Sources: Raiders reach deals with Jeremy Chinn, Malcolm Koonce
The Las Vegas Raiders addressed a couple of needs on defense, agreeing to deals with safety Jeremy Chinn and edge rusher Malcolm Koonce, sources told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and John Keim.
Koonce agreed to a one-year, $12 million deal. The terms for Chinn’s deal weren’t made available, but NFL Network reported that it’s a two-year contract, worth over $16 million.
Las Vegas added Chinn to its secondary after losing starting safety Tre’von Moehrig, who agreed to a three-year, $51 million deal with the Carolina Panthers. Similar to Moehrig, Chinn is a physical safety who can line up at multiple spots on the field.
Chinn started every game for the Washington Commanders this past season — the first time he’d done so in his five-year career. He played strong safety but would move to a linebacker role in the Commanders’ three-safety set. At 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, he added a physical presence in the secondary.
During the regular season, Chinn set a career-high with seven tackles for a loss and tied his career-best with 117 tackles. He also intercepted one pass and recovered two fumbles. Chinn also intercepted a pass in the final minute of Washington’s 45-31 divisional playoff win over the Detroit Lions.
Chinn, 27, spent his first four years with the Carolina Panthers after being selected in the second round of the 2020 draft. He started 50 of the 54 games he played with the Panthers. In his first two seasons, he intercepted two passes, forced three fumbles and returned two for touchdowns. He also recorded a combined 224 tackles.
In his final two years, he missed a combined 11 games due to injury, including one to his quad in 2023 that cost him five games.
Koonce, 26, missed the entire 2024 campaign after he tore the ACL in his right knee just three days before the Raiders’ opener against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Koonce, however, flashed during the previous season. He recorded 43 tackles, 8 sacks and 3 forced fumbles in 17 games (11 starts). He also had 29 pressures and a pressure rate of 9.4%, according to TruMedia.
Koonce ended his third season on a high note, notching six sacks in the final four games of the year.
Before Koonce stood out in 2023, he played more of a reserve role in his first two seasons, appearing in 22 games, and recorded nine tackles and two sacks.
A third-round selection in 2021, Koonce played four seasons with the Buffalo Bills and had a team-high nine sacks in 2019.
Adam Schefter details that the Los Angeles Rams plan to release WR Cooper Kupp after the start of the new league year unless a trade materializes. (0:41)
NFL free agency has kicked off with the legal negotiation window — which began at noon ET on Monday — and players will be able to officially sign with new teams after 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, which is the start of the new league year. There has already been plenty of action.
The Steelers traded for wideout DK Metcalf, and the Raiders addressed their quarterback situation with a move for Geno Smith. Sam Darnold agreed to a new deal to take Smith’s quarterback spot in Seattle, while Justin Fields landed a new contract with the Jets. Edge rusher Khalil Mack, offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley, receiver Chris Godwin and linebacker Zack Baun re-signed with their respective teams. Receiver Davante Adams joined the Rams, cornerback D.J. Reed will play with the Lions, pass rusher Haason Reddick is off to Tampa Bay, edge rusher Josh Sweat is headed to the Cardinals and defensive tackle Milton Williams will shore up the Patriots’ defense. Plus, a few big names have been released over the past few days, including Jags tight end Evan Engram and Chargers linebacker Joey Bosa.
We’re tracking all of the action, including signings, notable trades, cap-saving releases and more. For more on NFL free agency, follow our coverage all week.
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Commanders take calculated risk as standout free-agent defender signs elsewhere
As the Washington Commanders stay busy during the NFL’s legal tampering period before the official start of free agency, they’ll have one more need to fill than expected.
That would be their starting strong safety position, as Jeremy Chinn departed for the Las Vegas Raiders on a two-year, $16 million deal.
This is not ideal news for Washington, but understandable on Chinn’s end. He saw his market value increase during his lone campaign with the Commanders. The former second-round pick signed a one-year, prove it deal worth just over $4 million after his previous two seasons with the Carolina Panthers had been riddled by injuries. He capitalized on it by recording a career-high in tackles (117), while additionally earning two sacks and a pair of fumble recoveries in 2024.
Chinn, the runner-up to Washington’s Chase Young in the 2020 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year battle, will join a rebuilding Raiders team that new head coach Pete Carroll wants to jump-start with aggressive offseason moves, the same way the Commanders functioned last spring and summer. Las Vegas has already brought in Geno Smith as its new quarterback, while giving star pass-rusher Maxx Crosby a major extension.
Now, the Raiders will add Chinn for some secondary depth, ideally to start alongside returning free safety Isaiah Pola-Mao. That will leave Washington with 2024 undrafted free agent Tyler Owens as the only listed strong safety currently on its roster, so expect a move to be made there soon to correct that.
The Commanders have meanwhile been busy in other areas of the roster, most notably making a blockbuster deal to acquire left tackle Laremy Tunsil from the Houston Texans. The 2016 first-round pick has been selected to the Pro Bowl five times in the past six seasons, all in Houston after spending his first three years with the Miami Dolphins.
Washington also added Javon Kinlaw from the New York Jets on a three-year deal worth $45 million, giving the Commanders an interior defensive lineman who will ideally replace the production of Jonathan Allen. Additionally, they already re-signed veterans Zach Ertz and Bobby Wagner, the latter of whom was courted by Carroll and Las Vegas. They’re almost certainly not done adding new pieces either, as they remain with nearly $50 million in cap space flexibility as of this story’s submission.
Losing Chinn is an unfortunate blow, but it’s one that Adam Peters and company can overcome. Time will tell how Washington’s brass responds throughout the remainder of free agency.
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Jeremy Chinn agrees to two-year deal with Raiders
The Raiders are adding to their secondary.
Per Mike Garafolo of NFL Media, Las Vegas has agreed to terms with safety Jeremy Chinn on a two-year contract.
Garafolo adds Chinn’s deal is worth more than $16 million with over 75 percent of it fully guaranteed at signing.
A Panthers second-round pick in 2020, Chinn signed a one-year deal with Washington last year and was a key piece of the club’s defense. He finished the season with 117 total tackles with seven for loss, 2.0 sacks, five passes defensed, and an interception. He then tallied 29 total tackles with an interception in Washington’s three postseason games.
Chinn was the runner-up for AP defensive rookie of the year back in 2020.
Chinn was No. 65 on PFT’s list of the top 100 free agents this offseason.
He should help upgrade the Raiders’ defense after the team recently signed face of the franchise defensive end Maxx Crosby to a lucrative extension.
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