, via NBC Sports Bay Area’s Fallon Smith, about wanting to stay with the Raiders for the rest of his career. “That’s a no-brainer for me, especially when you think about coming into this organization and try to build something special, that’s something you want to be a part of for a lifetime.” Given his age (26), durability, production history and the fact Von Miller‘s extension occurred during the 2016 league year, Mack is a mortal lock to become a $20MM-per-year defender and surpass his fellow AFC West pass-rushing dynamo in that department. Mack’s under contract through 2018 via fifth-year option.
In addition to the back surgery Tyler Eifert underwent, the impending UFA tight end had a knee procedure done recently, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). This was not a major operation, with Graziano noting it was for a cyst that had developed on the Bengals pass-catcher’s knee. Eifert is out for the season and will profile as one of the more interesting UFAs due to his injury history and high-ceiling production when healthy.
The Jaguars will be without two starting offensive linemen on Sunday in Cleveland. Both Jermey Parnell and Patrick Omameh are out and didn’t travel with the team to northeast Ohio. This will be Parnell’s second straight absence due to a knee injury. A quadriceps injury will sideline Omameh, who’s worked as Jacksonville’s starting left guard throughout the season. The Jags have 10 offensive linemen on their active roster, so they’re prepared to handle the first-unit cogs’ absences.

Raiders Envision 2018 Khalil Mack Extension

November 11th, 2017 at 6:35pm CST by Sam Robinson

Khalil Mack saw two of his 2014 draft class mates sign lucrative Raiders extensions this offseason, but like other 2014 first-rounders, the reigning defensive player of the year remains attached to his rookie deal.

The Raiders, though, plan to get serious about a Mack extension after this season. Reggie McKenzie said this week he anticipates the Raiders and Mack discussing a re-up this coming offseason, with the GM adding (via Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com) “I hope his agent feels the same way.”

Bair notes the Raiders want this deal to come way before a deadline nears. The nearest one would be the 2019 league year forcing a franchise tag decision. The Chiefs and Broncos saw their premier pass rushers reach that point in 2015 and ’16, respectively, en route to record payouts. And the Chargers ended up playing it this way with Melvin Ingram. Both Von Miller and Ingram played five seasons on their rookie contracts, with Justin Houston playing four due to being a third-round pick. Eyeing an extension by next year, the Raiders do not envision this scenario hitting a fourth AFC West team.

Oakland is projected to hold just $14MM in 2018 cap space, but the McKenzie regime frontloading contracts affords the franchise flexibility to cut bait free of charge on some of its other deals if it seeks to create more space. With the exception of Derek Carr, Gabe Jackson and Donald Penn, none of the Raiders’ veteran contracts will have much dead-money consequences next year.

McKenzie authorized extensions for Carr and Jackson in advance of their contract years in June before stopping short of a Mack deal, one that would almost certainly reset the market for defensive players. Mack did not hold out and has continued his top-flight play. Pro Football Focus rates the fourth-year player as its fourth-best edge defender through nine games, which have featured 4.5 Mack sacks.

Mack is signed through 2018 via $13.8MM fifth-year option. The 26-year-old edge player should have a greater argument to not only become the highest-paid defensive player but do so by a bigger margin than he would have had this deal come to pass in 2017.

Miller’s six-year, $114.6MM pact came in a year when the cap stood at $155MM. Next season’s could rise to nearly $180MM, raising the price for extensions. Mack and fellow 2014 first-rounder Aaron Donald may both become $20MM-per-year defenders, but unlike the Rams’ setup, the Raiders would then become the first team to pay two players $20MM annually since Carr is signed to a $25MM-AAV accord.

It sounds like they’re willing to make that happen.

Extra Points: McKinney, Raiders, Bills

July 1st, 2017 at 12:41pm CST by Ben Levine

Texans 2015 second-round pick Benardrick McKinney came into his own during his second NFL season. After starting 11 of his 14 games as a rookie, McKinney started all 16 games last season, compiling 129 tackles, five sacks, and one forced fumble. While the 24-year-old is naturally overshadowed by teammates J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney, one AFC college scouting director suggested he’d build his entire defense around McKinney.

“I’d be very comfortable starting my defense with McKinney as my first pick,” the scout told Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. “He’s an absolute stud. He’s so big and strong, but, at the same time, he runs so well. If you could redo the draft, he’d be a first-rounder, easily. The Texans really hit on this guy. He’s special.”

McKinney inked a four-year, $5.35MM contract (with $3.26MM guaranteed) after getting drafted, and he’ll surely see a raise when he reaches free agency in 2019.

Let’s check out some other notes from around the league…

There were reports earlier this week that the Raiders don’t have the cap room to extend defensive end Khalil Mack until next offseason. However, Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com questions those claims. The writer cites the NFLPA’s website, which lists the organization’s current cap room at $32.8MM. Even if that number reflected the team’s financial situation before the Derek Carr and Gabe Jackson extensions, Florio is still convinced that the team could have easily fit all three extensions. In the event that it wasn’t financially feasible, the writer notes that the Raiders could simply restructure the contracts for Kelechi Osemele and Bruce Irvin, which would have presumably opened enough space. As a result, Florio doesn’t believe it’s an issue of whether the Raiders can sign Mack right now; rather, Florio believes the issue revolves around whether the organization wants to extend Mack at all.
It’s been more than a decade since the Bills have had a “difference-making tight end,” writes Vic Carucci of the Buffalo News. The organization did little to improve the unit during the draft or free agency, meaning the team will have to rely on former restricted free agent Charles Clay. The team inked the 28-year-old to a contract prior to the 2015 season, and he’s averaged 54 receptions for 540 yards and three touchdowns during his two years in Buffalo. Clay counts for $9MM against the cap, which presumably dissuaded the front office from pursuing reinforcement at the position. As a result, Carucci says the team will have to “get by with what they have.”
According to Alex Marvez of The Sporting News, the NFLPA has warned players “about the possibility of a financial scam.” The Player’s Association issued an alert on Friday regarding a trio of “tax advisory firms” that were operated by a Chicago-based resident. One NFL player was reportedly charged $500K for the man’s services, and the NFLPA also found a list of fraud claims against the individual that date back to the 1980s.

No Deal For Khalil Mack This Year

June 29th, 2017 at 6:45pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

It appeared likely that the Raiders would extend each of Derek Carr, Gabe Jackson and Khalil Mack this summer, but that won’t be the case. After handing new deals to Carr and Jackson, the Raiders won’t have the cap room to lock up Mack until next offseason, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (on Twitter).

The good news for the Raiders is that they won’t be at risk of losing Mack next winter, as he’s controllable through 2018 via his $13.846MM fifth-year option. Mack will surely look to outdo that number on an annual basis on a long-term deal, given that he has emerged as arguably the NFL’s premier defender since entering the league as a first-round pick in 2014. The former University at Buffalo star has been an iron man for the Raiders, having appeared in 48 straight games (all starts), and totaled 30 sacks and eight forced fumbles.

Mack is now coming off his second straight double-digit-sack season (11), in which he also piled up 73 tackles, a career-high five forced fumbles and ranked as Pro Football Focus’ best edge defender. More impressively, perhaps, Mack earned Defensive Player of the Year honors and his second straight first-team All-Pro nod.

Considering what Mack has accomplished, it’s fair to suggest he should be in line for a Von Miller-esque deal when the time comes for him to ink a long-term pact. The Broncos’ Miller, who fell three spots behind Mack in PFF’s rankings last season, signed a six-year, $114.5MM extension that features a whopping $70MM in guarantees last summer. The cap is consistently on the rise, so it wouldn’t be a shock to see Mack’s deal outpace Miller’s. For now, he’s on track to play 2017 for just $690K, likely making him the league’s biggest bargain.

Raiders To Exercise Khalil Mack’s Option

April 20th, 2017 at 2:02pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders are exercising the fifth-year option on linebacker Khalil Mack, Peter Schrager of NFL.com tweets. The news doesn’t come as much of a surprise. This was, of course, a no-brainer for the Raiders.

Before Mack’s option kicks in for the 2018 season, it’s widely expected that the two sides will hammer out a long-term extension. Mack quickly blossomed into a superstar for the Raiders and he has been vocal about his desire to stay for the long haul. The Raiders appear to be a legitimate contender for 2017 and Oakland fans are struggling to cope with the team’s impending move to Las Vegas, so the organization has every reason in the world to lock down the former No. 5 overall pick.

Last season, Mack earned his second consecutive Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro nods. He finished out the season with 73 total tackles and 11 sacks and, unsurprisingly, graded out as Pro Football Focus’ top ranked edge defender. Mack’s 93.9 overall score edged out notable names like Brandon Graham, Cameron Jordan, Von Miller, Joey Bosa, Melvin Ingram, and Chandler Jones.

The Raiders have lots of cap room to work with as they talk extension with Mack and quarterback Derek Carr. Deals could go down quickly for both players, but there almost certainly won’t be any signed contracts between now and the draft.

Latest On Raiders’ Extension Plans

January 21st, 2017 at 4:04pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Raiders have been able to stockpile veteran UFAs in recent years because of a lack of homegrown extensions on their payroll. But they will soon need to cut back on offseason spending because of two stars becoming extension-eligible. And Reggie McKenzie doesn’t appear to be inclined to wait on what figure to be the two most expensive extensions in Raiders history.

Derek Carr will enter a contract year without a fifth-year option safety net, while Khalil Mack can be controlled on his rookie deal through 2018 because of that clause in the former first-rounder’s pact. McKenzie wants both players to be locked up to long-term contracts by the end of next season.

“The good thing is we do have time, but I’m not the type to wait until the last minute,” McKenzie said, via Jerry McDonald of the San Jose Mercury News. “Those two guys are not only great players, but they’re great men and they are true Raiders and I want to make sure we do the best that we can to make sure they stay Raiders.

“A quarterback is going to command a high dollar. Khalil is going to command a high dollar. We’ll work around it, but we don’t feel at this point threatened by it.”

The Raiders stand to possess more than $46MM in cap space this year. They shouldn’t be as active in free agency compared to last year as a result of these looming deals, McKenzie acknowledged, and the Carr accord figures to be one of the more scrutinized negotiations this summer.

Carr is set to make just more than $977K in base salary this season, so he could add an extra year of franchise-quarterback money by signing before his walk year, a la Russell Wilson. The 2014 second-rounder’s worth became painfully obvious after he went down in Week 16, with the Raiders ending their season with two one-sided defeats. Carr figures to be in position to command a deal well north of $20MM per year, seeing as he’ll be 26 in March and the Raiders having not employed a young franchise-caliber quarterback since probably Ken Stabler. Andrew Luck‘s five-year, $122MM agreement could be in sight.

Mack will count $5.942MM toward Oakland’s cap in 2017; that’s the 10th-highest cap figure on a payroll that features UFA signings representing its nine highest salaries. The Raiders will have an incredibly easy decision when choosing to exercise Mack’s fifth-year option worth approximately $13.7MM. A defensive player of the year candidate, Mack could target Von Miller‘s $19MM-AAV threshold and become the league’s first $20MM-per-year defender. The cap’s continued rise, and Mack being two years younger than Miller, point to him potentially raising the standard.

McKenzie’s language dictates the superstar pass-rusher probably won’t have to wait until after his fifth season to receive his landmark extension like Miller did.

Free Agency Notes: Jets, Giants, Lions

January 13th, 2017 at 2:11pm CST by Ben Levine

It’s been a busy couple of days for coaching moves. Our head coaching tracker shows that five of the six vacancies have been filled, with the 49ers remaining as the only team with a head coach opening.

Of course, we wouldn’t blame you if you’ve been itching for some tidbits concerning actual players. So let’s take a look at some notes pertaining to free agency…

With the Jets‘ offseason looming, Ralph Vacchiano of SNY takes a look at which of the team’s impending free agents should be re-signed. The writer lists offensive guard Brian Winters as a priority, and he notes that he’d re-sign quarterback Geno Smith, offensive tackle Ben Ijalana, and long snapper Tanner Purdum if the price was right. Meanwhile, Vacchiano lists quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick as “likely gone.”
After some “maneuvering,” ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan tweets that the Giants could have nearly $40MM in cap room this offseason. The Giants have a number of key players reaching free agency this summer, including defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins, and cornerback Coty Sensabaugh.
Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press believes the Lions need to add “playmakers” this offseason. However, coach Jim Caldwell said those flashy additions are not necessary. “I don’t think (we need one) because I just think that you find a lot of teams that have an abundance of what you call quote-unquote superstars and they function dysfunctionally as a team,” Caldwell said. “I think that we’re more interested in what kind of team that we build. That’s the thing that’s most important to me. It’s how we function as a team.”
While the Raiders would presumably like to be players in free agency, Joel Corry of CBSSports.com writes that several contract extensions are “looming” over the organization. Both quarterback Derek Carr and linebacker Khalil Mack are eligible for new deals, and the organization will surely have to pay to retain the star duo.

Raiders To Focus On Carr’s Deal Before Mack’s

December 8th, 2016 at 3:53pm CST by Zachary Links

The Raiders are under the CBA-mandated minimum expenditure over the past four-year period. However, the Raiders have a few good ideas for how they can spend that cash, including new deals for quarterback Derek Carr and star linebacker Khalil Mack. The Raiders are currently expected to focus on signing Carr before Mack, a source familiar with the situation tells Mike Florio of PFT.

One might think the Raiders are prioritizing Carr because he plays a more important position, but the real reason is that the Raiders hold a fifth-year option on Mack because he is a first-round pick. As a former second-round choice, Carr has only one year left on his rookie deal. Without a new contract, the Raiders would be forced to use the expensive franchise tag to keep Carr away from free agency after the 2017 season.

It will be interesting to see what kind of deal Carr will look for from Oakland. Kirk Cousins, who is considered to be an above-average quarterback and will be 29 next season, is said to be seeking nearly $24MM/year on his next deal. Carr, meanwhile, doesn’t turn 26 until March and has been outplaying Cousins by just about every metric this season.

Mack, meanwhile, is having a monster season of his own with ten sacks and 58 total tackles through 12 games. The Raiders, ideally, would like to lock up both players before they get anywhere near the open market.

West Notes: Bosa, Raiders, Cardinals, Palmer

August 11th, 2016 at 8:12pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Although Joey Bosa‘s camp has reportedly made the latest offer in his contract battle with the Chargers, Andrew Brandt of TheMMQB doesn’t expect the team to blink in the two sides’ stare down. Instead, given that the third overall pick has no leverage, the Bolts will wait him out. The deadline for the Chargers to trade the lone holdout from this year’s rookie class passed Tuesday, so the ex-Ohio State star will either have to sign with San Diego or skip this season and reenter the draft next spring. If Bosa doesn’t sign by the Tuesday after Week 10, he won’t be eligible to play this year. The 21-year-old and the Chargers are locked in a dispute over signing bonus distribution and offset language in a potential contract.

More from the NFL’s two West-based divisions:

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter) believes the Raiders’ Reggie McKenzie will have as difficult a job as any general manager for 53-man roster cuts as his team boasts one of the league’s deepest rosters. For a full view of the Raiders’ depth chart, check out their page on Roster Resource.
McKenzie has fared excellently in rebuilding the Raiders, but he’ll have his work cut out going forward while he tries to retain talent, as Joel Corry of CBS Sports details. If quarterback Derek Carr – whom the Raiders control through 2017 – signs an extension worth $20MM per year after this season, it will somewhat hinder McKenzie’s ability to maintain a deep roster. The same is true of superstar defensive end Khalil Mack, who could become the NFL’s first $20MM-per-year non-quarterback in either 2017 or 2018, writes Corry. Still, even if the Raiders allocate sizable chunks of spending room to those two integral cogs, they’ll still be a long way from the cap problems they had upon hiring McKenzie in January 2012, notes Corry. Since taking the reins, the GM has done a masterful job structuring contracts to avoid dealing with dead money.
One trade McKenzie made early in his tenure – a 2013 deal that sent quarterback Carson Palmer and a seventh-round pick to Arizona for a sixth-rounder and a conditional selection – looks to be among the best moves in Cardinals history, opines Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports 910. Palmer scuffled in Oakland, but he has revived his career with the Super Bowl-contending Cardinals, having helped the team to a 29-9 record in his starts while throwing 70 touchdowns against 36 interceptions. As a result, Arizona extended Palmer through 2018 last week.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

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