Adam Schefter: Chargers Will Work To Keep Khalil Mack
March 9th, 2025
Signs point to a return to Los Angeles.
Joe understands a lot of Bucs fans are hoping Chargers superbeast edge rusher Khalil Mack somehow escapes Los Angeles and a miracle happens and he lands in Tampa.
Adam Schefter wouldn’t bank on that because he doesn’t think Mack hitting the open market this week is likely.
Schefter sat down with Big Cat and PFT Commenter on the Barstool Sports podcast “Pardon My Take.” There, Schefter explained why he wouldn’t gamble on Mack leaving.
“Khalil Mack, the Chargers are definitely trying to get back,” Schefter said. “The Chargers are going to work to get back Khalil Mack.”
Schefter believed the handwriting was on the wall for a Mack return to Los Angeles when the Chargers released Joey Bosa as a cap casualty.
“I can’t imagine [the Chargers lose] both guys, let’s see how that works out for them,” Schefter said.
This show was taped before Bosa’s release.
Schefter also guessed there is renewed interest and value in pass rushers league-wide as a result of the Eagles copying the Bucs method to beat the Chiefs in the Super Bowl: a fierce, ferocious and an unyielding pass rush.
That, Schefter said, will drive the price up on the already premium position.
“I think these guys are gonna get more money than people are expecting,” Schefter said. “And I think the Eagles helped make the pass rushers more money in this range market.”
That isn’t a good sign. The Bucs are already highly skittish of buying a legitimate edge rusher.
If it now costs more money, that probably lessens the chance the Bucs address the biggest hole on their roster in free agency.
March 9th, 2025 at 9:41 am
Trade one, sign one and draft one. Let’s get the edge stacked with a talent overhaul.
March 9th, 2025 at 9:48 am
Go all in for the win!!
The time is now, this year!
March 9th, 2025 at 10:01 am
I just don’t understand the mindset of Jason Licht. If he wants to get back to the Super Bowl, he knows the Bucs needs legit pass rush, no doubt about it, but for some reason he holds on to these days 2 picks as if they’re gold.
March 9th, 2025 at 10:31 am
Jason is a coward
March 9th, 2025 at 10:37 am
Ufcguy32 Says:
March 9th, 2025 at 10:31 am
Jason is the reason (along with Greenberg) that a team that had 80 million in dead cap hit strangling them 2 years ago, continued to make the playoffs and transformed the roster from one of the oldest in the league to one of the youngest.
Being responsible with the assets he has to work with is the reason why.
So, the typical fan doesn’t see a splashy name and big $$$ numbers, and the GM is a coward. F**kin’ dumb AF.
March 9th, 2025 at 10:39 am
Don’t we have guys on the roster who can get us 6 sacks that won’t cost a fortune?
March 9th, 2025 at 10:41 am
Vea has 2 years left.
Mike Evans has two years left.
Baker has 2 left on this deal.
Bucky has 3 left on his rookie deal.
LVD has 2 years left.
We have a 2 year window!
We need to mortgage the future like we did with Tom Brady.
We can afford to overspend this year and next.
We need an elite pass rush ASAP!
March 9th, 2025 at 11:11 am
At least this goes against Licht saying why don’t these teams want these edge rushers. LA very clearly wants Mack. Mack wants to win, will get a better chance and much less taxes with us.
I still don’t think it’s outta the realm of possibility.
A lot of us haven’t been happy with Bowles, expecting better results the last couple seasons (not winning SB, but not losing winnable games) and many of us now wanting a veteran edge added. We don’t know better than Licht but we have eyes and brains ourselves. If an impact edge isn’t added…. We will know the terrible thing that has invaded One Buc… complacency.
March 9th, 2025 at 11:17 am
Can’t wait. Need EDGE yesterday. That guy isn’t on the team now. Don’t know all the cap intricacies; but, it seems like if Bucs cut or unload some marginal defenders that frees up cap space?
No need to keep players on the payroll who contributed to non existent pass defense last year.
March 9th, 2025 at 12:10 pm
What went wrong with Chase Young? Was it attitude? Was he a diva? As a rookie he looked promising. Aw whatever, who am I kidding. If he got signed here, he’d end up dropping into deep coverage 75% of the time.
Maybe Randy Gregory will want to make a comeback. jk
March 9th, 2025 at 12:18 pm
I didn’t like the idea of paying old man all that money but if the price odd pass rushers is going up all the more reason to go after Hendrickson. Let everyone else get into get into bidding wars
March 9th, 2025 at 12:21 pm
Joe … ‘Schefter also guessed there is renewed interest and value in pass rushers league-wide as a result of the Eagles copying the Bucs method to beat the Chiefs in the Super Bowl: a fierce, ferocious and an unyielding pass rush.’
In 2020 our defense ranked #8, allowing 355 Points … 22.2 PPG average. Our pass rush (with Suh, JPP, Shaq, LVD, White, etc) produced 48 sacks & 193 pressures in 16 games.
in 2024 our defense ranked #16, allowing 385 points … 22.6 PPG average. Our pass rush (with Vea, Kancey, Diaby, JTS, LVD) produced 46 sacks & 175 pressures in 17 games.
The numbers aren’t that far apart in actuality, and the 2 teams finished with roughly comparable records (10-7 in 2024 and 11-5 in 2020). A major difference IMO though is that our 2020 pass rush was more consistent (even though we missed Vea for much of the season). In Schefter’s words, it was ‘unyielding’. And that’s what we need to get back to. We need 1 more beastly DT/NT to rotate in with Vea to provide more consistent pressure up the middle, and we need a veteran Edge to provide more consistent pressure from the edge. And oh ya, a MLB who can kick a$$. Add those 3 and we’ve got a Super Bowl team.
March 9th, 2025 at 1:46 pm
Harold Landry is solid, not spectacular. Can he be signed for under $20m. He can produce 8-9 sacks and bring veteran knowledge. Add high value EDGE in the draft along with a MLB (Campbell ‘Bama), possibly DT in a deep DT class. Moving Tykee Smith to S and bringing back a healthy Winfield solidifies S. So that leaves CB. Bring back Dean on a reduced, heavy incentive contract, add another CB from …. Somewhere. Lots of holes. Not an easy fix.
March 9th, 2025 at 2:39 pm
Utter. Fing. Disaster.
March 9th, 2025 at 2:39 pm
Schefter knows squat-Licht will sign Mack and he will produce more than 10 sacks easily.
March 9th, 2025 at 3:15 pm
@ FilthyAnimal : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Standing Ovation)
March 9th, 2025 at 4:40 pm
The edge rushers Joe has been coveting are getting huge paydays. Maybe if Licht hadn’t overpaid Davis and Dean the Bucs would have some room for an edge rusher. The really good ones, Garrett and Crosby are off the table so can they get one of the other 2 or 3 decent ones if Hendrickson is traded to a different team.