NFL Draft Rumors: Oakland Raiders view Khalil Mack as a replacement for LaMarr Houston?
In one of the first major moves in free agency, the Chicago Bears signed defensive lineman LaMarr Houston away from the Oakland Raiders.
The Raiders, who had as much cap space as any team in the league, opted not to keep Houston, instead signing veteran Justin Tuck later in free agency.
The Raiders still could use a young defensive lineman to help the team get after the quarterback. Houston had 69 tackles, six sacks and two forced fumbles last season, so there is a lot of production to replace.
According to Omar Ruiz of NFL.com, the Raiders believe they could use former Buffalo Bulls’ outside linebacker Khalil Mack to replace Houston.
Raiders believe Khalil Mack would be the perfect pass rusher to replace LaMarr Houston if he's there at No. 5, per Omar Ruiz.
— Around The NFL (@AroundTheNFL) May 7, 2014
Now, these are two different players. Houston is a 300-pounder while Mack weighed in at 251 pounds at the NFL Scouting Combine. Mack is a quicker player, better suited as a pure pass rusher.
Mack could find a fit with nearly any team, but unfortunately for the Raiders, he may no longer be on the board when the fifth pick rolls around.