Raiders GM: It wasn't a plan to trade Mack to Bears

The Oakland Raiders and star pass-rusher Khalil Mack were at odds over a potential contract extension for the entire offseason, leading to a franchise-altering move that saw the three-time Pro Bowler head to the Chicago Bears on Saturday for a package including two first-round picks.

But according to Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie, the team never intended to trade Mack, and it wasn't until late in the negotiations that it became clear they'd have to.

"My whole thought process was to get Khalil (signed)," McKenzie said, according to Scott Bair of NBC Sports Bay Area. "It was at the end, in the final hour, that it just hit. It hit hard and heavy. It was not a plan to trade him at all."

The Bears had no such issues, reportedly handing over a six-year, $141-million deal to make Mack the highest-paid defender in NFL history.

McKenzie refused to go into specifics about how comparable the Raiders' offer was, saying only that "there were some things that weren't meshing between the two proposals."

Despite letting go of a Hall of Fame-caliber player, McKenzie insisted Oakland has no problem rewarding the right players.

"We will pay top dollar," McKenzie said. "We couldn't get around giving Khalil what he wanted. We will pay top dollar to top players. We just could not get it worked out with Khalil. When it seemed like it was going that way, we decided to make a move with the trade.

"We will be able to attract players. " We'll find a way to continue to play good football. We're not worried about the outside perception of free agency. We will get free agents in here when its time to do that and we will keep our own. Sometimes you can't keep them all. That's just the way it goes."

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