“He did a great job this offseason,” star defensive end Maxx Crosby said. Koonce has dedicated himself to improving, and his teammates have taken notice. “Now I feel like I understand what I have to do, and I can just go do it.” “I feel more like myself,” the 25-year-old said. His second year in defensive coordinator Patrick Graham’s system is off to a strong start. “At one point, you think you have it, and then you go watch the film and realize you don’t have it at all. He recorded a sack in each of his first two games but doesn’t have another one in the 21 games he has played since. Koonce didn’t make his NFL debut until the 12th game of his rookie season. There were times when it would feel as if he had some things figured out only to find out he wasn’t quite there. Koonce said he felt as if he was in a constant learning cycle his first two seasons with different systems each year. It’s not a coincidence he is seeing the field more. Malcolm is a young, improving player that we’re looking for some things out of in both areas.” “Had some pressure on the passer and did his job, I’d say for the most part, in the running game and in the pass rush. “He’s a guy that wears a lot of hats for us and does a lot of different jobs,” coach Josh McDaniels said. He didn’t get in the box score but recorded a hurry on a Russell Wilson pass attempt and was praised for his effort. He played a career-high 17 defensive snaps and 84 percent of the special teams plays Sunday against the Broncos. The 2021 third-round draft pick feels as comfortable as he has since entering the NFL and is being rewarded for it. He will finally get to do it at a good time in his development. “It’s weird because we did a lot of indoor practices at the Bills’ indoor facility (next door), and I always wondered how it would feel to actually play in the stadium.” “It’s definitely going to be surreal,” Koonce said. Even though Koonce played four seasons at the University of Buffalo, where he was a two-time all-conference performer, he has never seen a Bills game in person at Highmark Stadium. He’s about to see it firsthand for the first time. “They may support me a little bit, but all the people I know in Buffalo made sure I knew they’re Bills fans,” the defensive end said after Thursday’s practice at The Greenbrier. Not all of them will be cheering for the Raiders when they play the Bills on Sunday in Orchard Park, New York. Malcolm Koonce has already heard from family and friends around Buffalo this week as he prepares to play an NFL game for the first time in his college town. (Madeline Carter/Las Vegas Review-Journal) Raiders defensive end Malcolm Koonce speaks the the media during training camp at the Intermountain Health Performance Center on Wednesday, Aug.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |