Graney: Raiders players must shine to justify trading Mack

When it comes to grading a blockbuster commercialized successful sports, deliberation of it this way: It’s similar a squad watching crippled film. It’s ne'er arsenic bully oregon arsenic atrocious arsenic you imagined successful the moment.

A last determination connected who won a peculiar woody shouldn’t beryllium made immediately.

How the Raiders yet fared successful trading a generational endowment similar linebacker Khalil Mack to the Bears 9 days earlier the 2018 play inactive isn’t wholly known.

It is for the Bears. Has been since Mack arrived successful Chicago. They received a Hall of Fame endowment who is the archetypal subordinate successful NFL past to beryllium selected first-team All-Pro astatine 2 positions. The Bears went 12-4 and won their part successful his archetypal play with the team.

He’s 3-for-3 connected Pro Bowl selections successful Chicago. He besides has 4 sacks aboriginal this play connected a defence that leads the league with 15.

Mack’s worth is the casual portion to fig out.

The different side

But arsenic the Raiders hole to big the Bears connected Sunday astatine Allegiant Stadium — Mack’s archetypal crippled against his erstwhile squad not played successful London — judging the deal’s different broadside remains a enactment successful progress.

“When that commercialized happened, it broke my heart,” said Raiders backmost Derek Carr. “He’s 1 of my champion friends successful the full world. I inactive miss him. We got a batch of bully players from that trade. Good teammates. Good dudes. How I consciousness astir (Mack) has thing to bash with however I consciousness astir them.”

Let’s pump the brakes connected the portion astir bully players.

Mack held retired successful 2018. He wanted a semipermanent woody and the fiscal stableness that comes with it. Never happened.

So the Raiders, whose proprietor Mark Davis said astatine the clip that Mack was offered a declaration successful 2017 that would person made him the highest-paid antiaircraft subordinate successful the NFL, traded him to Chicago.

The Bears past signed Mack — who has 34 sacks successful his clip with them — to a six-year, $141 cardinal extension. He is listed arsenic questionable for Sunday with ft and rib injuries but is expected to play.

Revisiting the Raiders broadside of things: They sent Mack, a second-round prime and a seventh for 2 firsts, a 3rd and a sixth. Which, connected the look of things, meant they perchance received arsenic overmuch successful assets — possibly adjacent much — than the Bears.

Who those draught picks returned: Running backmost Josh Jacobs and cornerback Damon Arnette arsenic the firsts and wide receiver Bryan Edwards arsenic the third. The Raiders besides yet added cornerback Trayvon Mullen and choky extremity Foster Moreau among different names done maneuvering that sixth-round pick.

It’s a communicative of below-average results for the Raiders truthful far.

Jacobs has proven coagulated — erstwhile steadfast — astatine an overvalued position; Arnette has been a implicit miss frankincense acold arsenic the 19th wide prime past year; Edwards is steadily improving successful a 2nd season.

Also consider: In the 2 years pursuing Mack’s departure, the Raiders saw their mean fig of sacks driblet by much than 12. They were brutal rushing the passer.

But things are dilatory changing. Names similar Maxx Crosby and Yannick Ngakoue person made the beforehand a root of spot this season. It was really reported that the Raiders called the Bears astir reacquiring Mack earlier signing Ngakoue successful escaped bureau this year.

“We’re going to person our hands afloat (Sunday),” Mack said. “It’s going to beryllium antithetic due to the fact that you recognize the (Raiders) instrumentality basal and what it means to me, especially. It’s going to beryllium amusive to play successful beforehand of Raider Nation.”

He was past asked if it’s quality quality to beryllium much fired up to play the Raiders.

“Would it beryllium quality quality for you?” Mack said. “I’ll beryllium retired determination 100 percent. I don’t attraction what they do. I conscionable cognize I’ll beryllium ready.”

Time volition tell

The transition of clip often changes perception. Three years ago, galore believed the Bears had completed a heist larger than thing Ferdinand Marcos pulled off. Others thought the Raiders had gained invaluable draught capital.

And yet until those young names connected the Raiders yet win oregon neglect arsenic NFL players — and to what level — assigning a last people to the commercialized is pointless.

“It was 100 percent business,” Carr said. “I don’t cognize what happened with (the trade). … My champion person was gone. But close now, those things don’t substance erstwhile it comes to this game.

“I’m not going to halt talking to him the full game.”

He amended anticipation astir of those conversations aren’t successful the backfield.

Ed Graney is simply a Sigma Delta Chi Award victor for sports file penning and tin beryllium reached astatine egraney@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-383-4618. He tin beryllium heard connected “The Press Box,” ESPN Radio 100.9 FM and 1100 AM, from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday done Friday. Follow @edgraney connected Twitter.