A NEW ERA BEGINS
Gruden leaving Mack’s contract situation to the experts
NAPA – The last time Derek Carr saw Khalil Mack, the subject of a new contract with the Raiders’ best defensive player was never broached.
“He was over at the house and we didn’t talk about it one time,” Carr said Friday as the Raiders held their first full-squad practice of training camp. “We played pool basketball and I dunked on him.”
Raiders coach Jon Gruden, who said in a radio interview Thursday night his only interaction with Mack has been limited to a brief conversation after he was hired as coach, referred all queries to general manager Reggie Mckenzie.
“I’m coaching the team,” Gruden said. “I’m going to run the quarterback meetings. I’m going to install plays and get ready for the next practice. Reggie will be able to update you on his situation.”
Mckenzie was predictably circumspect.
“I mean, we don’t have anything to report,” Mckenzie said. “He decided to hold out for a contract, I’ll continue to talk to his agent and try to get him in here.”
As expected, Mack was a noshow as he awaits a new deal. The more reactionary portion of Raider Nation immediately shifted into panic mode Thursday after ESPN reported Gruden and Mack hadn’t spoken at all.
Later in the evening, Gruden told syndicated host J.T. the Brick that yes, he has spoken with Mack after he got the job.
And it really doesn’t matter whether they talked or not.
Gruden can be at his energetic best and it isn’t going to push the needle when it comes Holding out to negotiating what could be the largest contract awarded to a defensive player in NFL history.
By virtue of a reported 10-year, $100 million contract, Gruden is seen as the be-all and the end-all of Raiders football, but negotiating deals which will shape the direction of the franchise was not part of the job description.
Gruden immersed himself in football for the last nine years, mining information from college and pro coaches. He spent zero time learning the nuances and finances of dealmaking in the salary cap era.
Assuming this deal gets done, Mack on an annual basis will at least double the salary of his head coach, and Carr’s presence makes it a more complicated problem by virtue of his five-year, $125 million contract. No team as yet has had two $20 million per year players on the roster at the same time.