The Green Bay Packers might be interested in shifting veteran cornerback Charles Woodson to safety next season, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported Tuesday.
Safety Nick Collins missed nearly all of this past regular season after suffering a neck injury in Week 2 and was replaced the rest of the way by Charlie Peprah. If Collins can't get healthy, Woodson might make sense as a more permanent option there.
"I think if (Woodson) wants to make the move, he can certainly do it; the thing that would be tough for him would be the patience that may come with that position, because you're not around the line of scrimmage as much," safeties coach Darren Perry said Monday, according to WAUK-AM. "You can't take as many chances."
What might stand in the Packers' way, according to the Journal Sentinel, is the issue of finding a suitable replacement for Woodson at cornerback. Sam Shields is next in line on the depth chart, but the converted receiver isn't as good a tackler as Woodson.
"One thing about Charles out there at corner, people if they're going to try to run the ball out there, they're always going to try to crack (on the linebacker) and make that corner try to tackle," defensive coordinator Dom Capers told the newspaper.
"It doesn't take long for people to say, 'OK, who are we going to make tackle?' We don't worry about Charles."
Next season will be Woodson's 15th in the league. The 35-year-old Woodson was recently named to the Pro Bowl for the eighth time in his career. He was chosen as the NFL Defensive Player of the Year by the Associated Press in 2009. He led the team with seven interceptions this season, including one that was returned for a touchdown, and has 54 career picks.
