The Oakland Raiders Officially Employed 4 of Best CBs Ever
By Erik Lambert
Probably one of the position that has undergone the greatest transformation over the past 50 years is cornerbacks. The Oakland Raiders know that.
After all, no organization has experienced greater success at identifying and collecting talent from that position during the Super Bowl era. This was proven in a recent breakdown by former scout and analyst Gil Brandt of NFL.com. He wanted to rank the best cornerbacks in league history. Not an easy task even for a list of 31. His number one choice wasn’t a huge surprise in being Hall of Famer Deion Sanders.
No the amazing part were the men who inhabited the #5-2 spots. Of course all were most deserving of the placements. It was the fact that all four men, at some point in their careers they were employed by the Raiders. Not only that, but they reached at least one Pro Bowl during their time with the team.
5. Willie Brown
"» One-time Super Bowl champion» Voted to nine Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro five times» Recorded 54 career interceptions» Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame"
4. Charles Woodson
"» One-time Super Bowl champion» Voted to nine Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro three times» Recorded 65 career interceptions (tied for fifth all-time) and returned 11 of those for touchdowns (tied for second all-time)"
3. Mike Haynes
"» One-time Super Bowl champion» Voted to nine Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro two times» Recorded 46 career interceptions» Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame"
2. Rod Woodson
"» One-time Super Bowl champion» Voted to 11 Pro Bowls, First Team All-Pro six times» Recorded 71 career interceptions, which ranks No. 3 on the all-time list» Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame"
Three Hall of Famers and one who is going into the Hall of Fame in the next few years. That is a remarkable run of success for the organization. It’s also a proof of concept. Al Davis always placed high value on quality cover corners during his time as coach and owner of the team. There’s a reason. When they had one on the roster, they tended to win a lot of games.
It’s not a coincidence that all four men helped Oakland to reach a Super Bowl in their respective careers. Next to quarterbacks, left tackles and pass rushers the position of corner might be the most important on the field. This list proves that, at least to a certain extent.