The chances the Oakland Raiders trade defensive end Khalil Mack are reportedly "very real" ahead of Saturday's 4 p.m. ET deadline for trimming NFL rosters to 53 players.
On Friday, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the market is "robust" and that the Raiders are at least "gauging and listening" to inquiries about the star defender.
Mack didn't report at the start of training camp and didn't participate in any preseason games while seeking a new contract from Oakland.
Alas, Rapoport noted Thursday the sides were "essentially nowhere" in talks with just over a week until the regular season gets underway.
"I miss it," Mack wrote Thursday night on Twitter.
The 27-year-old Florida native has been one of the top defensive players in the league since the Raiders took him fifth overall out of the University at Buffalo in 2014. His resume includes three Pro Bowl selections, two first-team All-Pro nods and NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2016.
He racked up 78 combined tackles and 10.5 sacks during the 2017 season. Pro Football Focus graded him as the sixth-best edge defender last year.
Mack is set to earn $13.8 million in 2018 as part of the final year of his contract, which ranks 21st among all NFL defenders, per Spotrac.
Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reported the Cleveland Browns are among the teams expected to reach out to the Raiders about a potential trade.
It sounds like they're far from alone, which is no surprise given Mack's caliber. If Oakland does move him, it will leave a gaping hole in a defense that was already a concern heading into the season after ranking 23rd in yards allowed in 2017.
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