Raiders GM McKenzie Looks to Bring Charles Woodson Back

At 38 years old, Oakland Raiders safety Charles Woodson continues to defy Father Time. Whatever steps he may have lost through age, he’s more than made up for in football savvy. Despite having 17 seasons worth of miles on his tires, he continues to play at an amazingly high level as he led the team in tackles (111) and interceptions (4).

Raiders fans will one day have to contemplate life without Charles roaming the defensive backfield, but it appears that GM Reggie McKenzie is doing everything he can to ensure that the coming 2015 is not that season.

Having completed the 2014 season on a one-year deal, Woodson becomes a free agent in March, when the NFL calendar year begins. Despite the fact that he will turn 39 during the season, Woodson has expressed his desire to return for one more tour of duty. Assuming of course, that certain details were taken care of.

“I would like to get him back here if he wants to play. If he’s all-in 100 percent, I want him back.”

Some of those details of course, revolve around money. Woodson, though in the twilight of his career, still wants to feel respected and would like a contract commensurate to his production. But money is only part of the equating. The other part is Marcus Robertson, his DB’s coach. Woodson is on record as saying he wasn’t sure that he’d be interested in returning if Robertson was not retained with the coaching change in Oakland.

On Wednesday, the NFL Network reported that Raiders’ defensive backs coach, Marcus Robertson, would be kept on incoming head coach Jack Del Rio‘s staff. The retaining of Robertson satisfies one of those details that concerned the Raiders’ future Hall of Famer.

McKenzie followed that up by openly lobbying for Woodson to return to the Raiders for his 18^th season in the NFL. In an interview that aired on SirusXM NFL Radio, McKenzie was effusive in his desire to bring Woodson back.

"“He’s fine physically. It’s going to be totally up to Charles and the new coaching staff. I already talked to those guys about him. I would like to get him back here if he wants to play. If he’s all-in 100 percent, I want him back.”"

If there’s one thing we’ve learned about Charles Woodson throughout his lengthy, very distinguished career, it’s that if he decides to come back for one more ride in 2015, he’ll be all-in 100 percent. It’s just not in Woodson’s nature to go through a season half-heartedly just to collect a paycheck. If Woodson wants to come back, he will be with the Raiders heart and soul.

Having both Robertson and Woodson back in Silver and Black will be a huge plus for all of Oakland’s young defensive backs. Travis Carrie, D.J. Hayden, Keith McGill, Brandian Ross, and Neiko Thorpe, among others, can only benefit from having the wealth of knowledge and experience that both Robertson and Woodson bring to the table. Oakland has some young playmakers, but need that veteran guidance both men can bring to the Raiders’ secondary.