Jets offered Raiders first, second-rounders as part of trade for Mack

The New York Jets hope that Khalil Mack doesn’t give them a reminder Sunday of why they wanted him so badly not so long ago.

Gang Green was prepared to go allin for the perennial Pro Bowl outside linebacker before the Oakland Raiders ultimately traded him to the Chicago Bears.

How much did the Jets covet the game-wrecking Mack?

Well, the Jets’ aggressive offer for Mack included a 2019 first-round pick and 2020 second-round pick, according to sources. The package included additional compensation, but their willingness to part with those two premium picks (especially considering that they don’t have a 2019 second-rounder) revealed how much they wanted him.

The Jets believed that the Raiders ultimately did not want to trade Mack to an AFC team. Oakland received two first-rounders from the Bears (2019 and 2020), a 2020 third-rounder and 2019 sixth-rounder in exchange for Mack, the Raiders’ 2020 secondrounder and a 2020 conditional fifthrounder.

The Jets were prepared to improve their baseline offer that included the 2019 first-rounder and 2020 secondrounder, but were never given the chance, according to sources.

The Raiders’ thinking was simple: They were happy with Chicago’s offer ... and more than happy to get Mack out of the conference. The Raiders did not engage in further discussions with the Jets after they thought Chicago had offered a good enough package.

In other words, Mack wasn’t necessarily traded to the team that offered the most for his services. It was not a true open-bidding situation.

So, the Jets didn’t fix their biggest defensive need.

Mack, who signed a blockbuster sixyear, $141 million extension after the trade to become the highest paid defensive player in NFL history, has been a difference maker for his new team.