The Oakland Raiders have struggled through the first three games of the season, dropping each in a disappointing fashion that has put them in an early rut. A notable issue has been their struggle to create pressure on opposing quarterbacks since the departure of All-Pro Khalil Mack. According to Michael Gehlken of the Las Vegas Review-Journal, head coach Jon Gruden voiced that it was hard to move on from Mack given the caliber of player he is:
Jon Gruden on balance between building for long term with his competitive instinct to win now: “Yeah, it’s hard. It’s hard to trade one of the best players on your franchise. It’s hard. It’s hard on the players. We didn’t get anything for him that’s going to help us this year.”
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) September 24, 2018
The decision to move on from Mack has quickly sunk in as the Raiders have had tremendous struggles creating pressure. In fact, Oakland is last in the league with just three sacks through the first three games played, which has put much more pressure on their secondary against opposing offenses. No player on their defensive front has recorded more than a single sack this season.
Meanwhile, the Bears have benefitted greatly from the addition of Mack to their defense as the team leads the NFL with 14 sacks. The 27-year-old is tied for the league lead with 4.0 sacks through the first three games and has been the disruptive force the Raiders are desperately missing this year. He has been putting on a strong early case to be in the running to earn the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award.
The more success Mack continues to have in Chicago only further heightens the level of scrutiny on the decision to trade him. He has proven through his first four-plus years in the league that he is a generational talent with game-changing ability. Only time will tell how this decision will impact the Raiders' long-term future.
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