full disclosure - I am a Raiders fan from way back -

My take : go ahead and trade him for high picks

while he is excellent I think is value is so high - they could get a lot of value in trades : maybe even First and Second Round draft picks (two Firsts??)

is he worth a big paycheck - I think he has earned it - but I like the idea of trading him and stocking draft picks plus saving the $$ for future expenses

Quote: "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. 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."

plus all it takes is one injury - IMO not smart to have so much money tied up a in a player who is not a veteran QB.

Also - I think with Gruden being in his first year back - Mack has no leverage on him. Gruden had been building the current system without him.

What do you think??

(all the NFL haters - pls start your own thread ... )

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They need to sign him. He's the best player on the team and the only real difference maker on the defense. It's a lot of money but winning ain't cheap and they signed the coach to a huge contract. Trading him would be a huge mistake as the value coming back is unlikely to match his production. He's one of the top 2-3 edge rushers in the game. Those guys don't grow on trees. The picks coming back are likely to be towards the end of the first and second rounds and the top prospects will be long gone. The draft is always a crap shoot and Reggie's recent record ain't so hot. This year's class looks good because Hurst and Key fell due to off field issues. I'm in the wait and see camp with Gruden. Don't know if he can still coach but I know Mack can play. Mack's presence makes life easier for the rest of the defense and is almost a force multiplier. The other rushers have an easier time and that pressure make life easier for the DBs.

I still have not been able to establish what his beef his. It sounds as if Gruden has attempted to make contact but Khalil will not respond.

It benefits no one to have him sit out...personally I think he’s a two “1st-rounders” trade and move on.

quote:

Originally posted by Ronin1069:
I still have not been able to establish what his beef his. It sounds as if Gruden has attempted to make contact but Khalil will not respond.

It benefits no one to have him sit out...personally I think he’s a two “1st-rounders” trade and move on.

He wants to get paid. He's in the last year of his rookie deal and he's far outperformed the contract. An extension now provides security for him against injury. If he plays this year on his existing deal and gets hurt he's screwed. If he gets franchise tagged for the next year or two and gets hurt he's screwed. If he signs an extension and gets $40 million upfront and another $20 guaranteed and gets hurt he's taken care of.

Mack and Aaron Donald (Rams) are represented by the same agent, who's trying to play hard-ball. Once the season starts and they miss their first pay-check, the screws will be turned another rotation, for both sides. It's all apart of the negotiating game the front office and agents play. I expect the Rams to get Donald singed within the first month of the season, impact defensive players, particularly on the front-seven are highly coveted and the Rams are expected to go far in the playoffs. Mack, hard to say, McKenzie's ability to shape the roster and his track record as a GM is average at best, with Gruden on board and calling a lot of the shots, McKenzie is somewhat impotent. Owner Mark Davis is also the 'poorest' owner in the NFL and the Raider's front office personal have a reputation as not the brightest around, so, there's those handicaps.

looks like the trade with the Bears is in

as a Raiders fan - I am pretty satisfied at this point with the value we will see

I think the message is - Gruden wants to build a TEAM - not a collection of overly paid players

obviously won't help this season - but two years out - when they hit the first year of the new stadium in Vegas - the dividends may be there

I also like the message - we have to play with the players IN THE BUILDING - not the guys holding out who are currently under contract -- BYE BYE

time will tell - but now his massive pay hike is someone else's responsibility

and because many like to bash the Raiders they will take a big hit by the sports media initially - but if the Packers, Patriots or Steelers did the same thing they would say 'genius move'

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Now a rich Bear.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/sport...r-BBMKsUp?ocid=ientp