I was planning on saving this post for the off-season, but given the current state of events regarding Al Harris, it seems to me that the question is fair game right now.

What do the Packers do to fill the void at CB once Harris and Woodson are gone?  They've provided great coverage for a few seasons (despite Al Harris' alleged decline since 2005), and are solid starters in the secondary.  But they won't be for long, as both players are past 30 and are at the point in their respective careers where their athleticism and skill set starts to diminish.  So who's to take their place?

This post will focus more on this season, due to Al Harris' major injury, one I hope that he recovers fully from.  The first step in this process is to take a look at everyone on the current roster:

 That big ol' hole in the middle is where Al Harris used to be.  Let's take this player by player, starting with...

We all know what Chuck can do, even on those fragile feet of his.  No worries this season.  As long as he can move, he'll be fine; he didn't win the Heisman for nothing.

However, he is on the wrong side of 30, which is when cornerbacks start to degrade athletically, and it probably will happen to him at some point.  His skills, on the other hand, will probably remain at the same level, providing that he works to maintain them, and would therefore merit him a starting job in the secondary.

My belief was, before Nick Collins and Atari Bigby established themselves as decent starters, that Charles Woodson would play CB as long as he could manage it, and when his speed started to diminish, he could be moved to free safety.  Think about it, a player with as much experience and savvy, not to mention the DB skill set, that he has?  I think he'd be a perfect candidate for the switch, a la Troy Vincent at the end of his career.  But, because of the aforementioned (and youthful) starters at both safety spots, this is a less likely outcome, and Chuck will probably play out his career at CB until he decides to hang it up.  Hopefully, he remains a viable starter so he can stay in Green Bay, but if he starts to erode, don't think that Thompson would be afraid to cut him loose.  Verdict: Still a top CB, and should be for a few more seasons.

Moving on...

Ladies and gentlemen, your new starting cornerback!  In all fairness, Tramon Williams is good.  Pretty good, in fact.  He has played relatively well in the short time he's been allotted, going back to last season.  He's no longer a rookie, so he's got some experience, and won the nickel job in the preseason despite being the smallest CB on the roster.  However, one concern I have, from ESPN.com's scouting report:

He doesn't always stay in phase with receivers downfield and is not real natural with his back to the quarterback. He can and will get overpowered downfield versus bigger receivers.

That's what worries me, especially in the physical in-your-face bump and run type style that the GB scheme calls for.  A smaller corner is at a disadvantage against the big NFL recievers, especially a Calvin Johnson or...ok, Green Bay doesn't have to worry about any mammoth WR's for most of the season.  In any case, it's something I worry about.  Can he hold up for the rest of the season?  I hope so.  But, then again, how bad could it be?  Verdict: Best option right now, but on a short leash.

Next!

Will Blackmon is arguably the best athlete out of the bunch.  His ability as a kick returner has already been proven, and the guy even played some wide reciever at Boston College.  He also seems to make plays, as evidenced by the forced fumble on Marion Barber III last Sunday.  I certainly have no problem with his coverage ability; the only reason I think he didn't get the nickel job is because the coaches wanted to keep him fresh for kick/punt returns.

But (there's always a but), he is a teensy bit injury prone.  That left foot, especially, with two breaks in two years, is very troublesome to me.  If what they say is true, and that his problems were just bad luck and he can keep from dropping weights on it or kickboxing traffic lights, then he certainly deserves consideration for the starting job...if healthy.    Verdict: Has the tools, just needs a chance.

Next up...

Pat Lee hasn't been on the active roster this season...yet.  All signs point to him finally getting some action, which is good, considering his draft position.  He played pretty well at Auburn, and he played the same type of physical man-to-man style that Woodson and Harris play, making him an ideal replacement down the line if he can develop properly.  But is he ready now?

Probably not.  I think throwing Lee in the game this soon would be a mistake; stunting his development is the last thing that we would need.  I see him as the first replacement for Harris after he retires (if he can return) in the next four years, which is a major step for the long-range success of the defense.  But, again, that assumption is completely predicated on his development, a story that we will have to watch for at least another season.  Verdict: Not yet, but soon.

Who's next?

Ahh, Jarrett Bush.  Good size, good speed, good in press coverage...so what happened?  The 2008 preseason happenned.  Bush was in a slump seemingly since mini-camp, which opened the door for fellow CB's Williams and Blackmon to state their cases and move ahead of him on the depth chart.  No doubt, Bush will get PT in nickel and dime packages.  But past that, he hasn't proved that he's worthy of the starting spot.  Verdict:  Not unless Woodson gets hurt too.

And finally...

The caption for this should be something along the lines of Charlie Peprah apologizing profusely for a blown assignment while McCarthy tells him what to do with his apology.  I don't know why the team decided to keep Peprah instead of Tyrone Culver, and so far we haven't seen any reason for it either.  It may be because of his versatility (he's listed as DB on the roster, and regularly contributes at safety), which is a characteristic that Thompson and McCarthy love in football players.  He's decent as a backup safety, but he will probably get consideration at corner if the position thins out anymore.  Verdict: Only as a last resort.

So there you have it.  Tramon Williams has already been given the nod, with Will Blackmon and Jarrett Bush filling in on nickel and dime packages, with Charlie Peprah sprinkled in and maybe, just maybe, some dabbles of Pat Lee.  After this season, who knows?  Post your thoughts in the comments section.

UPDATE: Al Harris is one tough mofo.  Apparently, his injury may not be as serious as previously thought.  Check out the update at the bottom of Seifert's post for some serious machismo.