Malcolm Koonce, after missing all of last season with a knee injury, said he felt a weight was lifted off his shoulders when he returned to the Raiders.

Koonce, who agreed to re-sign with the team on a one-year, $12 million contract Monday, is also making positive progress as he works to get back on the field.

“I’m in a good place in rehab,” Koonce said. “I feel good.”

The Raiders announced Koonce’s deal Tuesday during the second day of the NFL’s legal tampering period. The team also lost starting linebacker Divine Deablo to the Falcons and agreed to terms with free-agent cornerback Eric Stokes.

Deablo and Stokes’ deals cannot become official until the new league year begins Wednesday.

Koonce, who the Raiders picked in the third round of the 2021 draft out of Buffalo, at one point appeared to be setting himself up for a big payday this offseason.

The 26-year-old, who is listed at 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds, had eight sacks over his last nine games in 2023. His knee injury days before the 2024 opener changed everything. It forced him to settle for a one-year, prove-it deal in the hopes of striking it rich next offseason.

Koonce believes he’s in position to do that playing on a defensive line that also includes defensive end Maxx Crosby and defensive tackle Christian Wilkins.

“The sky’s the limit for us,” Koonce said. “All we gotta do is take it one step at a time, one game at a time. Be true to ourselves and play like we know how to play.”

Difficult season

Koonce was frustrated by what his injury meant to him personally as well as the Raiders.

The team’s dreams of a dominant defensive line were dashed early last year when he went down and Wilkins suffered a season-ending foot injury in Week 5. Crosby was also limited by an ankle injury throughout the campaign and sat out the Raiders’ final four games.

“It’s like an overall feeling that you let people down, even though it’s something that you couldn’t help,” Koonce said.

He worked through his emotions by focusing on his recovery. He tried to sharpen his mind while waiting for his body to heal.

“You can kind of take some time to come back to the drawing board and look at your old film and look at film across the league,” Koonce said. “Also, since you’re not playing, you can pay attention to guys on the team. So, just focusing on stuff that you see across the league and that you can implement in your game, that’s something I was doing, and just kind of reflecting on my career so far.”

Graham and Carroll’s impact

It made sense for Koonce to re-sign with the Raiders.

The team’s medical and training staffs have played a huge role in his recovery. It should also be easier for him to establish his value in familiar surroundings.

That includes the people coaching him, as new coach Pete Carroll retained defensive coordinator Patrick Graham and defensive line coach Rob Leonard.

“(Graham) has kind of seen me grow into the player that I am, so I’m very comfortable around him, comfortable in the system,” Koonce said. “And it’s always great to be around guys that believe in you.”

Koonce is also fired up to play for Carroll, one of three coaches ever to win a college national championship and a Super Bowl.

“Extremely excited,” Koonce said. “Just remember being a kid in high school, grade school, just watching him coach. So, it’s kind of surreal to be around him and say that that’s my coach too, so definitely excited.”

Another defensive loss

The Raiders, despite welcoming back Koonce, continued to have their defensive players poached Tuesday.

Deablo agreed to a two-year, $14 million deal to join the Falcons. He is the fourth defensive starter the team has lost in free agency, joining safety Tre’von Moehrig (Panthers), linebacker Robert Spillane (Patriots) and cornerback Nate Hobbs (Packers).

The Raiders did add safety Jeremy Chinn and linebacker Elandon Roberts in free agency Monday to replace some of the production they’ve lost. They brought in Stokes on a one-year, $4 million deal Tuesday.

Stokes was a 2021 first-round pick out of Georgia by the Packers and had 128 tackles, 14 pass breakups and one interception in Green Bay. The 26-year-old, who is listed at 6-foot-1 and 194 pounds, has been stymied by ankle and hamstring injuries during his career.

Deablo, a third-round pick out of Virginia Tech in 2021, started 42 games over the last four years and had 288 tackles. The 26-year-old, who is listed at 6-foot-3 and 223 pounds, also had two sacks with the Raiders.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.