Training camp like a vacation for Woodson
Charles Woodson likes what he sees in practice.
Future Hall of Famer Charles Woodson hasn’t missed a training camp practice yet, after not missing an offseason workout this year for the fist time in his career.
Why would he? This is like a vacation in Napa compared with the old days for the Raiders’ safety.
“I tell these guys all the time that when I first came in, practices were a lot different,” Woodson, 38, said. “You put the pads on more. Guys had to bang a lot more, and you were putting on the pads twice a day. Training camps are a lot different these days.
“For me, I find it hard to come out here and complain about practicing when it’s not how it used to be.”
And besides, training camp is not the time for complaining or pointing out problems. All teams think they are going to the playoffs this time of year. Including the Raiders, 3-13 a season ago but now with new coach Jack Del Rio.
Woodson will admit that he thought Oakland was going to have a winning season last year, too, but says this year is different.
“Yeah, the optimism is always there, but this year, though, it’s really a clean slate,” he said. “All new coaches, basically, a new attitude, a new strength and conditioning staff. Everything is new around here.”
Former players Del Rio and defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. and the rest of the staff have been stressing fundamentals, and have made sure players know their responsibilities on each kind of play.
“These guys have a wealth of knowledge,” Woodson said. “I think our teaching level this year has been at an alltime high, as far as guys understanding where they’re supposed to be each and every play.”
Woodson, who played all 16 games last season and led the team with 160 tackles and four interceptions, feels that the Raiders improved their talent on both sides of the ball with guys like receivers Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree, center Rodney Hudson, defensive tackle Dan Williams, linebacker Curtis Lofton and safety Nate Allen.
“I think it’s been great,” he said. “I think in some key positions where we’ve added people, you add talented guys that can be potential gamebreakers for you. That’s what you need in this game. You need some guys that can go out there and perhaps take the game over at any given moment. I think we have a few guys like that.”
The receivers, in particular, have had a very good first week of training camp. On former 49er Crabtree: “He’s been playing well,” Woodson said. “He’s one of those crafty guys. He isn’t going to be the fastest guy out there, but he knows how to get open. He has great hands; that’s never been a question. But he just knows how to get open. He reads the defense and knows where he needs to be.” On first-round pick Cooper: “He’s going to be pretty special,” Woodson said. “He can do it all. The sky will be the limit for that young man.”
Speaking of receivers, Woodson said it was great for him to learn how to be a pro from Hall of Famer Tim Brown when he was drafted by the Raiders in 1998.
“It’s always great for a young guy to have those examples, even though you may now follow them right away,” he said, smiling.
His younger and wilder days well behind him, Woodson now finds himself the voice of experience and reason to a very young Oakland secondary.
“It’s pressure, man,” he said. “Trying to do the right things, man. Trying to say the right things. I do my best. When I came in, I was, you could say, hard-headed. Young guys now are the same way.
“For those guys, you just hope that they can understand earlier better than later, because you don’t know how long you’re going to be able to play this game before you ever get it.”