Why EDGE is So Important for Raiders This Offseason

The Las Vegas Raiders face several important decisions as the offseason begins.

The new league year kicks off in a month, and the Raiders must make key decisions about current players while also scouting NFL Draft prospects. Las Vegas’ front office faces hard work as the team begins a rebuild.

One position group that has been a strength for a team that has struggled in recent years is the defensive end room. Led by superstar Maxx Crosby and supplemented by solid depth, the edge group has been fine for the Silver and Black.

But that room faces some of the biggest questions of the Raiders’ offseason. What will this room look like when the 2026 season begins? Let’s break down some of the challenges John Spytek and Tom Brady face as they try to turn the Raiders around.

Will Maxx Crosby be traded?

Much of the Raiders’ early offseason talk has centered on whether the face of the franchise will be playing for another team next season. With Crosby entering his late 20s and playing through another rebuild if he stays, many around the league have wondered about his availability via trade. The Raiders have shown no interest in trading Crosby, and he doesn’t want to be traded, but the timelines just no longer align.

Contending teams will want Crosby as a defender who could push them over the top, as he still has a few years of prime play left. For a team looking to rebuild and acquire more future assets, trading away the five-time Pro Bowler is an option the Raiders may consider.

To re-sign or not to re-sign Malcolm Koonce?

The 27-year-old has had an intriguing and somewhat frustrating Raiders career, and he hits the open market again. The Raiders kept Koonce on a one-year deal last offseason, hoping he could regain form after missing all of 2024 with a knee injury. He played well, but clearly wasn’t the same player he was at the end of the 2023 season.

Now entering free agency once again, the Raiders face a decision on whether to re-sign Koonce to a long-term deal and hope he can regain that form for another season. If he hits, the Raiders finally have an edge presence across from Crosby, should they keep him.

What to do with Tyree Wilson

The former No. 7 overall pick in 2023 hasn’t lived up to his top-10 billing, but he has had some productive moments. The Raiders must decide whether to pick up Wilson’s fifth-year option by May 1, and as of now, that does not appear to be the likeliest outcome. Wilson has done some nice things in a rotational role, but he hasn’t been the starting edge rusher the team hoped he would be.

A good season from Wilson may change the team’s mind on an extension, but as of now, it appears he will play out the 2026 season and enter free agency in 2027.

Follow us on: X/Twitter @HondoCarpenter, @EZTrez_SI ,and IG @HondoSr . We also invite you to visit our Facebook page, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE. There, you can discuss why the Raiders' EDGE room is the most critical position of the offseason.

Have every Raiders story straight to your email with the latest news. Our newsletter is completely FREE. We will not spam you or sell your information. SIGN UP HERE NOW.