Jacksonville Jaguars land All-Pro edge rusher Khalil Mack: 3 trade proposals
• If the Jaguars want to avoid getting into a bidding war for Khalil Mack, they could make any of the next 3 proposals to the Chargers.
The Los Angeles Chargers are currently facing a cap crunch. $45 million over the cap, they'll need to move on from a handful of players and rework a few contracts to get a bit of breathing room. Among the players the Bolts could release is All-Pro edge rusher Khalil Mack, who enjoyed a career revival in Los Angeles last year. If he becomes available, he will have no shortage of suitors. And if the Jacksonville Jaguars want to avoid a bidding war for Mack's services they should trade for him.
Mack is currently slated to have a massive cap hit of $38.5 million but the Chargers could free up $23.25 million in space with $15.2 million in dead money if they release him from trading. Given their precarious cap situation, they may have no choice but to let him walk.
At 32, the 2015 Defensive Player of the Year showed in 2023 that he's still got plenty of football left. In Jacksonville, he would join a pass-rush rotation that includes Josh Allen and Travon Walker. Last season, the duo combined for 27.5 sacks between the two. Imagine how much better they would be with Mack in the fold.
Now, the Jaguars need to pay Allen, and they would have to take on Mack's salary for 2024. That would take up a considerable amount of cap space but that's where general manager Trent Baalke needs to work his magic. He could add a void year to Mack's contract or give him an extension that pushes some of his salary for 2024 into future years.
Either way, the Jaguars shouldn't pass on the chance to acquire a player of Mack's caliber, and here are three trade packages that could make it happen.