Raiders Lose 17-Game Starter From Last Season to Ravens Contract

John Jenkins had been an iron man for the Las Vegas Raiders over the last two seasons. He started 34-of-34 games in that time span.

He doesn’t bring much pass rush juice, as he only had 2.0 sacks over those 34 games. However, he’s a stout run defender and very reliable.

Despite that, the Raiders didn’t make re-signing him a priority in free agency. He’s been available for a couple of months, but now he’s finally landing with a new team. The Baltimore Ravens announced that they have signed Jenkins to a contract.

The Ravens have had one of the best defenses in the NFL over the last couple of seasons, so Jenkins may not have to play as big of a role as he did with the Raiders. This will be the seventh team that the veteran defensive tackle has played for.

At 35, he likely only has so many years left, but if he keeps remaining durable, he could have a few more years left in the tank. The Raiders’ depth at defensive tackle is a little light, so it’s a surprise they didn’t attempt to re-sign him before Baltimore swooped in.

Malcolm Koonce Highly Motivated This Offseason

One defensive line free agent the Raiders had this offseason that they were able to keep was Malcolm Koonce. He had a breakout year in 2023, but missed the entire 2024 season with an injury.

He likely would’ve been looking at a huge payday had he been healthy, but he ended up signing a one-year deal with the Raiders. His health was a big reason why he returned to Las Vegas.

“I think it was just my injury,” Koonce said on “The Rush.” “So, I got injured right before the season, and I just wanted my rehab to be – I didn’t want to bounce around different areas and then be like, ‘I did this here and this there.’ I wanted a consistent, linear process. As I get into running, as I get into cutting, you’ve seen the whole thing.”

Koonce Wanted to Return to Raiders

Even with the injury, Koonce likely had other suitors in free agency. However, he was completely focused on the Raiders.

“The draft is stressful because you don’t know where you’re going. Free agency is like your mini-draft that nobody knows what’s going on but you, your agent, and maybe your family and stuff like that,” Koonce said.

“I knew I wanted to come back [to the Raiders]. I knew I wanted to play with you guys again. So my agent would be like ‘These people are interested’ and I’d be like ‘Well, what did the Raiders say?’ He’d say ‘These people are offering this’ and I’d be like ‘Have you checked with the Raiders in the last couple of days?’”

Koonce now had a chance at a do-over for the 2024 season. He gets to play with Maxx Crosby and continue playing in Patrick Graham’s system. Plus, Pete Carroll is the head coach now, and he’s one of the great defensive minds in the NFL. There’s a chance Koonce could have a huge season that results in a big payday.