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This offseason the Raiders got a new defensive backs coach. Though some people might remember his name. That’s because Marcus Robertson had coached for the Raiders before. In fact, his previous stint he received a very strong endorsement from a now Hall of Fame defensive back – Charles Woodson.
Back in 2013, Woodson returned from a seven-year stint with the Packers to once again don the Silver & Black. After two seasons in Oakland, Woodson was 38 and contemplating retirement. The team was going through a coaching change, and CWood was not sure he wanted to be a part of it at age 39. If he was to return, he would do so on one condition – that the Raiders bring back Marcus Robertson.
"Physically, like I said, I feel good, as a player," Woodson said at the time. "We gotta see if the team wants ME back. And I think part of it would be what happens with coaching-wise. Marcus Robertson has been a big help to me this year, man. That's one of the things, depending on what happens with that guy, it would be hard to play under another guy. I hope he's back, because he's done a tremendous job with myself, with the other guys in that room.”
Jack Del Rio took over as head coach the following year and Robertson became the first assistant retained. And with a promotion from assistant DB coach to DB coach. And thus Charles Woodson announced he would be back for another season.
Woodson went on to a Pro Bowl year in his final NFL season, cementing himself as a first ballot Hall of Famer.Robertson would spend two seasons as DB coach for the Raiders. Since then he has bounced around the league as a secondary coach with the Broncos (2017-18), Cardinals (2019-22), and Saints (2023-24).
In that 2023 season, Lonnie Johnson Jr. joined the Saints. Now two seasons later, Robertson takes the DB coach job in Las Vegas and Johnson is a free agent. He had a chance to reunite with Robertson and jumped at that chance.
“I got some coaches here who believe in me,” Johnson said of joining the Raiders. “They want to see what I can do and give me an opportunity to work my way back onto defense and show what I can do defensively, whether it’s at nickel, corner, or safety again.
“You honestly just got to talk about Marcus Robinson. He was my safeties coach in New Orleans. He played 12 years in the league and got like 18 years experience in the NFL coaching. Me and him clicked in New Orleans. I feel like he believed in me there and when he reached out this time, it was a no-brainer that I was coming to where he was at to get a second opportunity to show what I can do.”
Much like Woodson did a decade ago, Johnson credits Robertson with a lot of his development. In fact, Johnson gives Robertson specific credit for his only interception during his time in New Orleans.
“He played the game so long, he sees things ahead of time,” Johnson continued on Robertson. “He sees things that a regular coach wouldn’t see and he’s able to break those things down in film for us and show you, like, ‘listen Lonnie, this is what I’m looking at’. Prime example; he was with me when I was in New Orleans. My only interception that I had in New Orleans, he called that play out before that week even started. He told me the formation, ‘when the formation comes, you line up here you do this, you do that, the ball will land in your lap’. And from that day forward, I vowed to always trust Marcus Robertson.”
Here's the play Johnson was referring to. And he's definitely in the right place to make this play.
So, while we talk about the caliber of players the team adds this offseason, it may be important to factor in just how important coaching is to their success with the team.
We talk a lot about Pete Carroll coming with the endorsements of legendary players. But he isn’t the only one.
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: New Raiders DB lured in by same coach that lured back Charles Woodson
Continue reading...
Back in 2013, Woodson returned from a seven-year stint with the Packers to once again don the Silver & Black. After two seasons in Oakland, Woodson was 38 and contemplating retirement. The team was going through a coaching change, and CWood was not sure he wanted to be a part of it at age 39. If he was to return, he would do so on one condition – that the Raiders bring back Marcus Robertson.
"Physically, like I said, I feel good, as a player," Woodson said at the time. "We gotta see if the team wants ME back. And I think part of it would be what happens with coaching-wise. Marcus Robertson has been a big help to me this year, man. That's one of the things, depending on what happens with that guy, it would be hard to play under another guy. I hope he's back, because he's done a tremendous job with myself, with the other guys in that room.”
Jack Del Rio took over as head coach the following year and Robertson became the first assistant retained. And with a promotion from assistant DB coach to DB coach. And thus Charles Woodson announced he would be back for another season.
Woodson went on to a Pro Bowl year in his final NFL season, cementing himself as a first ballot Hall of Famer.Robertson would spend two seasons as DB coach for the Raiders. Since then he has bounced around the league as a secondary coach with the Broncos (2017-18), Cardinals (2019-22), and Saints (2023-24).
In that 2023 season, Lonnie Johnson Jr. joined the Saints. Now two seasons later, Robertson takes the DB coach job in Las Vegas and Johnson is a free agent. He had a chance to reunite with Robertson and jumped at that chance.
“I got some coaches here who believe in me,” Johnson said of joining the Raiders. “They want to see what I can do and give me an opportunity to work my way back onto defense and show what I can do defensively, whether it’s at nickel, corner, or safety again.
“You honestly just got to talk about Marcus Robinson. He was my safeties coach in New Orleans. He played 12 years in the league and got like 18 years experience in the NFL coaching. Me and him clicked in New Orleans. I feel like he believed in me there and when he reached out this time, it was a no-brainer that I was coming to where he was at to get a second opportunity to show what I can do.”
Much like Woodson did a decade ago, Johnson credits Robertson with a lot of his development. In fact, Johnson gives Robertson specific credit for his only interception during his time in New Orleans.
“He played the game so long, he sees things ahead of time,” Johnson continued on Robertson. “He sees things that a regular coach wouldn’t see and he’s able to break those things down in film for us and show you, like, ‘listen Lonnie, this is what I’m looking at’. Prime example; he was with me when I was in New Orleans. My only interception that I had in New Orleans, he called that play out before that week even started. He told me the formation, ‘when the formation comes, you line up here you do this, you do that, the ball will land in your lap’. And from that day forward, I vowed to always trust Marcus Robertson.”
Here's the play Johnson was referring to. And he's definitely in the right place to make this play.
So, while we talk about the caliber of players the team adds this offseason, it may be important to factor in just how important coaching is to their success with the team.
We talk a lot about Pete Carroll coming with the endorsements of legendary players. But he isn’t the only one.
This article originally appeared on Raiders Wire: New Raiders DB lured in by same coach that lured back Charles Woodson
Continue reading...
