The Las Vegas Raiders are certainly in the midst of a rebuild right now, but it should not shock anyone to see them compete this year in the AFC West. Pete Carroll and John Spytek have seemingly sewn up every issue from last year's four-win team, meaning things should be much improved this season.
However, there was one position group that worried Raider Nation, which was the secondary. Despite adding players like Jeremy Chinn and Eric Stokes, as well as re-signing Isaiah Pola-Mao, the unit had a general lack of experience that caused a bit of unrest.
On Tuesday, just before training camp begins, the Raiders added a questionable veteran to the secondary by signing Jamal Adams to a contract. What flew under the radar, however, was that the team also signed a cornerback in the same set of moves.
Raiders sign CB JT Woods moments after adding Jamal Adams
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Tuesday that the Raiders were signing cornerback JT Woods, who last played for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2023. Woods has two years of NFL experience under his belt, but has played in just 13 games.
In two seasons with the Raiders' AFC West rival, Woods started one game and recorded a total of eight tackles. He played just 91 defensive snaps in addition to 89 on special teams. He was a versatile piece for the Chargers, lining up at both free safety and corner, according to Pro Football Focus.
This is a highly coveted attribute by defensive coordinator Patrick Graham and head coach Pete Carroll. The more places a player can line up, the better. This offseason, the team has been moving safeties like Chinn and Johnson, as well as Thomas Harper, all over the field.
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Now, Woods will have to settle into Las Vegas before training camp practices begin on Wednesday. The first order of operations will be determining which position in the secondary he fits in best with for the Raiders, if they choose to put him in a box.
At safety, his primary competition would be Johnson, Harper, and former late-round draft picks Trey Taylor and Chris Smith II. At cornerback, he would be competing with returners like Decamerion Richardson and a slew of other young players.
Woods is the appropriate size to play in Pete Carroll's secondary, as he stands at 6-foot-2 and weighs 193 pounds. He ran a 4.36-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine in 2022 and has 32 and 3/8-inch arms, so he fits the Raiders' current prototype. However, he has an uphill battle to make the roster.