After ensuring that Stanford Routt and Kamerion Wimbley would return to the Silver and Black in 2011, the Raiders re-signed both defensive tackle John Henderson and special teams standout Rock Cartwright.
Terms of the Cartwright deal haven't been released, but the nine-year veteran who won the Commitment to Excellence Award this past season tweeted Wednesday, "What's up RaiderNation? Just got back out to the Bay.. I'm here for a couple days to move out my place and resign with the black and silver!"
He was later corrected by one of his followers, to which he responded, "My bad..silver and black." If Cartwright plays the way he did in 2010, there's little doubt that anyone in the organization will care how he says it.
One of the more remarkable things about the Raiders in 2010 was the level in which the players cared. They took losses harder than they had in 2009, and seemed even more elated with their wins. Part of that change can be attributed to players like Cartwright and Henderson joining the team.
After the loss to Miami in week 12, Cartwright was downright inconsolable. During the game, he was so close to blocking a Brandon Fields punt, that even Fields turned to look behind him after getting the punt off through Cartwright's arms. The special teams stud was devastated after the game.
Doing his best to hold back tears, and choking up the whole time, he told a surprised Jerry McDonald and myself, "I put this game on me because a blocked punt changes the whole momentum of the game and it kind of gives us momentum, gives us a short field so, uh, put this one on me. And uh, I kind of let the team down by not making that block, so it hurts."
It's that sort of heart that was often seen in the Raiders locker room last season, and it's doubtful that sort of attitude about winning and losing was coincidental of the improved record.
Henderson, who was injured for much of the season, was another player that wasn't afraid to wear his emotions on his sleeves. It wasn't until the Raiders faced his former team, Jacksonville, that many of us in the media had the opportunity to see how passionate he was about winning that game.
After the loss, Henderson's disappointment was easily seen worn by the scowl on his face the following week.
Henderson's deal is a two year, $8M deal that certainly won't break the bank. Henderson, along with Richard Seymour, and Tommy Kelly are a formidable trio in the middle of the Raiders' defensive line.
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