How Can Oakland Raiders Address Issues at Safety?
When Oakland Raiders safety Charles Woodson retires, he’ll find a place in Canton, Ohio, as a Hall of Famer. The eight-time Pro Bowler has nothing more to prove to any of us in terms of his greatness, sacrifice and love for the game. It’s time for him to step aside and allow able bodies to contribute in the Raiders’ porous secondary.
This doesn’t suggest pushing Woodson aside because he’s 38 years old. When healthy, the 18-year veteran plays at a high level. In 2014, he led the Raiders in tackles with 111 in total. That’s when he’s healthy.
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In the fourth quarter of a blowout loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, Woodson dislocated his shoulder. Nonetheless, the warrior in him didn’t allow any time for healing or a missed snap.
According to San Francisco Chronicle writer Vic Tafur, Woodson knew immediately that he’d play a week after the painful injury.
“The name of the game is availability,” he said to Tafur. “Once they put my shoulder back in place (last) Sunday I never intended on missing the game. My mind was made up pretty quickly.”
Woodson’s toughness, though admirable, has its faults when it comes to basic fundamentals on the field.
Film Study Example No. 1
In the first film study example, Woodson attempts to tackle Baltimore Ravens tight end Crockett Gillmore on a reception deep in the Raiders secondary. Unfortunately, that injured shoulder hinders Woodson’s ability to wrap up a tackle, and he simply launches his body at Gillmore to no avail.
The tight end easily shook off the safety’s feeble attempt at a tackle and carried the ball another 10 yards down the field before coming in contact with another defender.
Film Study Example No. 2
In the second example, Woodson reacts quickly to running back Lorenzo Taliaferro’s run straight up the middle. However, instead of inching closer for a wrap-up tackle, Woodson uses his body to launch himself at the running back, but he totally misses the hit.
As a result, Taliaferro easily walks in for a touchdown.
Woodson missed three total tackles on the day, per Pro Football Focus. He can contribute, but his snap count reached an absurd amount for a player with a bum shoulder struggling to make stops, as reported by NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport.
Yes, Woodson played with grit and heart, and that’s inspirational, but the coaching staff shouldn’t have him on the field for 79 snaps. He’s capable of playing, but his time on the field should be limited for preservation purposes.
The Raiders benefit from playing Woodson at 40-45 snaps as opposed to overexerting him at close to 80 snaps. He’s an inspiration, but at what point does his poor tackling exacerbate the inefficiencies of the secondary?
Taylor Mays
Let’s not pin all the safety issues on Woodson.
According to Pro Football Focus, an injured Woodson graded higher than Taylor Mays in Week 2. Mays also missed three tackles and surrendered a touchdown in coverage.
Oakland needs a better coverage safety alongside Larry Asante who performs well playing downhill and in the box against the run.
Tevin McDonald
The Raiders activated safety Tevin McDonald after placing Nate Allen on short-term injured reserve.
McDonald put together a solid showing in the preseason and deserves a chunk of Woodson’s snaps. The undrafted safety played nearly as much as Mays in exhibition.
There’s a reason the Raiders promoted him to the active roster; he flashed some talent when given the opportunity.
At this point, he should receive plenty of reps at practice as he’s eased into action to give Woodson a breather.
Bernard Pollard
According to ESPN’s Field Yates, free-agent safety Bernard Pollard worked out for the team, but nothing has materialized from the workout as of yet.
The 30-year-old veteran safety has 12 career interceptions and adequately fulfilled a starting role with the Tennessee Titans in 2013. In the following year, he suffered an Achilles injury that cut his season short.
If Pollard and the Raiders don’t come to an agreement, McDonald should compete for a spot to ease the burden on Woodson, who’s just as effective as Mays with one shoulder.
You have to respect Woodson's desire, but he needs reinforcements to help in coverage.
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All statistics are provided by Pro-Football-Reference.com and Pro Football Focus unless otherwise noted.
Week 2 statistics and play-by-play analysis provided by NFL.com.
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