Oakland Raiders

Final write-thru for print on Woodson rejoining Raiders . . .

Beat writer Jerry McDonald stuck it out in Alameda all day, certainly much longer than many of the fans that arrived early, and he was rewarded with word that defensive back Charles Woodson is coming back to the Raiders. Here’s McDonald’s story: Charles Woodson is coming home, signing a one-year deal to return to the Raiders on [...]

Check out Jeanette Thompson's exclusive interview with Charles Woodson as Woodson returned to the Silver and Black.

A big, hearty return welcome to the one and only Charles Woodson to Oaktown! I am somewhat surprised and ultimately thrilled that CWood24 was available in the open market and that the rebuilding Raiders were able to secure the services of arguably the best defensive back of the past 15 years. Woodson is a winner (NCAA Champ; SB Champ), an inspirational leader on the field and in the locker room, and future hall of famer. He is an ideal fit as the Raiders Free Safety whereby he can utilize his vast experience, acumen and knowledge in a role that matches up nicely with his fine tuned football instincts. I equate CWood to a valuable Swiss Brand Army knife in terms of his elite and versatile football skills. He brings the full package to include not only his supreme coverage skills but his ability to rush the passer, is a solid tackler in the open field, and his overall playmaking prowess (2nd in INTs with 55; 2nd in INTs for TDs 11). I'm excited about how our secondary has been rebuilt with talent and depth this past offseason with the acquisitions of Tracy Porter, Mike Jenkins, CWood, plus 1st round pick DJ Hayden. The entire Raiders team will benefit from the addition of a proven performer and leader who exudes a winning mentality. The CWood swagger is back in Silver and Black!

A large group of Raiders fans mobilized and spent their Tuesday at the team's Alameda, Calif., facility to welcome Charles Woodson.

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.

Free agent defensive back Charles Woodson has rejoined the Oakland Raiders, the team with which he began his professional career in 1998, General Manager Reggie McKenzie announced Tuesday.

Raiders fans showed their loyalty and hearts today in Alameda County and the players all have noticed. There is no doubt that they appreciate everything that the fans did today and then some. This is the type of thing that doesn't just make them appreciate the fans, it makes them more motivated for success. There are few franchises in professional sports that have shown the type of dedication that Raiders fans have shown today. There have been plenty of times where fans have shown up to support the team but to show up for a free agent signing in droves like this is a site to behold. When you show this amount of love good things are bound to happen. Hopefully it will be an immediate response that includes Charles Woodson signing with the Raiders but even if he doesn't sign, today has been a special day in Raiders history. This has been a day that the players on the Raiders will never forget and one that they will always cherish. I can only hope the Raiders organization themselves embrace the show of support that was their headquarters on May 21st, 2013. It is amazing to see such an event unfold before our very eyes and something that wouldn't have been possible without the power of Facebook and Twitter. As simple as a few fans getting together and inviting others to show their support resulted in a flashmob unlike many have seen before. To have seen it start up right here was a real joy to watch and fills everybody associated to this site with a great sense of pride. Think of it this way, the type of gathering was reminiscent of the midnight welcome the Raiders received when they returned from the first game played after Al Davis had died. The emotion involved in that and the adrenaline from that emotion made it an understandable time for the fans to rally and unite for the team. This gathering on the other hand is happening in the middle of May and outside the OTA practice facilities at a time where it is normally quiet around the facilities. The reason that everybody rallied together was to show Charles Woodson their support and try to convince him to sign with the Raiders but the effect is so much more than that. This type of support, especially to a team that had just finished 4-12 last year, is one that is impossible to ignore. This is the heart of Raider Nation at it's finest and the players understand unlike ever before what it means for them to play for this franchise. The players that have never experienced the love of Raider Nation before were told of it but now they have witnessed it. Now they have felt it. There is an aura about the love unlike most had experienced before, it is a family feeling unable to be known unless you have felt it. The fact that all these people showed up for the recruiting of a 36 year old Safety speaks volumes, they respect their legends and love them at an unimaginable level. When seeing players like Lamarr Houston and Marcel Reece react like they did to the fans today you can't help but notice that they really do understand what it means to be a Raider. Its not just another team to them and its not just another fan base either. There is no doubt that they understood that today was special and something that other teams players wish they could feel. That is why they got out and embraced the fans like they did. Raider Nation will never give up on their team or their players and if you show us love you will receive it back. Raiders fans love their team, and Raiders players love their fans for that. It is a community that we all will cherish forever. This is the type of thing that the Raiders organization want their fans to be known for and this is the type of thing that they know their fans are capable of. The fans made the team proud today and showed them the reality of how much they mean to us. It will only help serve them all in knowing that they have made the right decision in joining the resurrection of this great franchise.

The some 200 plus fans who gathered outside the gates to the Raiders facility today had the primary purpose of welcoming Charles Woodson as he arrived to interview with the team. But that turned out to be just a small part of the overall affect it had today. There was actual practice happening today in the midst of this rally to bring Woodson back to the team. The fans were lined along the drive hours before Woodson arrived and eventually, the Raiders players had to come out. First it was the special teamers who exited the facility. Jon Condo and Chris Kluwe drove out followed by Sebastian Janikowski, Marquette King, and Eddy Carmona. The fans cheered wildly to see their favorite players and it was King who received the loudest applause of all. He was visibly flattered by the response and tweeted about it later. I was happy to see y'all like a lil kid. "@vminchillo18: @marquetteking couldn't stop cheesing today when you saw us" — Marquette King (@MarquetteKing) May 21, 2013 The rest of the players have been trickling out as they leave the facility. Some stop and others don't. Marcel Reece stopped and actually got out of his car. He was mobbed and was hugging fans as they chanted "Reece, Reece, Reece". He later tweeted this out in response to my initial tweet. It's real!!! "@levidamien: @celreece45 just stopped his car, got out, and is mobbed, hugging fans." — Marcel Reece (@CelReece45) May 21, 2013 New Raider Jason Hunter, signed as a free agent from Denver, saw this and did the same. He got out of his car, put his arms up and jumped up and down with the fans. Hunter and newly acquired running back, Rashad Jennings, were both loving their new fanbase. Jennings put his fist out his window as he drove past and fans gave him knuckles down the line. He then tweeted: Thanks for the love today #raidernation — Rashad Jennings (@RashadJennings) May 21, 2013 Once Woodson arrived, the fans went really crazy. But even after he went inside, many of the fans stayed as more Raiders players exited the facility including Lamarr Houston who also got out of his vehicle to embrace the fans. He tweeted out this great shot of him and the fans together, saying "Best fans period" Best fans period instagram.com/p/Zl24k9qtkh/ — lamarr houston (@solo_dolo_9s) May 21, 2013 The fans continued to wait as they had yet to see Charles Woodson reappear. There was also still much of the team in the facility; namely the quarterbacks and rookies. Eventually, Terrelle Pryor came out with bottles of water for everyone, which they very much appreciated. A bit later the other quarterbacks came through, with Matt Flynn stopping to sign autographs and get pictures with fans. Then it was the rookies who loaded onto a shuttle bus to chants of "Sio, Sio, Sio" - for third round pick Sio Moore - and "DJ, DJ, DJ"-- for first round pick DJ Hayden. My guess is "Menelik" is hard to chant. I spoke with Raiders Super Fan "Dr Death" who explained that greeting Charles Woodson was only part of their mission today. Their greater mission was to show general support for their favorite team and Woodson's arrival was simply the impetus for the event to happen. The Raiders players have certainly gotten the message. And that kind of support goes a long way. Especially in May.

RT @Sack_Religious: Best fans in the country! #RaiderNation