Wednesday open thread: What would the Lions be willing to trade for Khalil Mack?

About a week ago, we discussed what a trade for Khalil Mack would look like. The Raiders pass rusher continues to hold out of camp in the hopes of a contract extension before becoming a free agent next year. At this point, there doesn’t seem to be any progress, as head coach Jon Gruden refuses to budge and Mack shows no signs of showing up to camp.

As a result, the trade talks continue to marinade. Though there haven’t been any specific rumors as to whether the Raiders are actually willing to trade the former Defensive Player of the Year or if there are any teams interested, since the Lions are already in town, a lot of Detroiters are talking Mack.

So today’s Question of the Day is:

Presuming a long-term deal is a given, what would you be willing to give up for Khalil Mack?

My answer: As I stated in my piece from a week ago, I don’t think you can get Mack for anything less than two first-round picks, especially considering there will be a lot of teams looking to add the former fifth overall pick if he truly hits the market.

Of course, Madden doesn’t mean anything, but our own Ryan Mathews pulled off an interesting trade for Mack on the video game:

Two first-round picks and Ezekiel Ansah seems like a hefty price to pay, but you’re getting a sure thing in Khalil Mack and in the prime of his career. Plus, sending Ziggy to Oakland would free up considerable cap room this year, making an extension a lot easier for Detroit.

I would think about this kind of trade long and hard, and in the end, I would probably pull the trigger. First-round picks are really hard to give up, because they not only give you a chance at a great player, but one at a discounted rate. But Mack is almost guaranteed to be better than both players, and he plays a position that is both a big weakness on the Lions roster and is extremely hard to come by in the NFL.

I’ll admit that when we look back on teams who traded away this many high draft picks, history does not tend to fair well for those teams. However, trades like this very rarely involve such an established talent as Mack, and I don’t think it would end up being all that risky.

Your turn.