Woodson Ends Raider Holdout

Cornerback Charles Woodson’s monthlong holdout didn’t yield the “boat load of money” he said he was looking for, so it was time to show up at Oakland Raiders’ training camp.

Woodson signed a one-year tender for $8.782 million Tuesday, joining the team for the first time after a 33-day holdout.

“I think everybody is just ready for me to get in here, and get into the thick of things and get ready to play football,” he said. “The players, they understand my side. The coaches, all of them have been through it before with other players so this is nothing new to anybody. I’m not the first to do this and I certainly won’t be the last. I think right now everybody is just ready for me to get out there and play ball.”

Woodson wanted a long-term deal and hoped the leverage of a holdout would force the Raiders to negotiate with him. But before he could talk about another deal or come to camp, he had to sign the tender offer.

The Raiders placed the franchise tag on Woodson in February. Woodson, 27, entering his seventh pro season, reportedly wants to be the highest paid cornerback in the NFL.

In other news, the Raiders traded running back Troy Hambrick and defensive end Peppi Zellner to the Arizona Cardinals for an undisclosed conditional 2005 draft pick.

Hambrick was released by the Dallas Cowboys on May 13 and signed with the Raiders four days later. Zellner played last season in Washington.

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New England Patriot defensive lineman Dana Stubblefield, who signed with the defending Super Bowl champions earlier this month, will miss the season because of an ankle injury.

The Patriots put Stubblefield, the NFL’s defensive player of the year in 1997, on injured reserve. He was one of three players fined by the NFL last month for steroid use. The Patriots didn’t say which ankle was injured. Stubblefield, 33, missed half of last season because of a sprained ankle.

The Patriots also released veteran quarterback Jim Miller.

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Atlanta Falcon rookie cornerback DeAngelo Hall will miss six to 10 weeks because of a small fracture on the left side of his hip.

Hall was injured Saturday night after batting down a pass in an exhibition against Cincinnati. Though he remained in the game for the next four series, Hall told trainer Ron Medlin that he was in pain and additional examination revealed the break. Kevin Mathis will replace Hall.

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Saying he’s recovered from a pulled hamstring, Chicago Bear linebacker Brian Urlacher won’t play in Friday’s exhibition finale at Cleveland but plans to play in the Sept. 12 season opener against the Detroit Lions.

“I’ve never been injured, so I don’t know how to react,” Urlacher said before his second practice since he was hurt July 28 during the first workout of training camp. “I’m just going to do what they tell me to do and just get ready for Detroit.”

Urlacher has never missed a game in his four-year pro career.

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers sent guard Jason Whittle to the New York Giants for an undisclosed draft choice, returning the guard to the team with which he began his career.

Tampa Bay cut 15 players, including quarterback Jason Garrett, who joined them as a free agent from the Giants this year. The Giants also waived kicker Bill Gramatica.

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David Boston was placed on injured reserve by the Miami Dolphins more than three weeks after the receiver sustained a season-ending knee injury.

Boston, acquired in the off-season, was injured Aug. 6 during a preseason workout against the Houston Texans.

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Pat Tillman, the former Arizona safety killed in Afghanistan, will be honored by the NFL and the Cardinals.

Players on all 32 teams will wear a decal bearing Tillman’s number 40 in games of the second week. Cardinal players will wear it all season.

Tillman also will be honored at halftime during the Cardinals’ home opener Sept. 19 against New England.

The team, the league and the players union also are working to generate funds for the Pat Tillman Foundation through the sale of Tillman’s jersey at NFL shops and military bases.

Tillman was killed April 22, the first NFL player to die in combat since the Vietnam War.