Raiders Unsure If Woodson Will Play Against Ravens
ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) - Raiders cornerback Charles Woodson was limited in practice for the second straight day Friday, leaving his status in jeopardy for Sunday's game against the Baltimore Ravens.
The 38-year-old is trying to recover from a dislocated shoulder he suffered late in last week's loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. The Raiders have already lost starting safety Nate Allen to a knee injury.
Woodson went through individual drills on Thursday and Friday but was kept out of all contact drills and scrimmages. Woodson is listed as questionable on the team's injury report and coach Jack Del Rio said it could be a game time decision whether Woodson plays.
"He's been fighting his way back all week. He's really trying hard to make it," Del Rio said.
Losing Woodson would be a big blow to Oakland's pass defense, which was picked apart by Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton.
Allen, the veteran safety who signed with the Raiders as a free agent this past offseason, was placed on injured reserve. He's eligible to rejoin the team for practice in six weeks but won't be eligible to play until Oakland's game against the Minnesota Vikings on Nov. 15.
Larry Asante, who started two games for the Raiders in 2014, has been working with the first-team defense in practice and is likely to start. Oakland has also been working in Taylor Mays, who was signed Tuesday after spending part of training camp with the team.
Rookie Keenan Lambert, claimed off waivers from Seattle, is also an option.
"If you lose guys like Charles and Nate, it's definitely going to trigger some questions because they've been the guys that have been there," Asante said. "But Taylor's been in the system since college, he knows it. So I'm confident in him. We all communicate on the back end. As long as we're all on the same page, we know what's going on back there."
Mays joined the Raiders late in training camp after spending time in the offseason with Vikings and Detroit Lions. He'll be the replacement at free safety if Woodson is unable to play.
"He's got some work to do," defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. said. "He has some history of the system back in his early college days."
Del Rio said Woodson's status will determine who else plays.
"We'll see how it shakes out with Charles first, and then the domino effect after that," Del Rio said.
Notes: QB Derek Carr practiced without limitations for the second straight day. Carr has been nursing a sore right hand he injured early against Cincinnati while trying to stiff-arm Bengals defensive back Adam Jones. . DT Justin Ellis (ankle), DE Benson Mayowa (knee) an FB Jamize Olawale (ankle) did not practice and have been ruled out.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press.