NFL news: Charles Woodson signs, Super Bowl sites selected

Free agent safety Charles Woodson signed with the Oakland Raiders and there was plenty of news from OTAs on Tuesday.

May 22, 2013, 12:00 PM UTC

Kirby Lee-US PRESSWIRE

Tuesday saw two significant signings in the NFL. The biggest came late Tuesday night, when free agent safety Charles Woodson agreed to terms with the Oakland Raiders. Woodson will likely be given a shot to start. He chose to return to the Raiders rather than sign with the Denver Broncos, a notable playoff contender. That could be due to the warm reception he received in Oakland though, as noted at Silver and Black Pride.

The other signing was offensive tackle Max Starks by the San Diego Chargers. Starks will likely earn a starting job on the line for the Chargers, who desperately needed an upgrade. Quarterback Phillip Rivers isn't the most athletic quarterback to begin with, and with him getting up there in years, having a solid offensive line is all the more important.

The San Francisco 49ers are set to host Super Bowl L -- that's 50 if you have trouble with Roman numerals -- according to an announcement by the NFL. The 49ers won the Super Bowl bid over the Miami Dolphins largely due to their new stadium in Santa Clara, which will be completed just in time to host the Super Bowl.

Aside from the Super Bowl news, there was plenty going on during organized team activities on Tuesday. Cincinnati Bengals right tackle Andre Smith, fresh off signing a three-year, $18 million deal, was absent from the team's OTAs on Tuesday. Apparently, Smith just had to take care of some personal things, though, and the Bengals aren't too worried. That said, Smith's workout habits have been in question in the past, so it's just a tiny bit unnerving.

Another unnerving absence from OTAs on Tuesday was Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Marcell Dareus. No reason was given for his absence. Dareus has a lot of pressure to perform, as he's the only player drafted in the top seven of the 2011 NFL Draft to not make the Pro Bowl. Over at Buffalo Rumblings, they speculated that Dareus might be under the most pressure to perform in 2013.

In more serious OTA news, Green Bay Packers offensive lineman JC Tretter fractured his fibula and tore ligaments in his ankle on Tuesday. Tretter is expected to miss several months, and one has to wonder why the Packers were doing the drills they were doing, as Tretter was injured doing a fumble recovery drill. It seems a bit early on in OTAs to be working on that kind of thing.

As noted by Acme Packing Company, though, Tretter could return in 2013, via the Physically Unable to Perform list:

This is a brutal start to the year for Tretter, and it very well could cost him his entire rookie season. Since the injury took place in OTAs and before training camp, however, he will be eligible for the Physically Unable to Perform list which would give him the chance to play again in 2013.

The Miami Dolphins took Dion Jordan with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, and that led folks to immediately question Jared Odrick's place on the team. On Tuesday, Odrick lined up at a new position during OTAs: defensive tackle. Odrick hasn't played that position since joining the NFL and most figured him an ill fit for Miami's new 4-3 defense, but if he works out at defensive tackle, it could be huge for the Dolphins.

Closing with some non-OTA news, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones voiced support for head coach Jason Garrett on Tuesday. Jones said that Garrett isn't coaching for his job in 2013-14, meaning that he supports Garrett regardless of what happens, for the most part. That said, most are skeptical about this, given Garrett's consecutive 8-8 seasons.