On Wednesday afternoon, cornerback Charles Woodson agreed to terms on a seven-year, $52 million contract with the Packers, his agent, Carl Poston, told the Journal Sentinel. Woodson, a four-time Pro Bowl player who twice was Oakland's franchise designation, chose the Packers over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Packers have Favre to thank in part for Woodson choosing Green Bay.
But it's not the only reason. According to Poston, Woodson picked the Packers because head coach Mike McCarthy agreed to let him play on offense as well as play cornerback.
"I think the fact that Brett committed to another year, that was one thing Charles was interested in," Poston said. "Another point is that they agreed to let Charles play offense as well as defense. That proved to be very beneficial to them. They wouldn't let him do that in Oakland."
Woodson, the 1997 Heisman Trophy winner, played on both sides of the ball at the University of Michigan and saw occasional action on offense during his first few seasons in Oakland after being selected with the No. 4 pick in the draft in 1998. He caught one pass for 19 yards in '99 and one pass for 8 yards in 2000 before then-coach Jon Gruden put an end to his offensive escapades.
According to Poston, the Buccaneers - coached by Gruden - weren't interested in allowing him to play on offense and wanted him to play safety. In the end, Woodson thought the best place for him was in Green Bay where he could enjoy personal and team success.