The Raiders were reserved in free agency, but bringing back Koonce was the right focus

In hindsight, the Las Vegas Raiders felt that last season started going south days before it even began.

A turning point might have come in the second official game-week practice of the year ahead of the opener against the Los Angeles Chargers, when edge rusher Malcolm Koonce suffered a season-ending torn ACL. 

Las Vegas wound up one of the most injured teams in the NFL on the season as a whole, with coach-at-the-time Antonio Pierce later pinpointing the loss of Koonce as hurting the worst of all the absences. Teammates including fellow edge rusher and superstar Maxx Crosby spoke of being heartbroken for the 26-year-old, third-round NFL Draft pick out of the University of Buffalo.

But no one felt worse than Koonce himself, who recently spoke to media for the first time since the injury.

“It was extremely frustrating,” Koonce said. “It’s like an overall feeling that you let people down, even though it’s something you couldn’t help.”

The incident left Koonce feeling like he had unfinished business for the Silver and Black. Now he’ll get a chance to address it. Koonce signed a one-year, $12 million deal to remain in Las Vegas right as the official 2025-2026 NFL season began on March 12.

Koonce staying put counts as the biggest splash the Raiders made in free agency, considering their trade with the Seattle Seahawks for veteran quarterback Geno Smith wasn’t technically a part of the frenzy. The deal for Smith came in the days before available players were allowed to talk to other teams.

Smith was not a free agent, as he had a season left on a three-year deal he signed with the Seahawks but sought an extension larger than what the team was willing to give. That led to Seattle being willing to part with the quarterback, who’s believed to be closer on terms to an extension in Las Vegas.

Once the two sides settle on the details, the Raiders are expected to formally introduce Smith as one of the new leaders of the franchise.

In the meantime, Koonce’s return is the most exciting personnel development. If anyone finds that underwhelming, they must have forgotten how essential Koonce was to the Raiders’ climb at the end of the 2023-2024 season.

He led an upset victory over eventual Super Bowl champions the Kansas City Chiefs on Christmas Day—arguably the biggest Raiders win since moving to Las Vegas five years ago—and piled up six sacks in the last four games.

“It’s definitely a good feeling when you come back to a comfortable position with people you know and trust, people that you played with before,” Koonce said of deciding to come back to the Raiders. “It was an amazing feeling, felt like a weight lifted off my shoulder.”

Koonce is the last man standing from the Raiders’ 2021 draft class. Three other key defensive starters from that group hit free agency—second-round safety Tre’von Moehrig, third-round linebacker Divine Deablo and fifth-round cornerback Nate Hobbs — and the Raiders let them leave.

Moehrig signed a monster three-year, $51 million deal with the Carolina Panthers. Deablo commanded a two-year, $14 million pact from the Atlanta Falcons. Hobbs received a four-year, $48 million contract from the Green Bay Packers.

Las Vegas also saw the departure of linebacker Robert Spillane via a three-year, $33 million deal with the New England Patriots.

The dismantling of a defense that had been the only redeemable part of the team over the last year and a half might be disappointing to fans, especially after new coach Pete Carroll said he wanted to bring everyone back. 

But Las Vegas largely seems to have proceeded through free agency wisely.

New general manager John Spytek vowed he would spend his resources on “premium positions,” a characterization linebacker no longer fits in the modern NFL. Heaping large contracts on solid but imperfect players like Spillane and Deablo wouldn’t have matched that philosophy.

Spytek instead went for value, signing veteran Steelers linebacker Elandon Roberts to a one-year, $3 million contract.

Hobbs has been one of the NFL’s better slot cornerbacks when on the field, but he’s struggled with injuries and hasn’t played a full season since his rookie year. Allocating a large chunk of salary-cap space for him would have been a risk.

Moehrig was one of the Raiders’ best players over the second half of last season, but had been more middling for the rest of his career.

Las Vegas signed a slew of cheaper defensive backs to fill the void, headlined by veteran safety Jeremy Chinn getting a two-year, $16.3 million contract, and former Packers first-round pick cornerback Eric Stokes inking a one-year, $3.5 million deal.

Spytek refused to splurge on luxuries on free agency and therefore limit the Raiders’ flexibility for years to come. He also prioritized the right homegrown product in Koonce.

None of the departing players have gamebreaking potential to the level of Koonce, who has Pro Bowl upside next to Crosby and defensive tackle Christian Wilkins.

Carroll wants the defensive line to set the tone for the team by relentlessly attacking opposing quarterbacks. Pierce had the same plan, but it never fully came to fruition last year with Koonce not playing and Crosby hobbled after a Week 2 ankle injury.

The Raiders fully believe that they can have one of the best defensive lines in the league next year. Retaining Koonce makes that goal much more practical.

“I’m on cloud nine right now,” Koonce said. “It’s definitely a great feeling. I wouldn’t say it’s any anxiousness, more excitement and just getting ready to get going.”

This story appeared in Las Vegas Weekly.