Indecision on DE Malcolm Koonce Could Cost the Raiders

The Las Vegas Raiders have a decision to make on DE Malcolm Koonce. The longer they take to make the decision, the more it will cost them.

Las Vegas Raiders DE Malcolm Koonce from OTAs / Darrell Craig Harris, Sports Illustrated

As the Las Vegas Raiders prepare for the upcoming season, many storylines surround the team. However, arguably, one of the most significant storylines is the expected continued emergence of defensive end Malcolm Koonce and his future with the team. After a quiet start to his career, Koonce enters a contract season and does so, playing the best football since entering the National Football League.

That leaves the Raiders on the cusp of making a critical decision regarding Koonce's future with the team and, therefore, the future of the defense. Koonce had a quiet first three and a half seasons in the NFL but emerged over the final nine games of last season after Josh McDaniels was fired. The lack of success during Koonce's first three and a half seasons in the league has made the Raiders want to see more from Koonce. Most, including Koonce, would agree the Raiders waiting to see more before deciding to give him a significant payday is the right move.

However, waiting too long to decide on Koonce could be costly in more ways than one. While the Raiders certainly should give Koonce a few games to see how well he plays and if what he showed during the final half of last season will be the norm for him moving forward, they would be wise not to let it take an unreasonable amount of time to decide what to do with the veteran defensive lineman. If they do, it could cost them millions of more dollars.

Taking too long to decide on Koonce could cost the Raiders more than just financially, though. If Koonce has a successful season and the price to keep him becomes too high, the Raiders could lose the talented player altogether.

It must be remembered how long it took the Raiders to find a legitimate option at the defensive end position opposite of veteran Maxx Crosby. It has been far from easy for the Raiders to do so. They have spent multiple draft picks and signed multiple free agents in efforts to find a dependable option to complement Crosby. Now that they appear to have one in Koonce, they cannot risk restarting the process again. Doing so could potentially set the defense back as they head into the future.

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