The Raiders continued to bolster their offense on Monday, signing guard Kevin Boothe to a two-year contract just hours after adding receiver James Jones.
Boothe visited the team facility on Monday and signed a deal before leaving the complex.
“Things picked up quickly,” Boothe said. “We heard from them a couple days ago and we really hit it off on my visit. I really like the direction this team is headed. They’ve added some good pieces. I’m excited about what’s going on here.”
This is Boothe's second stint with the team.The Raiders drafted him in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL draft.
Boothe adds depth to the interior line and will fill in for guard/center Andre Gurode, who is not expected to be re-signed. He will compete for playing time at left guard with Tony Bergstrom, who missed last season with a foot injury, and veteran Khalif Barnes.
Boothe could be the frontrunner. He started each game the last two seasons. He primarily played left guard, but filled in at center. Left guard is a position crucial to the success of a power-based blocking scheme that emphasizes gapcreation and control..
“It’s a similar offense to what I’ve run the last seven years with New York” Boothe said. “Just talking with coach Sparano and the plays that they run, I knew a lot of the verbiage and everything was very similar, so I think it shouldn’t take long for me to pick up the playbook. It’s an offense that I’m definitely familiar with and I look forward to it.”
