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HENDERSON, Nev. — The Las Vegas Raiders positioned beginning defensive finish Malcolm Koonce on injured reserve Saturday, two days after he suffered a knee damage in follow and sooner or later earlier than the staff’s season opener on the Los Angeles Chargers. Koonce should miss at the least 4 video games, and sources mentioned the damage could possibly be season-ending.
It is a powerful blow for Koonce, who’s coming off a career-best 8.0-sack season and was getting into a contract yr. Koonce, who performed reverse three-time Professional Bowl edge rusher Maxx Crosby, was seen sporting a sleeve on his proper knee at first of follow Wednesday however was not sporting it throughout the opening intervals of follow Thursday.
“Subsequent-man-up mentality,” a downtrodden Raiders coach Antonio Pierce mentioned Friday.
The Raiders elevated defensive finish Charles Snowden from the follow squad Saturday to affix Crosby and fellow edge rushers Tyree Wilson, the No. 7 decide of the 2023 draft, and Janarius Robinson. Las Vegas additionally activated cornerback Sam Webb from the follow squad.
“These guys [will] have gotten a whole lot of alternatives to play,” Pierce mentioned, “and we anticipate them to step up and play nicely.”
Wilson was slowed as a rookie as he recovered from surgical procedure on his proper foot from an damage suffered in faculty and had simply 3.5 sacks, 2.0 within the Raiders’ ultimate 5 video games, and appeared to have hassle with the pace of the NFL sport.
After a wholesome coaching camp, Wilson mentioned he’s desperate to play.
“I have been working towards for my second,” Wilson mentioned Friday. “I hate it; Malcolm’s my brother. However that is the beginning of the season so I’ve obtained to go on the market and symbolize, like he would need me to.
“This coaching camp was nice. Really attending to work on fundamentals and having the ability to know completely different formations and backfield units that helped me get the sting on the offense. So this coaching camp was means completely different than final yr.”
Robinson, in the meantime, had one sack in six video games (two begins) for Las Vegas final season.
“It is all the time powerful to see a brother, a teammate of yours, go down,” Robinson mentioned. “However all of us put together every single day and go into follow and conferences and put together to be in that position, simply in case one thing occurs. And, sadly, that is what occurred, and we have got to step in these footwear and fill that position of Malcolm and placed on our greatest sport for him.”
Wilson started to search out success final season when he was rotated to the inside, in addition to on the skin.
“Man, I used to be there on the sector with [Koonce] when he went down,” Wilson mentioned. “I prayed that it wasn’t a significant damage, however this sport, you have to preserve transferring ahead. So, we have got a sport this week and that is my focus.”
