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In terms of risk, the Bears sent considerable capital to the Raiders in exchange for linebacker All-Pro, Khalil Mack.
The draw choices are the cornerstone of an organization, and the Raiders can turn both first-round picks into players with controlled rookie contracts, a bet because even high-level shooters are never safe, not to mention the dominant players. The Bears – especially – know that's true.
The question for the Bears is to know how long Mack will be at his peak. How long will it take for them to earn more than $ 20 million a season?
Mack is three years younger than Julius Peppers when the Bears signed him in 2010 and five years younger than Jared Allen when he signed it in 2014 to replace Peppers. Mack is much more accomplished than Pernell McPhee and Lamarr Houston, more recent additions to strengthen the pass race.
The Bears are obviously banking on the answer to the majority of Mack's contract that will last 2024, when he will be 33 years old. History proves that it's certainly possible, with Mack's health – he has not missed a match with the Raiders in four seasons – the biggest factor.
The circumstances are not the same, but you can draw parallels with the trade that the Vikings did in 2008 to acquire Allen's Chiefs. Allen was 26 years old and signed a $ 72 million six-year contract that was the richest in NFL history for a defensive player at the time. He continued to win every penny of this affair, leading the NFL with 85½ sacks during these six seasons.
The Bears have made Mack the NFL's highest-paid defenseman with a $ 141-million, six-year extension to $ 154.8 million over seven years.
The ultimate proof of Allen's value in Minnesota is that he played the whole deal, which is not always done and is often forgotten when players sign mega-contracts.
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"Someone told me Saturday that the Bears had traded it, and I was like, 'Holy crap! ', "Allen said Thursday. "Then I saw what they gave. I do not know if you can make sure that such a complete player is in the middle of their bonus as Mack.
"It's rare to play a complete chord. When they made me the highest paid defensive player of the NFL at the time, it was a sign of confidence that they put me. That's what you'll see with the Bears and Mack. This is Khalil Mack, a great player, and he's watching all those guys get crazy money. Here he goes in the last part of his business and wants to be extended, wants to be treated like this guy, wants to be recognized for the work that he has done. I am not saying that the Raiders did not believe in him, but they did not pull the trigger.
"The Bears, who have abandoned the picks and the money, is a reassuring gesture:" Hey, we believe in you. "Now, you have to go out and win, but these are always reassuring gestures about your accomplishments. where you are and not just what they think of you as a player, but as a human being, and that's where I always sold for Minnesota, which is why I I could (play the contract) They knew I was all-in You'll see that with Khalil You give a guy that kind of money, you give up those choices and you give a guy a assurance that our franchise is riding on the back of the defensive side.
Allen was not quite like the defenseman when the Bears signed him in 2013 at age 32, but he was not surrounded by Mack's talent around him either.
Looking at the top 10 players in the career bags, seven had four seasons of 10 or more sacks in their thirties. Bruce Smith and Kevin Greene have had seven such seasons, Reggie White six and Chris Doleman five. Peppers, 38 and entering his 17th season, has four, Michael Strahan and John Randle.
"Guys who take great care of themselves tend to last much longer than guys who like to go out on the street," said former Bears defensive coordinator, Greg Blache. "It goes a bit faster for them than for those who eat well and train during the off season and are not heavy. The guys who have to gain weight every year, they will go down much faster than the guys who are still fit because everything is with their legs. For a smuggler, everything is off. As long as he can take off and have throats – and this comes for guys who stay in shape – rushers can do it in their thirties.
The former Eagles president, Joe Banner, who praised the Bears for the Mack trade, was still watching positions, studying when players began to slow down their careers and using this information to develop the list and the finances related to it. .
"When you're 31 years old, you start worrying about when (a passer) will come down, even if he has not shown any signs," said Banner. "But we've just seen, for example, a defensive tackle, Geno Atkins, get a big new contract from the Bengals that everyone on the field says deserves and that he's 30 years old. So we have compelling examples – Reggie White is one – guys who went further than that. The Bears can say, "We have 27, 28, 29, 30, almost certainly 31, and then we'll see where we are."
"Most of these teams plan one, at most two years. They should feel completely safe for five years on what they are going to receive. "
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