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Rod Woodson, Huff or Branch for S on 2000s All-Quarter Century Team?

2025-08-04T12:03:00-07:00

Tyvon Branch, Michael Huff | Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

Could we have a Woodson and Woodson secondary?

After Charles Woodson won the first safety spot on the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders 2000s All-Quarter Century Team, we only have two spots left to round out the defense! We’re looking for Woodson’s running mate in today’s poll, as Michael Huff and Tyvon Branch get a second chance, while Rod Woodson hopes to join his former teammate.

Rod Woodson

Photo By Scott Halleran/Getty Images

Rod Woodson

Raiders Stats: 133 tackles, 10 INTs (2 TDs), 19 PDs, 4 FRs (26 games, 2 seasons)

Accolades: Pro Bowl (2002), 1st-Team All-Pro (2002), Hall of Fame (2009)

After a decade with the Pittsburgh Steelers, a year across the Bay with the San Francisco 49ers and four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, Woodson ended his 17-year career in Oakland. The Hall of Famer only spent two seasons with the Silver and Black, while missing six games during his final campaign, so he doesn’t rank high in the franchise’s record books. However, the 2002 free-agent signing made a significant immediate impact by leading the league with eight interceptions to help guide the Raiders to a Super Bowl appearance. Woodson also had two stints (2011 and 2015-2017) as a coach for the organization.

Michael Huff

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Michael Huff

Previously:

Raiders Stats: 441 tackles, 19 TFLs, 11 INTs, 53 PDs, 5.5 sacks (108 games, 7 seasons)

Accolades: 2nd-Team All-Pro (2010)

The No. 7 overall pick in the 2006 NFL draft, the Texas product was fresh off a National Championship before heading to the Raiders. His ball skills stood out with the Silver and Black, as he ranks in the top 25 in franchise history for interceptions and is third for passes defended*. Additionally, Huff recorded double-digit PDs in three out of his seven seasons with the Raiders. His best overall performance came in 2010, totaling 95 tackles, seven TFLs, four sacks, three interceptions and seven PDs to earn some postseason recognition.

Tyvon Branch

Photo by Ed Mulholland/Getty Images

Tyvon Branch

Previously:

Raiders Stats: 475 tackles, 25 TFLs, 4 INTs, 33 PDs, 9 sacks (75 games, 7 seasons)

Accolades: none

As Huff’s running mate for five years, Branch proved to be a solid strong safety in Oakland. From 2009 to 2011, he had three consecutive triple-digit tackle campaigns and was just shy of making it four in a row by racking up 94 tackles in 2012. As a result, he ranks eighth in franchise history with 367 solo tackles**, per Pro Football Reference.

*PDs didn’t become an official NFL statistic until 1999.

**PFR states that solo tackles are “unofficial and inconsistently recorded”, adding ambiguity to the franchise rankings.

So, which defensive back are you going with for the second safety spot on the Raiders’ 2000s All-Quarter Century Team?

Vote in the poll below and sound off in the comments section with your reasoning. If you don’t have a commenting account already, you’ll need to create one but the steps are pretty easy and it’s a seamless process. Also, we have full-time moderators to enforce the Community Guidelines. Sign up and go to the comments section.

Raiders August news tracker

2025-08-04T10:57:05-07:00

Albert Okwuegbunam | Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

All the latest NFL news and rumors

We’re into the eighth month of the Las Vegas Raiders’ 2025 offseason after a 2024 season which didn’t go as hoped and the team is well into training camp with the season looming next month. We’re collecting all the news, injury reports, signings, rumors, and everything you need to follow the Raiders and the NFL in the month of August.

We’ll update everything below in reverse chronological order:

August 3

11:23 a.m.: The Raiders are doing some early roster reshuffling, signing wide receiver Kawaan Baker and tight end Albert Okwuegbunam, while waiving wide receiver Kyle Philips and tight end Pat Conroy in the process.

#RAIDERS ROSTER MOVES:

- Signed #82 WR Kawaan Baker and #86 TE Albert Okwuegbunam

- Waived TE Pat Conroy and WR Kyle Philips
— Raiders PR (@RAIDERS_PR) August 3, 2025

August 1

8:14 a.m.: A day after Washington wide receiver Terry McLaurin asked to be traded, another NFC East star may be preparing a drastic measure. Micah Parsons would look good in Silver and Black, wouldn’t he?

BREAKING: The Micah Parsons-Cowboys relationship has deteriorated to the point where the star pass rusher is considering drastic measures which could include a trade request or even a declaration that he is severing his relationship with the team, per multiple league sources… pic.twitter.com/7Yujmv4JQ2
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) August 1, 2025

Fans believe best QBs are in AFC West

2025-08-04T10:12:00-07:00

Geno Smith | Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

The division is loaded at the position

The AFC West is a powerhouse for quarterback play and it has gotten even more formidable this year after the Las Vegas Raiders upgraded at the position by trading for new starter Geno Smith.

And fans believe not a better division for quarterback play than in this division. We recently asked our community members which of the eight NFL divisions has the best group of quarterbacks.

To recap, here was your choices:

AFC East: Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills), Tua Tagovailoa (Miami Dolphins), Drake Maye (New England Patriots), Justin Fields (New York Jets).
AFC North: Lamar Jackson (Baltimore Ravens), Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals), Aaron Rodgers (Pittsburgh Steelers), undecided (Cleveland Browns).
AFC South: C.J. Stroud (Houston Texans), Trevor Lawrence (Jacksonville Jaguars), Daniel Jones or Anthony Richardson (Indianapolis Colts), Cam Ward (Tennessee Titans).
AFC West: Geno Smith (Las Vegas Raiders), Patrick Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs),Justin Herbert (Los Angeles Chargers), Bo Nix (Denver Broncos).
NFC East: Jalen Hurts (Philadelphia Eagles), Jayden Daniels (Washington Commanders), Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys), Russell Wilson (New York Giants).
NFC North: J.J. McCarthy (Minnesota Vikings), Jordan Love (Green Bay Packers), Jared Goff (Detroit Lions), Caleb Williams (Chicago Bears).
NFC South: Baker Mayfield (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), Michael Penix (Atlanta Falcons), Bryce Young (Carolina Panthers), Tyler Shough (New Orleans Saints).
NFC West: Matthew Stafford (Los Angeles Chargers), Brock Purdy (San Francisco 49ers), Kyler Murray (Arizona Cardinals), Sam Darnold (Seattle Seahawks).

It wasn’t close as the AFC West was a runaway winner. The season should be a blast.

Here are some of your responses. Sign up and go to the comments section.

Mac Raider

Feels like a homer vote if ever there was one.

AFC North (Lamar and Burrows and maybe the old fella) or NFC East for me.

I don't rate Herbert that highly/

osaji922

AFC West only has Mahomes so it can't be this division.

Dafe2cat

AFC west has solid or better QBs with every team.

NASHVILLER8ER

It is really hard to argue that it is not the AFC West. Maybe the AFC North? but in a division with Mahomes and Herbert, and Nix played quality football last year, and Geno has the ability to play quality football the AFC West is pretty tough. The north has Burrow and Lamar. Maybe the NFC East with Hurts, Jayden and Dak is tough too?

Can you guess this Raiders d-lineman in today’s in-5 trivia game?

2025-08-04T07:00:00-07:00

Think you can figure out which Raiders player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game!

Hey Raiders fans! We’re back for another day of the Silver & Black Pride in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in the Google Form.

Today’s Silver & Black Pride in-5 game

If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article.

Previous games

Sunday, August 3, 2025
Saturday, August 2, 2025
Friday, August 1, 2025

Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games

NFL in-5
MLB in-5
MMA in-5

Silver and Black Pride in-5 instructions

The goal of the game is to guess the correct Raiders player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

Enjoy!

Silver Minings: Lonnie Johnson Jr. is out for the season with a broken fibula

2025-08-04T07:00:00-07:00

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Las Vegas Raiders are losing their safety Lonnie Johnson jr. after a collision with Maxx Crosby during the mock game Saturday

The Las Vegas Raiders played their mock football game for fans in Las Vegas on Saturday. There was a ton of optimism built after the performance of the offense and Geno Smith’s performance.

However, one of the keys to training camp for every NFL team is to stay healthy. While the Raiders have avoided injury so far during training camp, which ended Saturday Night. Rotational safety Lonnie Johnson Jr. had to be carted off the field after an apparent leg injury during the scrimmage. It happened during a collision with Maxx Crosby that ended his night.

#Raiders safety Lonnie Johnson Jr. suffered a broken fibula at practice Saturday, per source. The six-year vet is getting an MRI to determine if additional damage. Johnson was in the mix for a rotational role in Vegas.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) August 3, 2025

On Sunday, it was announced that Johnson Jr. will be out for the season. He suffered a broken fibula that requires surgery and could be the end of his run as a Raider.

While Johnson Jr. was projected to be a backup, it leaves a hole on the roster. He was the third safety at the moment when Jeremy Chinn moved to slot cornerback. Now the Raiders will have to turn to their younger players to fill the hole left by the veteran Johnson Jr.

In other Raiders links:

Las Vegas Raiders host back-to-school event: Las Vegas Raiders host back-to-school event, giving out free haircuts and back-to-school supplies.
Who should be the next Raider enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame: Paul Guiterrez of Raiders.com writes about who should be the next Raider to make the Hall of Fame.
Eric Allen’s full Hall of Fame speech: Watch the full video of former Raiders cornerback Eric Allen’s Hall of Fame speech.

Monday open thread

2025-08-04T06:01:00-07:00

Adam Butler | Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images

Head to the comments section to share your thoughts and join the conversation. You can sign up for a commenting account below and we have full-time moderators to enforce the Community Guidelines.

Experience, knowledge from older Raiders vital for young roster

2025-08-03T14:22:00-07:00

Veteran running back Raheem Mostert (31) takes the handoff from veteran quarterback Geno Smith during the Las Vegas Raiders minicamp back in June. The two experienced Raiders are vital for the younger players on the roster. | Candice Ward-Imagn Images

Raheem Mostert, Alex Cappa, Geno Smith are important lead-by-example types in Las Vegas

At age 34 and 33, respectively, Geno Smith and Raheem Mostert are the two oldest on the Las Vegas Raiders. As such, the quarterback and running back bring over a decade of experience and knowledge as older players that’s vital for a young roster.

Smith, who has 13 NFL seasons under his belt, has seen the trials and tribulations as a pro signal caller and went from prized second-round selection by the New York Jets to castoff and to franchise quarterback with Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks.

Mostert, who has 11 years on his resume, is a classic tail of an undrafted free agent that bounced around before given the opportunity to showcase his fleet-feet with the San Francisco 49ers and then being a bell cow back for the Miami Dolphins in 2023.

As quarterback, Smith is at the helm of an offense that features big-time weapon and second-year tight end Brock Bowers — who is just 22 years old — while Mostert is part of a running back room that boasts the 2025 NFL Draft’s sixth overall pick Ashton Jeanty — who is 21 years old. With both Smith and Mostert knowing what it takes to sustain a career in the the pros, it’s imperative the rest of the Raiders soak up the tutelage and work ethic displayed by both.

Raheem Mostert on the punt return.

The veteran RB told me he “has a really strong feeling about this offense” — something he says he “hasn’t felt in a long time,” as he steps into a leadership role with the #Raiders. #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/QQsenecfl1
— Taylor Rocha (@TaylorRochaTV) July 27, 2025

“Honestly, I like the challenge,” Mostert said when asked about a leadership and mentor role as a veteran, when asked about being a veteran voice after one of the Raiders’ training camp sessions last week. “I feel like it’s a way for me to display who I am as a player and as an individual, and also to showcase my abilities as being a leader. You want to say you want to be a leader on the team, but for me, it’s all about action. This is ‘What have you done for me lately?’ That’s the mantra that’s always been around.”

We’ve already mentioned Jeanty’s age above and the rest of the running back room is young with Zamir White, Dylan Laube, and Chris Collier all 25 years old and Sincere McCormick 24. Thus, it’s abundantly clear the elder Mostert — who has defied Father Time — is the standout vet. And the neat thing for the running back room — and other Raiders — when it comes to the Purdue tailback is he’s willing to impart his knowledge.

“So if I’m able to come in in a situation like here and provide my leadership and my presence and to show everybody that, ‘Hey, look, I’m going to put in the work, you can learn from me, just ask the questions. I’m an easy going guy. I’m one of those guys that you can come up to and talk to about anything, and if you want to keep it on the hush, that’s fine with me too. I have an open door policy with my personality as you guys will get to know,’ so it’s a lot of fun,” Mostert explained. “And just wanting to be there for those guys, like once my career is over with, I want to look back and be like, ‘Hey, I helped that guy out, and whether he took the advice or not, I did my part.’ And that’s something I got to look myself in the mirror at.”

Smith, Mostert, and other newly-added veterans are set to bolster a standard set by incumbent Raiders like defensive end Maxx Crosby, defensive tackle Adam Butler, and left tackle Kolton Miller.

Pete Carroll notes Maxx Crosby, Geno Smith, and Elandon Roberts for their leadership and competitive nature on the Raiders team.

“He loves to be challenged and pushed. It’s interesting, because Geno is on the other side of the ball, and he’s the same way. But there’s other guys… pic.twitter.com/1uCoGNVhQx
— Vegas Sports Today (@VegasSportsTD) July 22, 2025

Throughout the offseason — from OTAs, to minicamp, to training camp — Las Vegas is assimilating to Pete Carroll’s culture and the Raiders head coach brings uncanny energy even at age 73. It’s at a level that rivals Crosby and has the buy-in is clear.

Which amplifies the veteran leadership in this rendition of the Silver & Black.

Take for example offensive guard Alex Cappa — added by general manager John Spytek before the onset of free agency back in March.

The 30-year-old lineman was a draft pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Spytek was a personnel man for the Bucs during that time period — and once he became the Raiders chief personnel man, Cappa was an addition after he was cut by the Cincinnati Bengals. So familiarity is there from the get, but is also multiplied by Raiders minority owner Tom Brady, who Cappa blocked for during the Bucs’ title run.

And to no surprise, the Humboldt State product is imparting his know-how to his fellow offensive lineman.

“He’s got experience. He’s played many years. So, just another guy you can go to if you have a question or if you need something,” Raiders right tackle DJ Glaze, who enters his second season in the league, said of Cappa. “Him playing beside me, we talk all the time. So, it’s been huge just to have another guy like that who can, just talk, feel through things. We learn the plays together. I feel like it’s helped out a lot, especially me playing beside him. But in meetings or whatever he’ll see a young guy do something, he’ll speak up, he’ll talk so I feel like it’s been huge and impact the whole room.”

Maxx Crosby is mentoring Tyree Wilson in one-on-one pass rush drills, coaching him in every detail as they fine-tune techniques like rip drills and bull rushes.#RaiderNation
— Mike Dixon (@MikeDixon_VST) July 28, 2025

The results will eventually speak for themselves, of course.

The good vibes that Carroll and his crew are bringing to the desert will be thoroughly tested when games start to count in the win-loss column. Lauded for his relationship building, Carroll made no bones about his lofty expectations for his Raiders in 2025. And for Las Vegas to win football games and reverse course on a downtrodden seasons, they’ll need to do it together — veterans and youngsters alike.

The Raiders do have sound leadership at integral positions. But Raider Nation is eager to see if that all pays off.

We’ll see soon enough.

Carroll culture ever-present in Raiders training camp

2025-08-03T10:06:00-07:00

Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll, left, greets undrafted rookie free agent defensive tackle Tank Booker (73) during the warm-up period for the team’s training camp session last week. | Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

But how long will the good vibes with Pete Carroll at the helm of the Las Vegas Raiders last?

With age comes wisdom. And at 73 years old, Pete Carroll brings plenty of that as the Las Vegas Raiders head coach.

With boundless energy that is surprising coming from a coach of his age, Carroll’s energy is abundantly clear as the Silver & Black embark on an integral offseason. From OTAs, mandatory minicamp, and currently in training camp, Carroll is showing no signs of slowing down.

But more importantly than that, we’re seeing tangible evidence of the Carroll culture infusing itself into everything Raider. The energy is amplifying the culture change, so much so, the difference in past vibes to the current one is staggering.

“The culture has been great, the positivity, the uplifting, the teaching has come from a place of love, a place of, ‘This is what we need you to do. This is kind of where we’re taking things,’ and it’s all about relationships also,” Raiders tight end Michael Mayer said when asked about how this training camp feels different to the two previous versions. “I’ve got Steck (tight end coach Luke Steckel) who is in the tight end room, just like I had last year, and he’s awesome, he’s great. But in terms of relationship based, starting with Pete, starting with (general manager John) Spytek, and then all the way down, even defensive coaches.

“I’m talking to defensive coaches, eating breakfast with them, hanging out, talking about where I’m from, stuff like that. And some of that stuff you just didn’t really have before. So, I’m really excited about that.”

#Raiders TE Michael Mayer on Pete Carroll

“He’s in it with us, we’re in this together. He’s not head coach, team, we’re in this together, we’re just one team & I’m really excited to just get it going”

Said that’s somebody he’s gonna put his body on the line for every single… pic.twitter.com/c8dthDCIoa
— Jesse Merrick - Silver & Black Sports Network (@JesseSBSN) July 27, 2025

Other Raiders coaches and players have called out Carroll’s uncanny ability to build relationships. Being able to develop and sustain long-term intrapersonal relationships is an elusive task for head coaches.

The two previous regimes in Las Vegas failed to do so, and while some may label Carroll as a “rah-rah” guy, the former Seattle Seahawks head coach landed the gig in the desert in large part to being able to rally a team with his energy and culture building. And we’re hearing and seeing Raiders who take the podium to field questions on media availability speak highly of the new regime.

“There’s a lot of just great team camaraderie, team community, and I think that’s the first step in kind of winning games, it really is,” Mayer expanded. “You’ve got to be together. You’ve got to be on the same page all the time. You’ve got to be eating breakfast, talking together. You’ve got to be in the meetings all day together, like you have to talk, you have to communicate.

“And it’s not really my way or the highway, that’s not what we’re doing here. We want to win games, and we’re trying to do kind of the best way possible. What’s the best way we can do this? Not this is the way it’s going to be. What’s the best way to win games, to score points and help our team.”

That last part, “not really my way or the highway, that’s not what we’re doing here” stands out like a sore thumb. This was one of the knocks on former Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels who has a history of being rigid and locked into his system. The results spoke for themselves.

Then came Antonio Pierce. A neophyte head coach that galvanized the team when he became interim head coach and then lost the group in his lone season as the lead man.

Can't help but smile at this.

Pete Carroll already connecting with #RaiderNation — showing some love to fans at training camp. #Raiders pic.twitter.com/gQjSWnWnGO
— Taylor Rocha (@TaylorRochaTV) July 27, 2025

While some may be dismissive of Mayer, a third-year player who was drafted in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft (35th overall), due to him missing several weeks last season due to a personal issue — this led to him being placed on the reserve/non-football illness list. But the 24-year-old is all-in with the new regime looking for a career resurgence of sorts.

And it’s Carroll that’s become the guiding light for the 6-foot-5 and 2650-pound tight end.

“Oh, he’s awesome. He’s awesome. He’s very relationship based, which is definitely something that I enjoy in a head coach,” Mayer said of Carroll. “I want to walk past the head coach in the hall and say what up and say how was your night and stuff like that. I want to smile. I want to laugh with him. I want to joke with him. And that’s somebody you want to win games for. That’s somebody I’m going to put my body on the line for every single day when I get out there, and I’ve got nothing but positive things to say about him.”

But how long will the good vibes last in Las Vegas?

As the old adage goes: Winning cures everything. And if the Raiders live up to Carroll’s lofty expectations, the good times will be plentiful. But we’ll get to see how the Carroll culture holds up if/when the Raiders struggle to win games.

Either way, don’t expect Carroll’s style to remain static — like past head coaches. He’s a big believer in adjustment. That too isn’t quite a Raider trait.

“Yeah, I was taught a long time ago that you either have a philosophy or you don’t, and we have one. But the philosophy is affected by the people and how they adapt to it, and how they make it come to life and all that,” Carroll said when asked about a chance to reset the Raiders. “And that’s what this process — so my challenge, biggest challenge — is to give them the ways that we believe we can play our football, but then let it become theirs. And so, it’s really a fun challenge, and it’s why I’m so charged up. I’ve been a little bit fired up since I’ve been here, I know you might have seen that, but each practice is an opportunity for us. Each day is a statement of who we are and what we’re all about. Are we there again? Are we consistent? Are we battling? So, it’s a coach’s dream to have an opportunity like this, really.”