The Oakland Raiders seemed rather confident they didn’t need Khalil Mack. They felt they could get by just fine on defense without him. Especially that big contract he was going to command. Keep the money and acquire a bunch of draft picks. They’d be able to bolster the pass rush in no time. Then 2018 happened. The Raiders defense finished with a woefully bad 13 sacks. Mack had 12.5 by himself. In 14 games.
Who did they replace him with? A 3rd round pick in Arden Key and 35-year old Frostee Rucker. Since then they moved fast to add more pieces. They used their 4th overall pick in the 2019 draft to select Clemson defensive end Clelin Ferrell. They also grabbed Eastern Michigan standout Maxx Crosby in the 4th round. Veterans Josh Mauro and Benson Mayowa were thrown into the mix too. The team seems rather confident this new group will right the ship.
Raiders media on the other hand? They aren’t sold on it. Dieter Kurtenbach of Mercury News summed up his misgivings in a recent article. The team is placing a ton of faith in their rookies and the development of Key. Faith he feels might be a little misplaced based on what he’s seen in training camp thus far.
“My presumption heading into training camp was that the Raiders would have a better pass rush this season because I could not fathom how things could get worse.
But now that I’m looking at this depth chart — and given what I’ve seen in my trips to Napa so far — I’m starting to revise that presumption. Simply put: I’m having a hard time seeing how things will become much better with this pass rush. And if the Raiders are to have anything close to a respectable defense in 2019, much better might still not be enough.”
Khalil Mack domination of Bears camp must be frustrating
If this is the case, then seeing the past couple of weeks play out must have Raider beat writers seething. Not only was Mack voted the 3rd-best player in the entire NFL, he’s also been wreaking havoc throughout Bears training camp. There hasn’t been a time he’s stepped on the field where the offense didn’t feel his wrath in some shape or form. Oakland has nobody even close to something like that right now. Their hope is that Ferrell has the ability to reach that point, but does he?
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
The general belief among draft experts coming out was that Ferrell was a solid all-around player. A guy who should develop into a decent starter. NFL.com compared him to Tennessee Titans edge rusher Derrick Morgan. Between 2012 and 2017, Morgan had 40 sacks in 86 games. That’s pretty good numbers but hardly at Mack’s level. He’s had 53 sacks in 78 career games. Maybe Ferrell outplays like comparison, but it doesn’t sound like Kurtenback and others are convinced.
