Robert Woods

Raiders Could Both Sign And Draft A WR

April 12th, 2025 at 4:35pm CST by Ely Allen

While having a record-setter at tight end does kind of mask other shortcomings in the passing game for the Raiders, there still seems to be a noticeable need for help at wide receiver. According to Tashan Reed of The Athletic, help could come through both free agency and the 2025 NFL Draft this offseason. Per Reed, Las Vegas is likely to sign a veteran receiver, but it won’t prevent them from drafting one, as well.

The Raiders do currently roster starting-caliber wide receivers in Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker, but after the departure of Davante Adams last year, they struggled to find contributions from a supporting cast of DJ Turner, Terrace Marshall, Alex Bachman, and company. Besides Meyers and Tucker, the returning roster in 2025 combined for only 56 total yards with contributions from Bachman (31 yards), Kristian Wilkerson (18), and Ramel Keyton (7). The only addition to the group so far has been former Titans wide receiver Kyle Phillips, who totaled 259 yards over two years in Tennessee and didn’t play last season.

There are a number of impact options the team could sign before or after the draft, depending on the approach they’d like to take. Spending more money on more established veterans by signing Keenan Allen or reuniting with Amari Cooper could allow them to take a later flyer in the draft on a wide receiver who may need time to develop. Otherwise, Las Vegas could fetch a bargain on veterans like Diontae Johnson, Tyler Lockett, Robert Woods, Nelson Agholor, DJ Chark, or Tyler Boyd, which would put more pressure on them to find a more impactful rookie receiver in the draft.

The team isn’t expected to go after a pass catcher in the first round. At No. 6 overall, the team has been linked more to options like Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham, or Georgia linebacker Jalon Walker. More likely, Vegas could attempt to address wide receiver at the top of the second round, should they fail to land Allen or Cooper in free agency. At No. 37 overall, options like Texas’ Matthew Golden, Missouri’s Luther Burden, and Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka could all be around, as they’re all considered to be fringe first-rounders.

Las Vegas has nine draft picks this year, so they should have plenty of other options throughout the three-day event. Meyers, 6-foot-2, is effective as a reliable possession receiver who excels at getting open in the slot, and Tucker, at 5-foot-9, is a more dynamic speedster with some deep ball potential.

With that in mind, the team could opt to add a big-bodied red-zone target. Players like TCU’s Savion Williams (just under 6-foot-4), Tennessee’s Dont’e Thornton (6-foot-4.5), or Arkansas’ Isaac TeSlaa (6-foot-3.5) could all be sizeable options as Day 3 picks. More versatile, mid-size options could be another area to look at for the Raiders. Prospects like TCU’s Jack Bech and Stanford’s Elic Ayomanor could be solid Day 2 options, while SEC pass catchers like Keandre Lambert-Smith (Auburn), Chimere Dike (Florida), and Arian Smith (Georgia) could be names to watch on Day 3.

However they choose to go about it, Las Vegas has plenty of options on the table for addressing their receiving corps. Whether they choose to bring in a big-name veteran and take a later flyer in the draft or sign a solid role-player and go after one of the draft’s better receiving prospects, there’s no shortage of possible combinations that we could see in silver and black next year.

Robert Woods Wants To Re-Sign With Texans

February 22nd, 2025 at 6:45pm CST by Adam La Rose

Robert Woods has spent the past two seasons in Houston, seeing his usage rate drop compared to earlier in his career along the way. The pending free agent receiver is not looking for a change of scenery this spring, however.

“Feeling good, kind of getting ready to revamp and go another year again,” Woods said when providing an update on his health and speaking about his future (via KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson). “I had a great time here in Houston, loved being with C.J. [Stroud], a great quarterback, loved our receiver room, our coaches. We’ll see how it goes in free agency.

“You know how free agency is. Whatever is best for me and my family and my football career. If that’s in Houston, however it goes, we’ll look to that.”

Woods’ best campaigns came during his five year run with the Rams (2017-21). That span included the two times the former second-rounder surpassed 1,000 yards, but it ended with a campaign in which he was limited to only nine games. Woods was traded to the Titans during the 2022 offseason, although after one year in Tennessee he was released; that allowed him to join the Texans on a two-year, $15.25MM deal.

Operating as an experienced depth contributor in Houston, the USC product totaled 629 yards and just one touchdown while playing out that pact. Woods logged a 70% snap share in 2023, but this past season he saw his playing time plummet to 37%. Considering Stefon Diggs and, later, Tank Dell suffered ACL tears in 2024, that usage rate is an indication the Texans will not match Woods’ desire to work out a new deal this offseason.

General manager Nick Caserio recently said he is open to re-signing Diggs, while Dell and Nico Collins are on the books for next season and beyond. The team also has the likes of John Metchie, Xavier Hutchinson and Jared Wayne attached to their rookie contracts, so Woods may very well have to look elsewhere if he reaches free agency. Approaching his age-33 season, Woods will not have a strong market in that event, but his remarks make it clear he intends to keep playing in 2025.

Latest On Texans’ WR Corps

July 9th, 2023 at 6:38pm CST by Ely Allen

The Texans’ wide receiving corps was among the league’s worst last season, finishing 26th in combined receptions, 28th in receiving yards, and 28th in receiving touchdowns. Things aren’t looking any easier as the team’s top receivers from 2022, Brandin Cooks and Chris Moore, will find themselves in different uniforms next season. Still, according to DJ Bien-Aime of ESPN, new head coach DeMeco Ryans appears to be fairly comfortable with how the position is currently lined up.

With veteran leader Cooks just up north in Dallas, Houston will be looking for a former division rival to lead their young group. Playing in another room bereft of star talent last year, Robert Woods looked like a shell of his former self in Nashville. Part of that may have had more to do with the scheme and personnel around him, as he still led the Titans in both receptions and receiving yards, but in 17 games, Woods failed to surpass his total from his final year in Los Angeles, when his season ended after only nine games. Still, Woods is not far removed from some of the best football of his career. Just two years ago, a torn ACL prevented Woods from extending a streak of three consecutive seasons with over 900 receiving yards. From 2018-2020, Woods was dominant with the Rams combining for 3,289 receiving yards and 14 receiving touchdowns, even adding 427 yards and four more scores on the ground.

After the experience of Woods, the Texans will rely on the familiarity of third-year wideout Nico Collins. Collins was fourth on the team in receiving last year behind Cooks, Moore, and tight end Jordan Akins despite putting up similar numbers that had him ranked second on the team as a rookie the year prior. The team hopes he can progress past those numbers in Year 3. He doesn’t need to suddenly become a No. 1 receiver with Woods in town, but Houston will want him to surpass his careers-highs last year of 37 receptions, 481 yards, and two touchdowns.

Rounding out the potential starting three is last year’s second-round pick John Metchie III. Metchie is still waiting to make his NFL debut after sitting out his rookie year after being diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukemia. The young receiver is now over a year and a half removed from his last meaningful snap of football and has worked his way back from a torn ACL, leukemia, and now a hamstring strain in order to play in the NFL.

Beyond those three, the team’s depth fades quickly. Former Cowboys receiver Noah Brown joins the group after a breakout year in Dallas. Brown performed as a No. 2 receiver for Dallas last year, gaining career-highs in receptions (43), receiving yards (555), and touchdowns (3), after combining for 39 catches for 425 yards and no touchdowns in the four years prior.

After Brown, the team’s depth is unproven. Amari Rodgers returns after starting one game in six appearances last year. Two rookies join him as depth pieces in the receivers room. Nathaniel Dell was drafted in the third-round out of Houston. Dell was dominant for the Cougars as an undersized wide receiver, catching a combined 199 passes for 2,727 yards and 29 touchdowns in his final two collegiate seasons. In the sixth-round, the team added Iowa State’s Xavier Hutchinson, who delivered strong performances in all three years as a Cyclone before bringing his best football last year.

“I’m not concerned with where we are with our wide receivers,” Ryans claimed. “I like our group. I like where we are. We have a lot of talented guys and have a lot of different qualities.”

He’s certainly not wrong there. Collins provides the team with a big, 6-foot-4 body and strong hands. Brown and Hutchinson also bring the group ideal body-types for a wide receiver. Woods and Metchie both sit around six-foot and bring completely different playing styles to the offense. Finally, Dell and Rodgers bring explosiveness in smaller packages.

Ryans can certainly back up his claim of confidence in covering the gamut of receiver-types, but experience remains a concern. On paper, the Texans’ wide receiving corps is ready to provide rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud with an assortment of weapons. In reality, the team will need young players to step up into big roles quickly in 2023 if they’re going to prove wrong position rankings from ESPN’s Bill Barnwell and Pro Football Focus’s Trevor Sikkema, both of whom have the team’s group ranked last in the league.

Texans To Sign WR Robert Woods

March 10th, 2023 at 7:30pm CST by Ely Allen

The Texans have jumped on a recently released free agent, signing former Titans wide receiver Robert Woods to strengthen the receivers room prior to the opening of free agency, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Woods will provide a veteran presence for an offense that seems intent on moving Brandin Cooks.

Woods was traded to the Titans from the Rams around a year ago in exchange for a sixth-round pick in this year’s draft. Woods had been in the best stretch of his career with Los Angeles, providing the Rams with season receiving yard totals of 1,219, 1,134, and 936 from 2018-20, respectively. He was delivering his fourth strong season in a row when he suffered an ACL tear in practice, ending his year.

Despite coming off a serious injury, Woods led the Titans in receiving last year with 53 receptions for 527 yards, partly thanks to an injury to rookie wideout Treylon Burks. It wasn’t his strongest season, but it was an encouraging showing for a player coming so recently off of knee surgery.

Unfortunately for Woods, potential cap savings of over $12MM made it a no brainer for Tennessee to execute his release. Woods has solidly bounced back, trekking across the division to sign a two-year deal reportedly worth $15.25MM. Rapoport’s tweet reports that the deal includes $10MM fully guaranteed and can reach a maximum value of $17MM.

Woods joins a Houston receiving corps that’s expected to lose Cooks, Chris Moore, and Phillip Dorsett, the latter two to free agency. Woods should be the centerpiece of the group, supplemented by third-year receiver Nico Collins and second-year wideout John Metchie, who will be playing his first season of NFL ball after sitting out his rookie year while treating leukemia.

Woods will be hoping to have a similar impact with his fourth-career team as he did in Los Angeles. Whether the Texans move forward with Davis Mills or seek help at quarterback, Woods, now a year removed from his knee injury, should be the perfect complement to a young or new passer.

Titans Cut WR Robert Woods

February 22nd, 2023 at 11:52am CST by Sam Robinson

Ten months after trading for Robert Woods, the Titans will make the veteran wide receiver a cap casualty. Tennessee is releasing Woods on Wednesday, Jordan Schultz of The Score reports (on Twitter).

The Titans will save just more than $12MM by cutting Woods, whom they acquired from the Rams last year. The team made Woods a key part of its post-A.J. Brown plan, but its passing attack struggled throughout the season. Woods, who suffered an ACL tear in November 2021, could not recapture his pre-injury form. Between the Woods and Taylor Lewan releases, the Titans created more than $26MM in cap room Wednesday.

Woods was a constant for the Sean McVay-era Rams prior to his injury. The former Bills draftee broke through upon joining McVay in Los Angeles in 2017, reeling off his four highest receiving yardage totals from 2017-20. Woods surpassed 1,100 yards in 2018 and ’19 and caught 90 passes for 936 yards in 2020. After sweetening Woods’ contract previously, the Rams gave him an extension in September 2020. Landing Woods for just a 2023 sixth-round pick, the Titans took on that contract weeks before dealing Brown to the Eagles.

In Woods’ defense, the Titans were not readily equipped to produce a full-fledged bounce-back season. The team started an unready Malik Willis in three games and was without Ryan Tannehill for five in total. Woods, 30, finished his 10th NFL campaign with 53 catches for 527 yards and two touchdowns. The 6-foot receiver’s 9.9 yards per reception was a career-low figure.

The USC product did not establish much momentum in Tennessee, but he did play all 17 games. On a thin receiver market, Woods catching on with a fourth team is not difficult to foresee. Any deal will not come close to the $16.25MM-per-year pact the Titans are shedding, but Woods would make sense as a veteran auxiliary target. The longtime starter will now have an early start in free agency. As a street free agent, Woods signing somewhere would not affect the compensatory formula.

Tennessee’s Brown decision backfired quickly. Deemed too costly by ex-GM Jon Robinson, the former second-round pick broke the Eagles’ single-season receiving record and caught a deep touchdown pass in Super Bowl LVII. The Titans, who also let Corey Davis walk in 2021, had no receiving presence on Brown’s level. Woods, who came to Nashville a year after the team traded a second-round pick for Julio Jones, led Tennessee’s 2022 edition in receiving, with Treylon Burks‘ 444 yards second among the team’s wideouts. The Titans ranked 30th in passing last season.

While Burks should be expected to play a centerpiece role for the 2023 team, new GM Ran Carthon will have work to do in assembling a receiving corps. The Woods and Lewan cuts will save the Titans more than $26MM, though they still have cost-clearing tasks ahead of the market opening. These transactions moved the team’s cap-space total to barely $2MM, according to OverTheCap.

Restructure Details: Woods, Lowry

November 30th, 2022 at 8:05pm CST by Ely Allen

Here are some details on recent contract restructures in the NFL:

Robert Woods, WR (Titans): Halfway through his first season in Tennessee, Woods has agreed to a restructure of his contract that opens up a bit of salary cap space for a team that sorely needs it, according to ESPN’s Field Yates. The new agreement converts a portion of his base salary into a signing bonus, freeing up $2.6MM in cap space for the Titans. The team has been among the bottom-five teams in the NFL in regard to cap space this year and is poised to be in a bad position next year, as well. The move shows that general manager Jon Robinson is starting to plan for the impending offseason and making sure that Tennessee is set up well for the future.
Dean Lowry, DE (Packers): Lowry agreed to make his contract a bit more team-friendly after seven years in Green Bay, according to Yates. The team will convert approximately $1.5MM in base salary into a signing bonus, similar to Woods’ agreement. The move will clear up about $1.1MM in cap space for the Packers. Lowry is in the final year of his second contract with the team. Helping Green Bay find a little cap space puts Lowry in a favorable position heading into negotiations for a potential third deal.

NFL Injury Updates: Woods, Patrick, Adams, Stingley

July 30th, 2022 at 2:17pm CST by Ely Allen

With Tennessee trading wide receiver A.J. Brown during the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft in order to select Arkansas wide receiver Treylon Burks, the Titans will now look to former Bills and Rams wide receiver Robert Woods to serve as the team’s No. 1 receiving option. This puts lots of pressure on Woods as he continues to recover from a torn ACL suffered in practice last November.

While Woods was acquired for a sixth-round pick and Burks was acquired with a first (via the Brown-trade), Woods nine years as a starter and veteran experience places him atop the depth chart over the rookie, Burks, for now. Woods had been experiencing a run of the best football of his career over the last four years. Since 2018, Woods has recorded season receiving totals of 1,219 yards, 1,134 yards, and 936 yards, all higher than any totals from his first five years in the league. He also reached six receiving touchdowns twice in that span, setting new career highs there, as well. At a pace of 61.78 receiving yards per game before his injury last year, Woods was set for his third 1,000-yard season in four years, and, with five total touchdowns, was on pace to set a new career high in scoring, as well.

The good news is that Woods has been full-go at Titans camp so far this month, according to Ben Arthur of The Tennessean. Not only is Woods out there taking live reps at practice, but he’s using the off-periods to work with quarterback Ryan Tannehill on timing and chemistry.

“It’s strong enough. It’s repaired. It’s healed,” Woods said in regards to his knee. “So my mentality going out here and practicing is push it and go. You almost want to like push it to the limit and see what you can do and that’s what I’m trying to do.”

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NFL this preseason, starting with an update out of the Windy City:

It appears that Bears center Lucas Patrick will require surgery on his right hand, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. The former Packer is expected to start for new Chicago offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, as he did during their time together in Green Bay. While surgery will take him out of the lineup for a few weeks, the hope is that, by treating it this early in training camp, Patrick will be able to possibly return before the season opener.
While it was originally expected that Seahawks safety Jamal Adams would miss time while dealing with previous hand injuries, further reports reveal that he is expected to return to practice soon, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Adams has been dealing with finger injuries for quite some time and, recently, broke a finger when it got stuck in a helmet during practice. Any surgery that may be required will be pushed to the offseason and, for now, he will return to the field “with a club and a special cast for games.”
The Texans’ No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft, LSU cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., is attempting to bounce back from nagging injuries that limited him to only 10 games of action in his final two years of college. Houston was impressed enough with his freshman year numbers of six interceptions and 21 passes defensed to make him the first cornerback off the board from an impressive group of defensive backs. They also are hoping his injury woes have ended as head coach Lovie Smith said he expects the 21-year-old to be ready for the regular season opener, according to Mark Berman of Fox Sports.

Titans Eyeing Another WR Addition?

May 27th, 2022 at 9:07am CST by Adam La Rose

The receiver room has seen plenty of turnover in Tennessee this offseason. Despite the changes already made, more could be on the way in the near future.

According to Jim Wyatt of TennesseTitans.com, there is a strong chance of “another addition before the season at receiver”. The top of the depth chart at this time last season consisted of A.J. Brown and Julio Jones, of course, but that led to mixed results on the field.

Despite having the worst statistical season of his three-year career, Brown easily led the team in receiving yards with 869. Jones, meanwhile, was only able to suit up for ten contests and likewise had a career-worst season. Overall, the team ranked 23rd in the league in the passing game; as the AFC’s top seed, however, they were obviously able to enjoy a high degree of success without an efficient aerial attack.

Not surprisingly, given his injury troubles and lack of production, Jones was released in March. That left the team looking – for the second straight offseason – for a new compliment to Brown, after seeing Corey Davis depart in free agency one year earlier. Days later, they traded for Robert Woods with the aim of accomplishing that very goal.

Woods had become expendable for the Rams, given their signing of Allen Robinson and potential reunion with Odell Beckham Jr. However, when he makes his Titans debut, he won’t be doing so alongside Brown, as the team envisioned when they acquired him. After it became clear a new contract couldn’t be agreed upon with the latter, he was traded to the Eagles in exchange for a first round pick during Day 1 of the draft.

With that selection, the Titans added Treylon Burks. One of the most unique receiving prospects in this year’s class, he should have a clear path to playing time alongside Woods and returnee Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. Other than Beckham, remaining free agents include Will Fuller, T.Y. Hilton and Cole Beasley. Any of those could provide a short-term boost to the passing game as the Titans look to integrate new receiving pieces into their offense.

Eagles Made “Competitive Offer” For Marcus Williams; Latest On WR, QB Pursuits

March 27th, 2022 at 11:40am CST by Rory Parks

The Eagles have signed edge defender Haason Reddick and wide receiver Zach Pascal this offseason and otherwise have been mostly quiet in terms of adding outside talent. But that hasn’t been for lack of trying.

As Tim McManus of ESPN.com (subscription required) writes, Philadelphia made an effort to sign former Saints safety Marcus Williams. Per Jeff McLane of the Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required), the Eagles made a competitive offer to Williams, who ultimately signed a five-year, $70MM contract with the Ravens.

GM Howie Roseman also took some big swings at other positions. We already knew that the club nearly completed a trade for Falcons wideout Calvin Ridley before news of his gambling suspension surfaced, and according to McLane, the Eagles also had interest in WR Robert Woods. Woods was under contract with the Rams and was recently traded to the Titans, but Los Angeles gave him a say in his next destination, and he chose Tennessee over Philadelphia.

Precipitating the Rams’ trade of Woods was the club’s acquisition of Allen Robinson, whom Roseman also pursued. But Robinson, like Woods and most other notable players changing teams this offseason, elected to go elsewhere.

As McLane writes, the Eagles’ status as an also-ran when it comes to this year’s open market talent pool is perhaps a function of how players outside the organization view Philadelphia’s chances to compete in 2022. And, of course, a team’s chances to compete are inextricably linked to that team’s QB.

While it is unfair to exclusively blame incumbent signal-caller Jalen Hurts for the Eagles’ inability to make more FA or trade acquisitions thus far in 2022, McLane confirms that the Eagles were interested in Deshaun Watson and Russell Wilson, and he believes that Roseman will continue to do everything he can to find an upgrade over Hurts.

That could mean using one of his three first-round picks in next month’s draft on a passer, though McLane thinks that Roseman will not do so and will instead trade one of those picks to enhance his draft capital in 2023, when the QB prospects are expected to be better than this year’s crop. And assuming that the Eagles do not draft a quarterback this year, and do not view a trade candidate like Jimmy Garoppolo or Baker Mayfield as a worthy investment, then Hurts will get another chance to prove his long-term value.

Jets Notes: Jones, Draft, Cashman

March 26th, 2022 at 9:34am CST by Ben Levine

The Jets could still use an edge rusher, and many assume they’ll look to the draft for pass-rush help. However, ESPN’s Rich Cimini writes that the team flirted with the idea of adding veteran defensive end Chandler Jones.

Jets fans are plenty familiar with Jones thanks to his time with the Patriots, but it’s been a while since he was in the AFC East. The defensive end compiled a whopping 60 sacks through his first four seasons in Arizona, and after being limited to only one sack in five games in 2020, he returned with a 10.5-sack campaign in 2021. So, naturally, he was a popular name in free agency, and while the Jets considered a pursuit, the veteran defender ended up landing in Las Vegas on a three-year, $51MM deal.

At the moment, the Jets have Carl Lawson and John Franklin-Myers slotted in at defensive end. While they’re a fine duo, Cimini notes that Lawson is coming off a major injury and Franklin-Myers may be better suited for defensive tackle.

Ultimately, Cimini opines that the Jets will take a pass rusher with either the No. 4 or No. 10 pick, suggesting Travon Walker, Jermaine Johnson II, and Kayvon Thibodeaux could all be options.

More notes out of New Jersey…

As Cimini writes, the Jets are one of only four teams without a former 1,000-yard receiver (or tight end) on their roster, but the only significant move they’ve made at the position is re-signing receiver Braxton Berrios. The writer believes that the front office will ultimately add a “midlevel free agent” wideout while considering using one of their first-round picks on the draft’s top receiver, perhaps USC’s Drake London or Ohio State’s Garrett Wilson. Cimini also notes that the team was monitoring the Robert Woods situation, but the front office ultimately thought his age was a “turnoff.”
The Texans acquired linebacker Blake Cashman from the Jets last week, and we’re now learning what the Gang Green got in return. According to Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (on Twitter), the Jets acquired a 2023 sixth-round pick. The sixth-rounder originally belonged to the 49ers.
Jets offensive line coach John Benton was arrested and charged with DUI last Thursday in New Jersey, according to Cimini (on Twitter). A New York Jets spokesperson said “We are aware of the situation and have no further comment” (via NFL.com).

Load More Posts