With so few things going right for the Las Vegas Raiders this season, it’s fair to question whether or not any free agents are worth bringing back. Franchise cornerstones like Maxx Crosby, Ashton Jeanty and Brock Bowers are still on long-term deals, so the team doesn’t have to worry about losing any of their best players.
One player who has been a major disappointment is defensive end Malcolm Koonce. He had a breakout year in 2023, but missed all of last season due to an injury. The Raiders gave him a one-year prove-it deal in the offseason in hopes he could return to form, but he’s been mostly invisible this season.
Despite that, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report believes that Koonce is the one free agent the Raiders should prioritize re-signing this offseason.
“The Las Vegas Raiders have fielded one of the league’s most disappointing rosters in 2025. Even with top-tier players like Maxx Crosby and Brock Bowers in the lineup, Las Vegas has struggled to put a quality team on the field,” Knox wrote. “Raiders fans might make the argument that letting every 2026 free agent walk and starting over is the best course of action. That probably isn’t the wildest idea either.
“However, edge-rusher Malcolm Koonce has the potential to be an integral long-term piece, albeit one a tier or two below the likes of Crosby and Bowers. The 27-year-old missed the entire 2024 season with a torn ACL but flashed with eight sacks and 17 quarterback hits the previous season. Koonce is again healthy and has logged two sacks and four quarterback hits. Extending him would make a lot more sense than chasing edge help in the offseason.”
Eric Stokes Should Be Bigger Priority
Koonce has just 2.0 sacks this season and isn’t making an impact in the run game. If the Raiders sign him, it has to be on a smaller contract than they gave him this year.
He’s also not the top free agent the team should prioritize. The Raiders signed cornerback Eric Stokes to a one-year contract in the offseason, and he’s easily been their best defensive back. If any player has proven they deserve to be brought back, it’s Stokes.
Patrick Graham Talks Chargers Matchup
The Raiders defense is coming off back-to-back rough games, but they are facing a banged-up Chargers offense in Week 13. Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham spoke about the matchup.
“I mean, the first thing people are going to talk about is savvy blah, blah, blah. So, like the man is a skilled wide receiver. I mean, you don’t make that many catches just based off of savviness. Savviness probably came as he continued to see more and more reps and got to understand how people are trying to cover him and things of that nature,” Graham told reporters on Thursday.
“But it first starts with the skill. The thing also when they move him around, you have to make note of his intelligence to be able to play different spots, whether Z, X or the slot receiver. However, they move him around, that’s a positive, even when they bring him in there the chip. I mean, he’s a smart player.”
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