Oakland Raiders: A few points to help cope with grief in a post-Mack world
By Kevin Saito
The Oakland Raiders touched off a firestorm by trading All-Universe pass rusher Khalil Mack, but despite the noise, there are some salient points to be made.
Slowly, but surely, the shock over the fact that the Oakland Raiders actually traded Khalil Mack is beginning to fade as the reality of the deal sets in.
And as that reality sets in, people from all corners of the Raider Nation find themselves sitting somewhere on the Kubler-Ross model of grieving. Safe to say that most of us have already passed straight through the Denial stage, though many may still probably have a toe or two in the Depression stage – which is totally understandable.
Many have already advanced to the Acceptance stage, knowing there’s nothing to be done now, but gear up for another season of Raiders football.
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However, judging by the sheer number of expletive-laden, anti-Gruden/McKenzie rage Tweets still burning up the interwebs, it’s obvious that many are still firmly in the Anger stage of the Kubler-Ross model – which is also totally understandable.
It’s going to be tough seeing a generational talent like Mack playing for somebody else. It’s going to be even tougher when/if he starts posting seriously prodigious numbers. He’s going to have plenty more help in Chicago than he ever did in his four years with Oakland, which should pave the way for him to put up some gaudy numbers.
But hey, at least he’s in the NFC now, right?
In hindsight, the trade – though shocking and horrific – also seems inevitable. Especially in light of the almost perversely lucrative deal Chicago lavished upon him. That is a whole bunch of money to throw at any one player.
However, it’s made a lot easier on the Bears, given the fact that the guy they think (re: hope and pray), is their franchise quarterback, Mitchell Trubisky, is still playing on his rookie deal. Not having to pay current quarterback rates for one foundation piece, while lavishing quarterback money on non-quarterback player is a nice luxury to have, and it helps. A lot.
Not that the logical explanation is going to immediately salve the wounds we’re all feeling at the moment.
The bigger point to be made though, as we all learn to cope with our grief in this post-Mack world, is that there are some very sound, logical reasons why the trade was made, and why it was made at the time it was made.
So, with the season drawing nigh, we’d like to offer you some points to consider that will hopefully help move you through the various stages of grief that will allow you to enjoy another season of Raiders football…