Football

Finally. Dallas has gotten their journey towards the 2014 Playoffs collectively underway. OTA's kicked off today and it was definitely a sight for sore eyes as many players who were injured during the 2012 campaign made their triumphant return. We were able to catch a glimpse of the Cowboys commitment to the 12 personnel group, albeit with a little help from the lone fullback on the roster not participating in today's practice. The Cowboys will reconvene tomorrow and Thursday, and then again for the next few weeks, but here's a glimpse at what we could gather from the week's only practice that will be open to the media. Here's a look at the depth chart, based on what we could gather based on today's reports. The rookies were clearly put on a lower level to start the OTAs off, but that is something that is definitely subject to change as they learn the system and work their way up. Click to enlarge.

Free agent defensive back Charles Woodson has agreed to a deal with the Oakland Raiders.

After meeting with the team for four hours on Tuesday, the Raiders have signed Charles Woodson. The deal is reportedly a one year, $4 million deal. The 36-year old defensive back spent the first eight seasons of his NFL career with the Raiders after the team used their fourth overall pick on him in the 1998 draft. He returns to the Raiders after seven seasons in Green Bay. The corner-turned-safety at one time said he wanted to play for a contender but backed off his stance when there was little interest on the open market. As soon as he made it known he would be willing to join "a rebuilding team" the Raiders came calling. Woodson had visited with the Broncos last week, but left without a contract. The Raiders had already put an initial offer on the table for Woodson prior to his visit with the Broncos. Over the weekend, Woodson expressed great interest in returning to Oakland. Now he has his wish. As do the Raiders fans. They showed up in great numbers Tuesday to woo him back and it worked. It's done. Charles Woodson is back in Silver & Black.

Cry me a river. Stevie Ross told us we *have* to do a public-private partnership to get the superbowl in the future - or we'll be shut out....I was giving this some thought again today, and I have to admit that a real and true partnership might not b

NFL owners signal need for improvements in awarding games to San Francisco (2016) and Houston (2017)The message was clear and poignant about the future of Super Bowls in South Florida:

On “Schoolhouse Rock!” three is a magic number. (The Chiefs do a very cool gameday video of former South Carolina kicker Ryan Succop, featuring the Blind Melon song, by the way.) But it looks like five is the magic number when it comes to the Panthers' OTA practices. Both the Observer and panthers.com put together lists of 5 issues/questions/themes facing the Panthers as they begin OTAs today. Surprisingly, there was only one item that appeared on both lists – the competition in the Carolina secondary. So between the two sites, you have nine things to watch (assuming OTA practices were open to the public, which they're not.) Anyway, in keeping with the theme, here are five more: 1-The interaction between Mike Shula and Cam Newton. Yes, they've worked together for two years. But this is bigger. How big? Whether Newton continues his development under Shula or stalls will likely decide Ron Rivera's future. 2-Edmund Kugbila, speaking of big. If the fourth-round pick can pick up the offense after playing Division II football, he could challenge Geoff Hangartner at right guard. That seems like a big if. 3-First-year tight end Brandon Williams. I'm a softie for good stories, and Williams – who played basketball at a small Baptist school last winter – has one. Plus, the Panthers need another TE. 4-Morgan Lineberry. The Panthers have cycled through three kickers since cutting John Kasay. Could Lineberry, an undrafted rookie from Abilene Christian, be the fourth? 5-The return game. Newcomers Ted Ginn and Domenik Hixon are proven returners, and sixth-round pick Kenjon Barner has the speed and elusiveness to be an explosive returner, as well. It's hard to see a spot for Armanti Edwards on this team. --Joseph Person

Yes, Charles Woodson has returned to the Raiders.  The next question becomes how many million reasons they gave him to do it. According to Josina Anderson of ESPN, Woodson’s agent, Carl Poston, said that the 1997 Heisman winner’s one-year deal is worth a “max” of $4.3 million, which includes a $700,000 signing bonus. The maximum…

Dez Bryant's gone 10 months without any publicized troubles, instead making headlines for his amazing play with the Dallas Cowboys. What changed to help him get his personal life together?

Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports When the Buffalo Bills selected E.J. Manuel as the only quarterback selected in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft, it initially caught a lot of experts off guard when other quarterbacks such as Geno Smith and even Ryan Nassib were still on the board. After the draft was completed, the Bills seemed to have completely revamped their offense by adding notable wide receivers Robert Woods, Marquise Goodwin and Da’Rick Rogers thus overhauling their paper-thin corps even from last season. If Manuel is at the helm, he will likely have several targets to throw to, which could make him a favorite to win the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. What also helps him is that the last three seasons quarterbacks have won this prestigious award. While most people aren’t expecting 4,000 yards passing from a Bills quarterback, by taking Manuel, this could change things as he’s being compared to Carolina Panthers‘ quarterback, Cam Newton, due to his arm strength and the ability to take off and run the ball. Newton, in his rookie year, had 4,051 yards passing and 21 touchdown passes and 706 rushing yards and 14 rushing touchdowns. Will Manuel win the Offensive Rookie of the Year? Time will tell but if he beats out Kevin Kolb for the starting quarterback job and the odds seem to be in his favor as this year’s draft was far more defensive heavy than offensive unlike the past two years which was seemingly full of quarterbacks and skill players. It seems like the Bills exploited this in their favor this year and they are heading in the right direction for the first time in over a decade it seems. Thanks for reading! If you want to discuss anything sports related, I’m on twitter @TheProfessorSD, Google+, and Facebook. Have a great day!