Oakland Raiders: Five most pressing questions that must be answered

Khalil Mack’s Extension

That GM Reggie McKenzie hasn’t made substantial progress on getting Khalil Mack under contract for the long term is unconscionable. And the fact that Mack held out of the mandatory three day minicamp seems proof enough that McKenzie hasn’t made substantial progress on an extension for the superstar.

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Yes, there is probably a bit of posturing and gamesmanship between Mack’s camp and that of Aaron Donald, who is also staying away from the Rams as he awaits a new deal. The first one to sign is going to set the bar for the one who follows. We get that.

However, Mack is not an unreasonable guy. It’s already out there that he wanted a deal similar to that which Von Miller signed in Denver, and it’s believed that he’s looking for something in the neighborhood of $65 million in guaranteed money.

Yeah, it’s a lot of guaranteed cash. But, when you have a generational talent like Mack, you find a way to make that money work. You don’t alienate a player like Mack by trying to lowball him or engage in some sort of ill-conceived staredown.

Mack is virtually the only player on Oakland’s roster that has made its defense even fractionally credible these past few seasons. And he’s done it on his own. Yet now, that some legit help has been added in the likes of Maurice Hurst, and Arden Key – not to mention switching Bruce Irvin to a primarily pass rushing role – and McKenzie is dragging his feet on getting a deal done?

It’s unconscionable. Mack is an absolute game-changer and his mere presence on the field elevates the defense as a whole. Players like him come around once in a blue moon, and if you’re lucky enough to get one, if you’re smart, you do what it takes to hold on to him.

And at this point, for all the good things he’s done, Reggie’s intelligence and/or competence has to be called into question. Mack should not be twisting in the wind like this.

This should be the easiest negotiation in the history of negotiations. All McKenzie needs to do at this point, is slide a blank check across the table to Mack and ask him to fill it out. Period. Done.

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Yes, there is still time for a deal to get done before camp. And yes, McKenzie does have the franchise tags in his pocket. But, dragging this out any longer than necessary risks alienating the team’s best player – as does slapping the tag on him.

Also, using the tags will drive up his price tag substantially – it would be far more prudent and fiscally sound to sign him to a long-term deal, rather than use the bloated salaries they’ll have to shell out applying the tag to Mack.

There’s time, but the clock is most definitely ticking. If McKenzie can’t get a deal done with Mack sooner, rather than later, and Mack somehow decides to cut off negotiations, and is then allowed to walk out the door, it will be the single biggest blunder in the history of the league. Hands down.

Reggie – get a deal done. Now!