The two future Hall-of-Famers were all over the place, chatting with players and coaches and going over techniques as the Raiders went through their 2 1/2-hour workout.
For Woodson, it was a step back in time. The nine-time Pro Bowl defensive back spent 11 seasons over two stints with the Raiders and was a rookie in 1998, Jon Gruden's first year as an NFL coach.
Now retired and an analyst for ESPN, the 41-year-old Woodson was a little startled when he walked onto the practice field and heard music blaring from a far corner.
"I don't remember that ever happening," Woodson said, grinning. "I was just telling somebody, everybody's talking about Gruden's been out of the game, he's out of touch. Actually he's not. He's got a DJ. I think he's fitting right in."
Although his beard is filled with more gray than ever http://www.seahawksauthorizedshops.com/authentic-rashaad-penny-jersey , Woodson 鈥?who last played in 2015 when he earned Pro Bowl recognition as a safety 鈥?still looks physically capable of playing in the NFL.
Not long after Gruden was hired in the offseason to return to the Raiders, he joked that he might try to convince Woodson to come out of retirement.
Woodson laughed at the thought but said Gruden isn't much different than he was when he first coached the Raiders 20 years ago.
"I remember coming in seeing a young fiery Jon Gruden and he seems to have that same thing going on," Woodson said. "It's going to be great for the players to have a guy with that kind of energy back on the sidelines. I think it's going to be a fun year. It's going to be a process, of course. You have to get guys to buy into what you're selling. If they do that they'll be fine."
One player not in camp is defensive end Khalil Mack, who is holding out in a contract dispute.
Woodson was in a similar position in 2004 and 2005 when he held out in training camp looking for a new deal. Each year, the Raiders hit him with the franchise tag.
Woodson said he has spoken with Mack and encouraged the 2016 Defensive Player of the Year to stay in shape while negotiations continue.
"He's a young guy that's trying to get paid and I don't fault any man for that," Woodson said. "Now, every team's going to have their limits of what they feel they can do and what they won't do. You have to navigate that. He's a smart enough guy, he'll figure it out.
"I just told him, 'Whenever you come back. I don't know what happens with your deal Panthers DJ Moore Jersey , if you get a new deal or if you're playing on the same deal, when you come back come back ready.' You don't want anybody saying anything crazy about your conditioning and all of this sort of thing."
Manning attended camp while in the Bay Area for a speaking engagement in San Francisco. He phoned Gruden to ask if he could come out to practice then spent the afternoon chatting with Derek Carr and quarterbacks coach Brian Callahan.
"Being a football junkie, Jon and I kind of speak the same language," Manning said. "I know he's happy. Good for football that he's back in the game."
Gruden put both men to work.
Woodson spoke to the players during a team meeting while Manning sat in during the quarterbacks meeting, watched film and offered his own tips.
Manning specifically spoke at length with Carr, Oakland's veteran quarterback who is learning his third system in four years.
"I really like Derek," Manning said. "He is very engaged and obviously trying to learn a new system, which is a challenge. But one thing about Jon Gruden is he loves football so everybody playing for him better love it too. When your QB loves it, and you can tell Carr does, it shows."
ANAHEIM Kemoko Turay Jersey Elite , Calif. — The Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks meet for the fifth and final time this season in a pivotal game for both team’s playoff chances Friday night at Honda Center
The Kings (43-28-7) enter the second contest of a back-to-back set on a two-game winning streak. They defeated the Arizona Coyotes 4-2 on Thursday night at Staples Center.
Jeff Carter registered his sixth career hat trick and his first since March 4, 2013 against the Nashville Predators. Anze Kopitar added an empty-netter to set a career high with 35 goals and Jack Campbell stopped 20 of 22 shots for the victory.
The victory extended Los Angeles’ lead over Anaheim for third place in the Pacific to two points with the Ducks holding a game in hand. This will be the final road game for the Kings as they finish the season with three consecutive home contests against Colorado, Minnesota and Dallas.
Kings coach John Stevens knows his team is far more formidable with Carter in the lineup. After missing 55 games because of an ankle tendon injury, Carter has returned with a flourish, registering 13 goals in his last 17 games to help Los Angeles close in on a postseason berth.
“His presence in a lot of areas just checks a lot of boxes, but he’s a production guy,” Stevens said. “He ends up in the scoring areas, he goes to the tough areas. He scores goals that other guys can’t. That last goal for me was very impressive. He pulled the puck off the wall and he got at the net quickly.
“Jeff’s a production guy, but he provides leadership, he provides faceoff help Youth Jessie Bates III Jersey , penalty kill, and really quality minutes against pretty much anyone you play him with. He’s been a big addition back in our lineup.”
The Ducks (39-25-13) are looking to make amends after one of their worst performances of the season. In the midst of a hotly contested Western Conference playoff race, they dropped a 4-1 decision to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night. Though they enter the game in playoff position as the second wild card in the West, they realize their sense of urgency must be far greater in their final five games of the season.
Anaheim has made the playoffs for five consecutive seasons and like the Kings they have an advantageous home schedule to close out the season. The Los Angeles contest starts a four-game homestand as the Ducks face similar opponents in Colorado, Minnesota and Dallas before concluding the season in Arizona on April 7.
The Ducks addressed their lack of intensity with frankness as arguably the biggest non-playoff game in the Southern California rivalry known as “The Freeway Faceoff” approaches.
“We just don’t feel that we’ve played enough consistently to the level we’re capable of,” coach Randy Carlyle said after the Vancouver loss.
Captain Ryan Getzlaf went into more depth about the team’s mental approach that has been questioned given their inconsistent play.
“Most of it’s mental,” Getzlaf told the Orange County Register. “You have to mentally be able to control the grind of a season. And you’re at the time of year where we’re grinding. We’re pedaling to get in. Every game is really important. Every day. You don’t get days off. And that’s the hardest thing this time of year brings. That grind of a season is now on your back and now you’ve got five games left.”
The Kings won the first two games of the season series, 4-3 in overtime on Nov. 7 and a 2-1 shootout victory on Nov. 25 but the Ducks evened the series with a 4-2 win Jan. 13 and a 2-1 victory Jan. 19. Both teams have recorded a road win in their two victories.
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