The Raiders spent three calendar weeks training in wine country. Khalil Mack wasn't there a single second.
The Raiders edge rusher is withholding services waiting for a massive, long-term contract extension. He doesn't have one. Not yet, anyway.
That' why he wasn't in Napa when veterans reported July 26 and wasn't there Thursday when camp formally closed.
Mack's hold out has captured national sports talk on several mediums – they just love the drama – but Gruden insists Mack's absence been a distraction. But…
"It has obviously, for me, been disappointing," Gruden said Wednesday. "You want to have your best player here. This guy is really a great guy, too. I'm disappointed we don't have him here.
"We're going to try to get him here as soon as we can. In the time being, you got to move on. You've got to get up and go to work. That's one thing I'm very proud of what we've done here."
The Raiders hope Mack reports soon, and nothing has changed regarding their desire to sign him to a long-term contract extension they know won't be cheap.
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And, no, they don't currently have plans to trade Mack.
Mack's an elite edge rusher, excellent against the run, remains in impeccable and never, ever gets in trouble. He's the type of player teams want to pay, especially those ready to enter a new market.
The Raiders understand that and want Mack with the team posthaste.
"Mack's the best player coming off the edge in football. That's our opinion," Gruden said in an interview with SiriusXM NFL radio. We're determined to find a way to get him in here, get him a contract, and get on with life.
"This is a negotiation. Joel Segal is Khalil's agent. They've got their plan. (General manager Reggie McKenzie and the people negotiating on our end have a plan. I'm coaching the team. At this time, he's not here, and we have to focus on what we can control, and that's just working."
Mack is currently under contract, set to make $13,846 million on a fifth-year team option of his rookie contract applicable only to first-round picks.
