Oakland Raiders: Woodson way out of bounds with criticism of Carr

The Oakland Raiders are taking some valid criticism for their offseason moves, but former player and coach Rod Woodson’s remarks are way out of bounds.

As the Oakland Raiders are learning, hell hath no fury like a – well – former player and coach scorned. Former Raiders defensive back and coach Rod Woodson launched a bit of a scorched earth campagin against his former club in a recent appearance.

Woodson, who played for the Raiders in 2002-03, and was a coach for them in 2011, and again in 2015-17, was swept out with former HC Jack Del Rio‘s staff in Mark Davis’ version of The Purge. Incoming (again) HC Jon Gruden put together his staff and did not retain Woodson.

Fast forward to today, and as Gruden and GM Reggie McKenzie have begun the process of rebuilding the roster, there have been plenty of moves that have raised some eyebrows and brought in some deserved criticism.

When Gruden came (back) on board, he said he wanted to throw things back to 1998, but most of us assumed he was being metaphorical. Most of us never actually believed he was going to take an offense led by two dynamic talents in Derek Carr and Amari Cooper, and sending it back to the stone age.

There have been some very solid signings at key positions – Tahir Whitehead, Rashaan Melvin, and Marcus Gilchrist, most notably. But, there have also been moves that have been downright head-scratching, eyebrow-raising, and utterly mind-boggling.

All in all, Gruden has had a very odd offseason to this point. Which, of course, draws more than a few questions and invites plenty of criticism – as it should.

Woodson though, sounding incredibly salty and every bit like a scorned ex, unloaded on Gruden and the roster he’s assembling – though, he was quick to point out he was speaking not out of spite after Gruden dropped him like a dirty shirt when he came (back) to the organization.

In an interview given on FS1’s “The Undisputed,” Woodson absolutely unloaded on Gruden and the way he’s shaping the roster. Woodson started off strong and came out swinging, making some very valid points.

"“I don’t want to sound like a scorned lover because I was fired by the Raiders.”"

Spoiler alert – you do, Rod. You really, really do. Anyway, he went on to say…

"“But you can’t tell me you got rid of Michael Crabtree, you put Jordy Nelson in there, and Jordy Nelson is better than Michael Crabtree. That’s a lie. And, I love Derek Carr. Derek Carr is not Aaron Rodgers. That’s completely different. You can’t tell me you bring in Doug Martin and they’re a better football team.”"

Nothing wrong with that and nothing that most of us haven’t said ourselves. Right? But, then Woodson started to veer hard and made some comments – specifically about Carr – that were way, way out of bounds and unnecessary.

"“He’s making a lot of moves, I understand. But those two moves . . . Crabtree was the glue to that offense. He gave them a backbone. He gave them toughness. Jordy Nelson is not going to give them that. Derek Carr is not going to give them that.”"

There’s so much wrong with that statement that one almost doesn’t know where to begin.

First of all, credit where credit is due – Crabtree is a tough, physical receiver and he did lend a certain attitude to the receiving corps. Cooper is such a low-key guy, that Crabtree’s almost overwhelming personality couldn’t help but define that group.

But to say that without Crabtree this team will have no toughness or backbone – that’s just a stupid statement that borders on the ridiculous.

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One could make a compelling argument that the toughness and glue to this offensive unit is the offensive line. Kelechi Osemele, Donald Penn, Rodney Hudson, and Gabe Jackson are a formidable and ferocious group that have plenty of attitude and swagger of their own.

When the line is on their game and blowing people off the ball, it gets the running game working, which in turn, allows the passing game to light it up. In some ways, as the line goes, so go the Raiders.

But Woodson is also wrong, and way out of bounds, to question Carr’s toughness, and by extension, his leadership. To question Carr’s ability to be the glue that holds this offense together.

Or, did Woodson forget about the 2016 season, in which the team completely fell apart without him – leading to season ending loss, a lost division title, and a drubbing in the first round of the playoffs – after Carr broke his leg?

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Even last season, as bad as the offense was as a whole (for the whole year), it was arguably worse in the game Carr missed after sustaining a transverse process fracture in his back. Not that he needed to, but Carr showed his toughness in missing just one game after the injury. One game.

You could tell he wasn’t quite right after that – though, that was masked by how inept Todd Downing’s offense really was – but, he played through it. He rolled out week after week for his teammates. To try and get the ship turned around.

It was, unfortunately, a fool’s errand, given that between Downing and Ken Norton Jr., the Raiders couldn’t field a halfway decent offense OR defense, which doomed the entire season.

Carr is not a red-in-the-face, scream-in-your-ear kind of leader. He will probably never get up in anybody’s face and tear them to shreds, la Rich Gannon. Carr is not overly demonstrative and will never cause a lot of drama. That’s just not his style.

But, to question his toughness, to question that he is a leader on this team, to intimate that he doesn’t have the respect of every man on that roster, and to claim that without Crabtree, there is no toughness or glue left to this Raiders offense, is just plain ignorant.

In fact, Woodson’s ignorance might even be worse than Deion Sanders lighting up All-Pro safety Kevin Byard, calling him a “fan” and not knowing he’s actually currently one of the best safeties in the game.

Unfortunately for Woodson, the solid and valid points he did make, for some, have been lost under that tsunami of ignorance he unleashed upon the world. Crabtree is a very solid football player and most of us would absolutely prefer to have him, rather than Nelson, on the roster. Oakland’s offense was better with Crabtree in it.

As good and productive as he was for the Raiders though, he wasn’t the glue that held the team together. And he wasn’t the only one who infused toughness into the offense. This team will still have those things in spades, even with Crabtree playing in Baltimore.

Woodson was a great player in his time. One of the best at his position, all-time. That much can’t be disputed. But, his comments – and Deion’s actually – simply underline the fact that having a bust in Canton doesn’t mean you’re the sharpest tool in the shed.

Nor does it keep you from sounding like a salty, bitter ex.

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