Grading the signing: Raiders do what every team needs a little bit of when they go through another rebuild

The Raiders brought back some continuity.

Justin Churchill — College Football & NFL Trending News Writer
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Las Vegas Raiders defensive end outside linebacker Malcolm Koonce free agency re-sign
Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

With Maxx Crosby gone, the Las Vegas Raiders faced a critical need to strengthen their defense. Crosby was the only standout player on that side of the ball, surrounded by just a few good players and several underperformers.

To address their dire need for edge rushers, they signed Kwity Paye on Monday and followed up by re-signing Malcolm Koonce. According to Jordan Schultz, the Raiders re-signed Koonce to a one-year, $11 million deal. How did they do in this re-signing, though? Let’s grade the move.

Grading the Raiders’ re-signing of Malcolm Koonce

Grade: B+

There’s not much else the Raiders could have done without overpaying. And, who knows, maybe this is an overpay, but if it is, it’s just a one-year deal. The good part is that Koonce brings something every team needs—continuity. Now, there is such a thing as bad continuity, especially with a team like the Raiders, which had so many bad players last season. This would be classified as good continuity.

Last year, they gave Koonce a one-year deal, too, giving him a shot to prove himself after his torn ACL. Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to replicate what he did before his injury. However, he still has plenty of juice to use in the passing game. Notably, Koonce had a fantastic year in the run game in 2025. Getting him back is huge for what he could be, as he could provide elite depth or return to the budding star we saw in 2023.

With Crosby gone, the team must now replace a league superstar. At this moment, their roster features two players who have never played consistent NFL football, plus Charles Snowden, Tyree Wilson, and potentially Tonka Hemingway, depending on how this new staff envisions his role. After their recent signings, they quickly added two players to that mix.

Overall, the position group would have needed a massive overhaul. Luckily, the Raiders have 11 draft picks in the 2026 NFL Draft to still try their hand at drafting a future star at the position. This is a good move.

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