The Redskins head into Sunday's season finale against the San Diego Chargers with uncertainty at both safety positions.
LaRon Landry continues to be plagued by headaches and may not play in the Chargers game, according to head coach Jim Zorn.
Landry has a mild concussion and missed practice again on Thursday.
"[Landry] hasn't progressed, I'll probably hold him out just as a precaution," Zorn said.
Reed Doughty has been placed on injured reserve with an ankle injury. That means second-year player Kareem Moore and undrafted rookie Lendy Holmes are the only healthy safeties currently on the roster.
Moore is expected to start at one safety spot. If Landry is unable to play, then Fred Smoot would likely switch from cornerback to the other safety spot.
"We have kind of cross-trained Smoot back in training camp and he is able to do some things that we did with Shawn Springs last year," secondary-cornerbacks coach Jerry Gray said. "It will give us a chance to put another guy on the field who can cover and play back deep. Hopefully it works out."
Moore would be making his second NFL start. He started one game during the 2008 season when the Redskins opened with three safeties in the secondary.
This season, Moore has posted 11 tackles and one interception in the Week 13 game vs. New Orleans.
The interception was a memorable one--in a bad way. On the return, Moore had the ball stripped by Saints wide receiver Robert Meachem, who returned the fumble 44 yards for a touchdown.
Asked about the progress that Moore has made, Gray said: "He has made a lot. You saw him make a big interception in the New Orleans game. He did a great job for us. It just so happened that he didn't hold on to the ball. To me, I think that was a valuable learning lesson for him.
"Now he gets a chance to go back out there against one of the better passing teams in the league."
Moore has played mostly free safety this year.
Given Smoot's 5-11, 185-pound frame, it would appear he would be a suitable candidate for free safety as well, but Gray indicated that Smoot could play strong safety instead. Strong safeties are generally requied to play closer to the line of scrimmage and be more involved in tackling running backs.
"[Smoot playing safety] doesn't limit what you can do," Gray said. "It limits probably what you can do best...To me, you put a good competitor on the football field in Fred, and he's out there with DeAngelo [Hall] and Carlos [Rogers]. Those are our best guys that we are going to have on the football field."
-- CHARGED OUT?
With a 12-3 record, San Diego has clinched a first-round bye and has nothing to play for in Sunday's season finale against the Redskins.
Head coach Norv Turner is expected to rest his starters at least part of the game so as to avoid injuries.
That's what Jim Zorn is preparing for, at least.
"They can't sit their guys down for three weeks and expect them to come out and play the first game of the playoffs and be crisp," Zorn said. "I don't think I would do that--but I don't necessarily think I would play my starters the whole game, either.
"I woudn't put words into Norv's mouth at all, but they may treat it more like a preseason game with their starters playing a limited role."
