Last week, the Los Angeles Rams were reportedly a player in the sweepstakes for former Oakland Raiders and now Chicago Bears EDGE Khalil Mack.
Tonight, we learn via the LA Times’ Gary Klein that Rams COO/VP of Operations Kevin Demoff confirmed the Rams were in on the bidding:
Kevin Demoff, the Rams’ executive vice president of football operations, said Wednesday that the Rams made inquiries with the Raiders about trading for Mack, the star outside linebacker who was dealt to the Chicago Bears on Saturday for two first-round draft picks, a third-round pick and a sixth-round pick.
Demoff declined to specify what the Rams offered the Raiders for the 2016 NFL defensive player of the year, who signed a $141-million extension with the Bears the day after Donald signed a $135-million extension with the Rams.
“We offered a pretty aggressive package and they came back and said, ‘We just think you’re going to pick too low,’ ” Demoff said about the Rams’ potential pick in the 2019 draft.
The Raiders also might have been wary of facing Mack in the season opener before a fan base angry about the team’s decision to trade a star who had held out for an extension.
It’s an eye-opener mainly because it confirms, if Demoff is to be believed, that the Rams actually made a compelling offer for Mack. Not just a competitive one, but one that potentially could have completed the deal had the team not been so strong.
“A pretty aggressive package.”
Unfortunately, we’ll never know what the addition of Mack could have meant for the Rams as he was traded to the Bears for a surprisingly weak compensation package in my opinion.
Upwards and onwards.