Last season, the Las Vegas Raiders took a massive loss before the season even ended. They lost their second-best defensive end, Malcolm Koonce, the one who set the tone when Maxx Crosby was being double-teamed, to an ACL injury during training camp.
And that was a massive blow. It allowed Tyree Wilson to get more in-game experience and development, but it also took away from their depth and just overall effectiveness in getting to the quarterback. Wilson and Charles Snowden, even K'Lavon Chaisson, are not as good as Koonce was the year before, even if you combine their games.
Of course, Chaisson, the former first-rounder by the Jacksonville Jaguars, will no longer a piece the Raiders can use as depth on the defensive line, as he signed himself a nice deal with the New England Patriots.
It was also a blow for Koonce, just as much if not more than it was for the Raiders. Koonce was in a contract year last season and was going into the year expecting to show out and perform at a high level, so he could get a huge deal, whether it was going to be from the Raiders or another team. The injury hurt his chances at that.
Despite the injury, the Raiders still gave him a one-year deal in the offseason. This is somewhat of a prove-it deal by the Raiders, where their plan is, 'Okay, show us that you still got it after the deal, and we will give you a new deal.'
And, so far, that plan seems to be on pace to be a success. Now, it's the offseason, so there is still a lot to see, but the fact that Koonce showed up to OTAs on Thursday and actually practiced is a huge sign for the Raiders and has to be a big sigh of relief.
Koonce will play a vital part in the Raiders defensive line in 2025, and if he can show up and be the same as he was before the injury, or even better than he was, then their deal with him is a huge win. If he's worse, and it doesn't look like there is any getting better, then they can let him walk or re-sign him to another short-term, cheap deal and use him as depth in the future.
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