The Las Vegas Raiders haven’t been big spends this free agent period. The team was armed with nearly $100 million in salary cap but the trade for Geno Smith and Maxx Crosby extension ate into that.
Instead of spending big on high-end free agents, the Raiders are favoring smaller deals. The team lost two key pieces in the secondary with cornerback Nate Hobbs and safety Tre’von Moehrig going elsewhere.
While he might not be Hobbs’ replacement, the Raiders did sign cornerback Eric Stokes to a one-year, $4 million contract, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Stokes was a first-round pick of the Green Bay Packers in 2021 and had a solid rookie season. However, he suffered injuries in 2022 and 2023 that led to him playing a combined 12 games. He bounced back in 2024 and played in 17 games but he didn’t record a single interception or pass deflection.
What’s most appealing about Stokes is his speed. Before coming into the NFL, he ran a 4.29 40-yard dash. With Jack Jones and Jakorian Bennett still under contract, Stokes is likely a depth piece. He hasn’t played slot cornerback before so it’s unlikely he’ll replace Hobbs on the defense. Regardless, he’s a low-risk, high-reward player for the Raiders to take a chance on.
Malcolm Koonce Feeling Healthy
The key free agency the Raiders were able to retain was defensive end Malcolm Koonce on a one-year deal. He wasn’t able to play a single game in 2024 due to injury but he’s had a lot of time to recover.
He revealed that he’s feeling a lot better.
“I’m in a good place in my rehab. Feel good,” Koonce said during a Tuesday press conference. “Trust the Raiders training staff over here, lifting staff, they’ve been putting me in a good place, in a good position. And it was extremely frustrating. It’s like an overall feeling that you let people down, even though it’s something that you couldn’t help, but I’m happy that’s behind me and I can only look forward.”
If Koonce is looking for a long-term contract next offseason, the biggest thing for him is staying healthy. That’s his main focus right now.
“I’m more just focused on getting healthy, trying to just be the best Malcolm I can be, and that’s pretty much it.”
Koonce Excited to Work With Pete Carroll
The Raiders are undergoing some big coaching changes this season but much of the defensive staff is still in place, including defensive coordinator Patrick Graham. Las Vegas also added legendary defensive mind Pete Carroll as head coach.
Koonce is happy with how the coaching staff has come together.
“[S]omebody like Pete Carroll, he’s a legend of a coach, so who doesn’t want to be around him? And then Pat [Patrick Graham] has kind of seen me grow into the player that I am, so I’m very comfortable around him, comfortable in the system, and it’s always great to be around guys that believe in you.”
“Definitely a good feeling when you come back to a comfortable position with people that you know,” Koonce added. “People that you know and trust, people that you played with before. And yeah, it was an amazing feeling, felt like a weight lifted off my shoulder, so I’m happy.”
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