Charles Woodson signed with the Oakland Raiders to be one of the lone veteran players in a very young and inexperienced defensive unit. After getting released from the Green Bay Packers, the cornerback signed back on with the Raiders where he will likely finish his career. However, the veteran is not done just yet and he believes the Raiders defense is just scratching the surface of what they are capable.
Through eight weeks of the NFL season, one thing that is clear is Oakland is a much better team than people give them credit for. The team can improve to .500 this weekend with a win over the Philadelphia Eagles, a position no one expected them to be in this year.
"I see a team scratching the surface, man," Woodson said, via Tom Pelissero of USA Today. "Your record is what it is, but I'm standing there and I think our record would be much better than it is. We have some very talented players. We have super coaches. We just haven't put it all together."
The Raiders are in the playoff race. A win this weekend keeps the team thick in the race for the AFC Wild Card. A 3-4 start to the year is being referred to as a success, but Woodson believes Oakland has more talent on the team than anyone is giving them credit for.
"Of course, with the way it's been here for a while, nobody has any high expectations for this team," Woodson said. "Everybody's talking about the lack of talent we have as a team. Nobody really gives you a shot."
The eight-time Pro Bowler admits re-signing with the Raiders has really changed his overall mindset. He has become more of a leader and a coach as the Oakland defense has been said to be filled with castoffs from other teams. He is taking it all as motivation for the remainder of the year. After spending seven seasons with the Green Bay Packers, Woodson was left out to dry, claiming he felt like Brett Favre.
That leadership mentality has helped the Raiders upset the Pittsburgh Steelers and sit one spot out of sixth place in the AFC. For what was supposed to be another rebuilding year for the Raiders, the team has raised expectations. Will Woodson stick around for longer than his contract? The cornerback admits retirement is not in his head right now.
"As long as I still have the physical and I can go out there and perform and do my job, I'm going to stick around as long as I can," Woodson said, "because the passion ain't going anywhere."
