The Oakland Raiders had one of the busiest offseasons of any team in the NFL after being one of the worst in the league last year and with so much roster turnover there is a chance they could greatly improve in 2013 and the team is now targeting a former star to help with that.
According to ESPN.com, the Raiders are targeting free agent safety Charles Woodson after he decided to lower his contract demands and the team also gave themselves some insurance at the position, bringing in Chance Casey-Thomas from Baylor. Thomas had a solid career at Baylor and started mostly over four seasons with the team while playing alongside Heisman winner Robert Griffin III.
Thomas had an excellent season last year and he previously returned punts for Baylor, which is something he could end up doing as well for the Raiders. Over his time at Baylor he registered over 200 tackles with three picks and 18 passes defended while also forcing three fumbles and he could be a solid playmaker for the Raiders if he remains through the summer. Woodson is a likely addition if the team feels his salary demands aren't too high and the main reason he is a free agent still is due to his age more than anything and not because of declining skills. Woodson was injured last season with the Packers and he is one of the biggest names left on the market.
The Raiders had a rough season by going just 4-12 last year, but after trading away starting quarterback Carson Palmer and releasing veterans like Michael Huff and Darrius Heyward-Bey, the team is ready to rebuild and improve. The team likes what it has in Denarius Moore and Jacoby Ford and they also could add Brandon Lloyd to give the team some extra weapons on offense along with Darren McFadden.
The team traded for quarterback Matt Flynn and while he is the likely starter since they dealt for him, there is a chance they could give Tyler Wilson or Terrelle Pryor the chance to prove themselves over the summer. The team ranked eighth in passing last season despite their record, but it was mainly because they were playing from behind so much, and they also had issues with injuries, which is why they ranked 28th in rushing yards per game.
The defense ranked 20th and 18th in rushing and passing yards per game, but that should improve with all the names they brought in during the offseason, including cornerbacks Mike Jenkins and Tracy Porter as well as linebackers Nick Roach and Kevin Burnett.
