DuJuan Harris: The forgotten Green Bay Packers running back

Hey, Mike McCarthy … look down the bench … there’s a guy sitting down at the end with a great deal of talent that hasn’t been tapped at all this year by the Green Bay Packers – his name is DuJuan Harris.

Yes, we’ve seen him on kickoffs, but that’s it.

It seems everyone is worried with Eddie Lacy‘s slow start to the season with less than 80 yards of rushing yardage over the course of the first two games.

It’s been tough sledding in the early going for Eddie Lacy. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports photograph

I’m not so much concerned about that. We all know that Eddie Lacy is going to get his carries and his yards.

I’m more worried about the talent that is being wasted on the bench.

Everyone has their role on a professional football team … sometimes those roles are too finite … such as that being played by Harris.

I understand that the Packers want Eddie Lacy to be a three-down back. That’s all well and good, but if the Packers are going to change things up and make opposing defenses earn their paychecks, they have to start looking not only at James Starks, but Harris in not only lessening the battering that Lacy is taking, but to throw defenses off now and again.

What’s wrong with putting Harris into the game on second or third down and running some screens and delays with him? We all know how productive this guy can be when you get him out into space. He makes tacklers miss and he helps move the chains whenever the ball is in his hands.

Hey Mike! Did you see Darren Sproles rip it up the other night for the Philadelphia Eagles? Why can’t the Packers utilize Harris in a similar manner? Not only can Harris open things up on the outside, but he’s the guy who can also get lost behind offensive linemen and run between the tackles – just like Eddie.

It’s kind of funny that Harris was the named starter in 2013 before he blew up his knee in a preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks.

That was unfortunate.

But everything I’ve seen so far from Harris – in the preseason, that is – is that he’s ready for prime time. Instead he’s sitting on the bench and biding his time.

Green Bay Packers running back DuJuan Harris. Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Maybe McCarthy is hiding him for future plans. That’s OK, but in my humble opinion, if Eddie Lacy is going to be successful this year he has to have help from his fellow running backs. The Packers need to spell Eddie and change up personnel with running backs who bring a different look to the Packers.

We know that McCarthy likes to stay the course he’s mapped out, but when the running game is getting 2.1 yards in a cloud of dust, it’s time to try something else. Something that might confuse these defenses that are planning all week to stop Eddie Lacy.

So far, the Seahawks and Jets have shown the rest of the league that Eddie can be stopped, thus putting more pressure on Aaron Rodgers and the receiving corps to carry the load.

This was supposed to be a balanced offense, right? But when you target one receiver nearly 20 times in a game because the running game isn’t getting anything, that’s going to get old real quick.

So, Mike … don’t forget to look down to the end of the bench and tap into #26 … That would be DuJuan Harris.

That’s spelled H-A-R-R-I-S.

Check him out … you might be pleasantly surprised that I reminded you about him.