If the season continues to go in the wrong direction for the Las Vegas Raiders, it might be time to start thinking about trading away some players on expiring deals. The San Francisco 49ers are off to a strong start, but injuries are already piling up.
Former Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa tore his ACL, and he’ll be out for the season. It’s going to be impossible to find an adequate replacement for a player of his level at this point in the year, but the 49ers may try to find something.
Malcolm Koonce had an excellent 2023 season that saw him notch 8.0 sacks. He missed all of last year with an injury and is off to a slow start. That said, he’s shown promise in the past and could have some value on the trade market.
The Raiders signed him to a one-year, $11 million deal in the offseason, so they may rather trade him now than lose him in free agency. Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report believes that Koonce could be a possible replacement for Bosa.
“A Week 1 win in New England offered a glimmer of hope Vegas was an improved team in 2025, but the 1-2 Raiders are 26th in the league in scoring offense and 24th in total defense,” Davenport wrote. “This team is still at least a year away from contention, so it’s far more likely to be selling than buying in this year’s trade market.
“With Koonce set to hit free agency again in 2026 after inking a one-year deal in the offseason to stay in Vegas, he’s a piece the Raiders may be willing to part with.”
What Could Raiders Get in a Koonce Trade?
After the 2023 season, the Raiders may have been able to get a solid return for Koonce in trade. However, he’s coming off an injury and only has one sack on the year so far.
If the Raiders decide to trade them, it’s difficult to see them getting anything more than a fourth-round pick. Pass rushers are very valuable, but Koonce hasn’t proven to be consistent. He still has big-time potential, but teams aren’t going to give up a lot for him.
It would make more sense for the Raiders to keep him closer to the deadline to see if he can get some momentum. If he starts improving those sack numbers, he could become much more valuable.
Raiders Need Koonce to Step Up
$11 million isn’t huge money for a pass rusher, but it was a decent vote of confidence for Koonce. It’s always difficult to come back from a serious injury, but the Raiders need him to be better.
The defensive line doesn’t have many impact pass rushers right now. Tyree Wilson looks like he’ll never live up to his draft pick, and Maxx Crosby hasn’t been getting to the quarterback as often. Koonce needs to at least be a force in the passing game. He’s shown that he can in the past, but he’s been invisible for much of the Raiders’ three games this season.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Trade Idea Has Raiders Deal $11 Million Starter to Hated Rival appeared first on Heavy Sports.