With Khalil Mack apparently not planning to report to Tuesday’s mandatory minicamp, the new date to watch is the start of Raiders training camp (the last week of July).
It doesn’t seem there has been a lot of desperation from Mack’s representatives or the Raiders to get a deal done by now, but according to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur there is some optimism that a deal could reached before training camp.
That said, it does sound like Tafur believes Mack is willing to extend his holdout into training camp.
“[Khalil Mack] is not expected to report for the mandatory minicamp that starts Tuesday, as he is now officially holding out and waiting for a long-term contract extension,” Tafur reported on Monday via The Athletic. “The impasse could last into the start of training camp in late July, league sources said, but all sides are hopeful of getting something done before then.”
From the beginning, the start of training camp has felt like the date to watch for Mack and Raiders, and both are apparently motivated to reach an agreement by then.
Allowing negotiations to extend into training camp could prove to be a distraction and it was one of the reasons Derek Carr was adamant that negotiations on his deal didn’t extend beyond the start of camp a year ago.
The Raiders and Carr reached a deal in late June and general manager Reggie McKenzie could be operating on a similar timeframe with Mack.
Hopefully that will be the case.
twitter: @raidersbeat
Waiting for Aaron Donald ( as it has been speculated ) to get a new deal could cost the team a whole lot more than they want to pay. I hope that’s not what they’re waiting for or they could get hosed. Make him a viable offer and get him signed before they have to sell pencils on an Oakland street corner to pay for it.
PAY THE MAN ALREADY !!!!
I’m torn on issues like this. if I understand things correctly KM is within the last year. Of his rookie contract and set to make 13+ mil. Why then is he “holding out”. KM has always shown good character so this is kind of out of the blue from my perspective in that regard. Coming into camp has been the same since year one, there is always a risk of getting hurt, but that’s not a reason to hold the team ransom. Especially in such a huge time of transition for the defense which they’ve already dedicated to him. It just seems extra selfish to me and as a lover of football and in memory of guys that had to work real jobs in the off seasons to support their families. Those that dawned the silver and black soaked in blood hoisting lombardies for the love of the game Not for the love of money. This guy has no credible reason to not be on the field learning laughing and loving the game of football with his fellow pirates preparing to rape and pillage the corporate autrocity known as the nfl.
So I’m a little bummed that KM calls himself an Oakland Raider and that this is part of his legacy as such.