If the Raiders were waiting on Aaron Donald’s new deal as a starting point for Khalil Mack, they didn’t get the greatest of news on Friday morning.
Based on reports from ESPN and NFL Network, Donald’s deal is being finalized with the Rams, but it’s coming to the tune of more than $22 million per year and $87 million guaranteed. The high projections for Mack’s deal were generally around $80 million guaranteed and the Raiders, if they ever had the opportunity to agree to a deal like that, should have jumped on it.
Donald’s deal now becomes the floor for Mack’s deal as there’s almost no chance Mack’s agent will take a penny less.
The good news, although it probably isn’t news to anyone understands the salary cap (not claiming to be that person, by the way), is that the Rams’ cap number barely changes for the 2018 season – meaning the Raiders can do the same with Mack.
Even with the record-breaking deal, Aaron Donald’s salary-cap number for the 2018 season rises from $6.892 million to $8.892 million. Rams get their man without suffocating impact to their salary cap this season.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 31, 2018
In other words, the salary cap was never a good excuse to not pay Khalil Mack.
Now that the Raiders and Mack can both agree on his value. The excuses are over. Are the Raiders willing to write the check?
twitter: @raidersbeat
The Raidahs have already f##ked up this situation by basically humiliating Mac with Gruden saying he made no difference anyway with the 26th ranked defense that they had last year. Now, even if they reach agreement – and it looks more and more as if they won’t – there will be hard feelings when there needn’t have been, if Gruden had just kept his mouth shut, which may affect the locker room and the play on the field.
With a rare talent like Mack, you HAVE to pay him and then build around him. That’s what SUCCESSFUL organizations do!
Write that check!
The Raiders can control Mack’s destiny for the next 3 years, for around $55 million.