Raiders Shake Up Secondary With Former Rival Cornerback

"The Raiders are adding some veterans prior to camp, signing CB JT Woods, source said," wrote Rapoport. "Most recently, he was with the Seahawks and Bears."

Woods, a former 2022 third-round pick out of Baylor, was a crucial part of the Bears' 2021 success. Baylor won 12 games that season, including a victory over Oklahoma State in the Big 12 title game and a win over Ole Miss in the 2022 Sugar Bowl.

Woods was then drafted to the Los Angeles Chargers by former Raiders general manager Tom Telesco. After failing to break into a team that would launch a rebuild less than 18 months after he was drafted, Woods has failed to find a footing in the NFL, primarily due to a lack of organizational stability.

There are flaws in Woods' game, especially when it comes to tackling in open space but a fresh start and positive instruction from Pete Carroll, a known defensive backs whisperer, could be what he needs to become the next franchise gem.

The additions of Adams and now Woods are the latest moves in a series of moves that Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer spoke recently about. Breer details how in one offseason, the Raiders have found themselves again in a new and promising market.

"I’d agree they’ll definitely be better. Geno Smith is an obvious upgrade at quarterback. Jeanty gives them a skill player to build the offense around. Chip Kelly will bring new ideas to the table. The offensive line’s development should add something, too, given the promise Jackson Powers-Johnson and DJ Glaze have shown. And the defense certainly isn’t devoid of talent."

"To me, so much of what the Raiders did from a big-picture standpoint this offseason was about giving the organization some semblance of credibility back. That’s why Tom Brady was so important as an addition, in bringing in big-money guys like Egon Durban, Michael Meldman and his business partner Tom Wagner. That’s why you hired Pete Carroll."

"So add that charge to where the roster is, and I think it’s fair to expect a credible product in 2025. Whether it’s six wins or eight wins, I don’t know. But I do think they’ll be noticeably better this fall, even if the actual improvement from a win/loss perspective is a bit weighed down by the division they play in."

Woods has his opportunity. Now it's up to him to grasp it.