Oakland Raiders Should Promote Rod Woodson to DB Coach

With defensive backs coach Marcus Robertson now fired, the Oakland Raiders have no official defensive backs coach. With no replacement named so far, they should give Rod Woodson a look.

When Jack Del Rio became the head coach of the Oakland Raiders, he brought in his own assistants. The only exception to that was defensive backs coach Marcus Robertson. The Raiders retained him because Charles Woodson coming back for 2015 depended on it.

But Woodson retired last year and the Raiders gave up most in pass plays over 20 and 40 yards in the NFL 2016. So naturally, Del Rio fired the guy that wasn’t a part of his crew. That’s what happens when your group underperforms and you’re not the head coach’s guy.

But assistant defensive backs coach Rod Woodson is a part of Del Rio’s guys. And he happens to be an NFL Hall of Fame player that was an All-Pro at safety and cornerback. Sure, most great players make horrible coaches because they are so gifted at what they do.

But defensive back is a position that requires just as much technique as athleticism. And he had to master two different techniques going from an All-Pro cornerback an All-Pro safety. Woodson has actually been a defensive backs coach for the Raiders before.

He was a part of Hue Jackson’s staff as a cornerbacks coach in 2011. But he only had one year as McKenzie fired Jackson when he became the GM. Del Rio brought him back as an assistant in 2015 defensive backs coach so the team knows his voice.

He also has the advantage of seeing what didn’t work for the team in 2016. So with Robertson gone now, it’s only right for Woodson to get a full opportunity. A replacement for Robertson hasn’t been named yet so Woodson may already be the guy.

Woodson for defensive backs coach in 2017!