Five things that stood out with the Oakland Raiders initial 53-man roster

By Brad Weiss | Sep 1, 2018

OAKLAND, CA - NOVEMBER 18: Former head coach of the Oakland Raiders and now ESPN Monday Night Football Analyst Jon Gruden looks on during pre-game warm ups before an NFL football game between the New Orleans Saints and Oakland Raiders at O.co Coliseum on November 18, 2012 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

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No Mack

We will address the elephant in the room right off the back, as the Oakland Raiders traded away one of the best players in team history on Saturday. Khalil Mack was shipped to the Chicago Bears for a couple of draft picks, as the Raiders could not agree on an extension with the three-time Pro Bowler.

During his time in Oakland, Mack established himself as one of the best players in football, and has already won an NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award. Many believed the two sides would get a deal done before the regular season began, so the fact that he was traded came as quite a shock on Saturday morning.

In Mack’s place, the Raiders are going to have to hope third round draft pick Arden Key can really produce as a rookie in 2018. They do have Bruce Irvin starting at one defensive end position as well, but Mack is the kind of guy you cannot replace, so it was a devastating blow to the defense.

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