Pass-rusher returns on 1-year deal
The Las Vegas Raiders had four top free agents on defense and they are all accounted for just hours in the legal tampering period.
Three are gone and one is staying, just two weeks after new Las Vegas coach Pete Carroll said the team needed to keep them all.
NFL Media reported defensive end Malcolm Koonce is returning to Las Vegas on a one-year, $12 million deal. That news came moments after several outlets reported nickel cornerback Nate Hobbs is signing with the Green Bay Packers on a four-year, $48 million deal.
Hobbs joins linebacker Robert Spillane and safety Tre’von Moehrig out of the door in Las Vegas.
Moehrig, a 2021 second-round pick, had a three-year, $51 million deal with the Carolina Panthers earlier Monday. Spillane signed a three-year, $37.5 million deal with the New England Patriots.
Other Raiders’ defensive free agents include linebacker Divine Deablo, safety Marcus Epps and defensive tackle John Jenkins. They re-signed defensive tackle Adam Butler on Sunday night.
It’s not a surprise that Koonce returned on a short deal. he tore his ACL three days before the 2024 season started. So, he gets a reset and he gets a chance to have a big year in 2025 and hit free agency again next year.
Koonce, a third-round pick in 2021, had eight of his 10 career sacks in 2023. the Raiders hope he can build off that success as he starts opposite star Maxx Crosby.
Hobbs, a fifth-round pick in 2021, developed into a starting nickel cornerback. The Raiders are expected to try to upgrade at the position. They have been connected to Minnesota’s Byron Murphy. It could also be an area they try to add at high in the draft.
While everything is fluid, the Raiders have many needs on defense.
They could use depth at pass-rusher, they need more at defensive tackle, they need a lot at linebacker and may need multiple cornerbacks.
Offensively, Las Vegas is looking for a top wide receiver and running back.