Why Trading for Khalil Mack Would Help the Chicago Bears' Defense

Khalil Mack is not as young as he used to be when he was traded from the Oakland Raiders to the Chicago Bears just ahead of the 2018 NFL season.

That Mack was coming off of three back-to-back double-digit sacks seasons. He won the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2016 season. When he arrived in Chicago, he was just 27 years old. 

He spent four seasons with the Bears' organization before general manager Ryan Poles traded him to the Los Angeles Chargers. The three-time first-team All Pro edge rusher is now in his fifth season with the Chargers. 

According to the Athletic's Jonathan Jones, Mack to Chicago "is something multiple league sources" have told him "makes the most sense if both teams continue on their respective trajectories."

The Bears are 3-1 and will face the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field in Week 5. The Chargers are 0-4 and host the Denver Broncos at SoFi Stadium. Something that Jones noted in his latest column is that one team in NFL history has made the playoffs after starting 0-4. No team has made the postseason after starting 0-5, so the results of Sunday's game could impact how the Chargers handle Mack. 

Mack signed a one-year, $18 million contract that included $8 million in base salary. If Mack is traded this upcoming week, a team would need $5 million to $6 million in cap space, according to Jones. 

Overthecap has the Bears at $7.8 million in cap space, so the money would check out. 

The draft compensation, according to Jones' sources -- one general manager and an assistant general manager on different teams -- has Mack's value slotted at a fifth-round pick. 

Chicago has a fifth-round pick after trading defensive lineman Gervon Dexter Sr. to the Atlanta Falcons. The Bears traded their fifth-round pick to the New England Patriots for center Garrett Bradbury. 

Now, how can a 35-year-old Mack help the Bears' defense? 

Through the first four games, here is how Mack stacks up with the rest of the NFL edge rushers and linebackers. (Stats via Pro Football Focus)

Bears Leaders (Defensive Linemen)

Outside of the win rate, Mack would lead the Bears in all the above categories. The Bears have 39 total quarterback pressures (tied for 10th in the NFL) and 10 sacks (tied for 8th), which is a positive sign for defensive coordinator Dennis Allen's unit. 

But what if they added another pass rusher? And what has Mack shown on film?

In the Los Angeles Chargers' 30-23 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 4, Mack played 39 defensive snaps. He finished with four total pressures, one sack and six total tackles. 

He lined up across from left tackle Charles Cross, the third-highest paid left tackle in the NFL, and showed a glance of vintage Khalil Mack with some impressive closing speed. On the next snap, Cross wins his one-on-one matchup against Mack. 

PFF doesn't have the best reputation with grades, but Mack does have a 74.6 run defensive grade -- ranking 12th in the league among edge rushers with at least 50% of run defensive snaps. 

Here's a good example of what Mack still brings as run defender. The Chargers' edge rusher takes on the block from the Seahawks' tight end and fights through the help from the right tackle to make a tackle for loss. 

There were several snaps in the game when Mack was lined up against a tight end, and the veteran edge rusher made the Seahawks pay on some of those reps. Despite being 35, Mack still plays the game with plenty of effort, tracking down ball carriers from the backside. 

If the Bears were to trade for Mack, he likely wouldn't be playing as many snaps as he is right now. You want to have the future Hall-of-Famer fresh to go in the months of December and January. Mack would provide the defense with another pass rusher to add to the rotation -- a player who can get after the quarterback while still stopping the run.

Mack would also be someone who could share his wealth of knowledge with the rest of the defensive ends. Players like Montez Sweat, Austin Booker, Dayo Odeyingbo and Shemar Turner all benefit with Mack in the room. 

If all it takes is a fifth-round pick to get a deal done, then that's worth adding an older but still productive pass rusher who is looking for his first playoff victory in the NFL. 

Return of the Mack? 

That idea may become a reality that benefits the Chicago Bears' defense.