The Oakland Raiders kickstarted training camp with one notable absence in defensive end Khalil Mack amidst his recent contract negotiations. Regardless, head coach Jon Gruden feels this still unit needs to make vast improvements even without Mack's presence.

There is no question that Mack is considered one of the premier defensive players in the league. However, Gruden said on NFL Network (per Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk) that the defense played poorly no matter who was on the field:

“We weren’t very good last year on defense with Khalil Mack,” Gruden said. “We didn’t have an interception, I think, all year. I don’t know if we intercepted a pass until Week 14. We’ve got to get a better pass rush, we’ve got to play better defense, period. And we hope Khalil gets here, but in the time being, we’ve got plenty of guys who need work.”

Some may see Gruden's comments as a bit of a shot at Mack. However, that does not mean there is no truth to them.

Mack enjoyed plenty of success from an individual standpoint after registering 78 tackles and 10.5 sacks during the 2017 campaign. However, Oakland still had one of the worst defenses in the league last season. They did not even record an interception until Week 11 and wound up finishing the year with just five.

Of course, it is impossible for any player to compensate for the holes in the Raiders' defense no matter how good they are. It goes without saying that the Raiders need to find a way to make sure Mack stays for the long haul. However,  they will need to get the rest of the defense on the same page if they are going to return to playoff relevancy.