ALAMEDA, Calif. (March 14, 2005) -- The Oakland Raiders re-signed free-agent defensive end Bobby Hamilton to a three-year contract, keeping a key member of their revamped defense from last season.

The 33-year-old Hamilton, known as a talented run-stopper, was the most consistent player on the Raiders' rebuilt defensive front last season, and he believes he can be a key part of turning things around in the future.

Hamilton started 15 games last season and played in all 16 for the Raiders (5-11), recording 57 total tackles -- 36 solo -- a sack and three pass deflections.

He said late last season he hoped to return to the Raiders and hopefully end his career in Oakland.

"I feel good about everything," Hamilton said in a phone interview from Atlanta, where he lives in the offseason. "I'm very excited. I can't wait to get it started. Last year, the season didn't turn out to be good, but the owner and coaches have brought in players to get things going in the right direction."

The losing was tough on Hamilton, who spent the previous four seasons with New England, where he won two Super Bowl rings. Hamilton, an undrafted free agent when he joined the Seahawks in 1994, was signed by the Raiders to a one-year deal last May to help bolster what was the league's worst run defense during the 2003 season.

Hamilton has always said he isn't worried about money. But he did begin to notice the big paychecks brought in by his teammates, and hoped to be rewarded in his new contract. Hamilton earned the veteran minimum of $660,000 last season despite outplaying linemates Warren Sapp, signed to a lucrative seven-year deal, and Ted Washington, who played with Hamilton on the Patriots and is getting a sizable four-year contract in Oakland.

After allowing his beat-up body to recover for a couple of months this winter, he will begin organized offseason workouts at the team's headquarters later this month.

He's thrilled the Raiders acquired Randy Moss and re-signed receiver Jerry Porter.

"I feel really excited about a lot of things we've got going on, he said. "We know on defense we need to step our game up and get on the right track. All we've got to do is keep working and playing as a team."

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