Hoping to demonstrate again that one franchise's draft bust might become an Oakland bonanza, the Raiders on Tuesday signed free agent defensive tackle Donnell Washington, a two-year veteran released by the Packers on June 9.

Veteran defensive tackle Grady Jackson, one of the few starting-caliber players remaining in free agency just a month before training camps open, will visit later this week with Raiders officials as he seeks a new team for the 2006 season.

Revival of the city's bid for a National Football League team faces a challenge from residents who have filed suit to keep the city's Rose Bowl initiative off the November ballot.

Paul Tagliabue headed a NFL delegation which met with leaders of the Los Angeles business community on June 14, and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa expressed optimism about the return of a professional team to the area.