The Oakland Raiders have spent much of the first couple of months of the offseason bringing in proven talent into the fold to help improve their play on the defensive side of the ball. The latest addition came with former Pro Bowl linebacker Derrick Johnson via free agency.

During an interview on NFL Network on Wednesday, Johnson divulged that head coach Jon Gruden played a major part in convincing him to sign with the Raiders. (h/t Alex Chippin of The Score)

“He's a very inspiring man,” Johnson said of his new head coach Wednesday during an appearance on NFL Network. “He's a guy who can get the players to play at a high level. He's a proven winner. He's a guy who has a lot of respect in this league and I have a lot of respect for him, and definitely a big reason why I ventured this way.”

The Raiders have added one of the league's most proven linebackers that could become the anchor of the linebacking core next season. Although his play has tailed off over the last few seasons, he is coming off a 2017 season where made 71 total tackles in 15 games played. This may have been due to him tearing his Achilles tendon back in December 2016 for the second time in his career.

The 35-year-old may no longer be playing at an elite level, he still has plenty to offer the Raiders as an established talent that has earned four Pro Bowl selections, a First-Team All-Pro nod, a Second-Team All-Pro selection, and is the Kansas City Chiefs' all-time leader with 1,151 total tackles. His presence should help bring stability that the Raiders need in order to take the next step getting back into the playoffs in 2018.

With another proven veteran talent in the fold, it shows that Gruden is putting his fingerprints all over the roster heading into his first year back on the sidelines.