Today was the final camp practice for the Raiders prior to their preseason opener against the Seahawks no Saturday. It will be interesting to see how the team deploys many of their new pieces on the field. Especially some of their rookies.
Both of the team’s third round picks came with some questions about where they would line up for the Raiders. Most notably was Divine Deablo who played safety at Virginia Tech but was selected to play linebacker for the Raiders. He has missed all of camp so far, but passed his physical Wednesday and is expected back soon.
The other third round pick was Malcolm Koonce who was at edge rusher at Buffalo and due to his size was projected as a 3-4 outside linebacker in the pros. The thing is, however, that the Raiders run a 4-3 base, which suggested he would be a defensive end for them.
Then this week Koonce has begun spending more time with the linebackers than he did the defensive linemen and has even been lining up at linebacker in team sessions. This started on Tuesday and continued today.
“Today was my first day playing some linebacker,” Koonce said after Tuesday’s practice. “It’s an I’m going to get in where I fit in type situation. Wherever Gus or the other coaches think I can be the most successful or help the team the most, throw me in there.”
So, the question becomes, is this a position change for Koonce or is it what they had plans for him all along? It could be either one.
It could be they’re testing him out at linebacker just to see what he can do. Not necessarily that he stays there. That’s what practice is for, right? It’s also very possible this was always the plan.
While Bradley is expected to run a 4-3 base, his defenses have 3-4 looks. He had great success with the likes of Melvin Ingram at pass rushing outside linebacker with the Chargers. And Koonce is almost the exact same size as Ingram, which means Bradley could have similar plans for him.
If Koonce can show up well in coverage, it increases his chances of seeing more snaps. They already like his pass rush abilities. That’s what he said is traditionally what coaches like in his game. Now it’s time to see if he has some hidden coverage abilities as well.