Charles Woodson to be released, Raiders interested?

The Oakland Raiders had one of the worst pass defenses in the entire NFL in 2012 and as such, will have to make the secondary a priority this off season. The big question is not whether GM Reggie McKenzie will target players for the secondary, but who he will target.

Now, it looks as though the Reg will have another option to pursue in free agency and it's someone that both McKenzie and the Raider Nation are very well acquainted with, Charles Woodson . The former defensive MVP is still under contract with the Green Bay Packers, but according to his agent, the Packers are preparing to release Woodson.

When hearing the news, there was almost a knee jerk reaction that the Raiders should try to bring Woodson back to the team where he began his career. After all, he was a loved and respected member of the Silver and Black and McKenzie is clearly familiar with the star from their days together with Green Bay.

That being said, as much as the Raider Nation would love to see Woodson don the Silver and Black once again, it just does not make a lot of sense for either party.

Yes, the Raiders need help in their secondary, since his time in Oakland, Woodson has lost a step and moved to the safety position. Meanwhile, the Raiders are looking for corners rather than safeties since Tyvon Branch and Michael Huff are fully expected to be the starters next season. True, Woodson could move back to CB, but it is unlikely he would be the type of impact player the Raiders need and his price tag would likely not match his abilities at CB. Yes, Huff could stay at CB where he played most of last season, but he is much better at safety than CB and the Raiders would prefer to move him back.

On the other side of the equation, Woodson has said that he would like to play for a Super Bowl contending team. Woodson is 37 years old and is on the back side of his career. With only a few seasons left in him, he likely will not want to spend them helping rebuild a team that has little chance of a playoff run, let alone a Super Bowl run.

While it would be great to see Woodson retire as a Raider, it just does not seem likely that McKenzie will bring him back. Maybe is Al Davis were still alive....