Green Bay Packers: Five positions to target in free agency
By Kenn Korb
Running back
Current Players on Roster
- Eddie Lacy (78.7 Overall*; 76.4 Rushing, 72.6 Receiving, 75.4 Pass Blocking)
- John Crockett (61.8 Overall; 61.7 Rushing, 59.1 Receiving, 67.3 Pass Blocking)
- Ross Scheuerman (N/A)
Upcoming Free Agents (GB)
- James Starks (55.9 Overall; 50.6 Rushing, 72.7 Receiving, 79.0 Pass Blocking)
There were many issues on the offensive side of the ball for Green Bay.
Much of that focus went to the failings of the passing game, but no single offensive player received more flak than Eddie Lacy.
Lacy may have started doing better towards the end of the year, but his early season issues with his weight and ineffectiveness are the biggest takeaways from the year.
The image of him having to constantly look back on a “breakaway” run against the Cardinals in the playoffs was the epitome of that, putting the spotlight on his appalling lack of speed in 2015 one final, inglorious time.
Add in the missed curfew that had him benched against the Lions in the midst of a three-game losing streak following the Packers’ bye week, and he proved for the majority of this past season to be unworthy of the trust the coaches had placed in him.
Coach McCarthy called him out on his weight issues in the year-end press conference, but he’ll have another chance to prove himself in 2016.
Banking on him staying in much better shape seems problematic at this point, however.
Though he did well in reaching over 1,100 yards in each of his first two seasons, he has now had all three years of his career begin with slow starts.
This team should have more help ready from the passing game this season, but there is nothing to suggest Lacy can break this unsavory tendency of his, and Green Bay probably would prefer a decent start to the year to help wash away the disappointments the offense provided in 2015.
With that in mind, the focus for improvement likely falls outside of what Lacy can do himself; it more so may fall on whoever he is sharing carries with.
Starks could be that guy, should he return.
That isn’t a lock by any means; while he did spend plenty of time as the “top” running option for the Packers last season, that was somewhat by default.
Going by PFF’s numbers, Starks was one of the least effective options league-wide in terms of value added through the running game.
A major part of that came from him coming down with a case of fumblitis; Starks fumbled 4 times on the season (losing 2), upending some of the precious little offensive flow Green Bay could find in 2015.
Starks is a decent second option, but to really have the running game be a strength instead of just the best of two underwhelming options (as it was in 2015), an upgrade seems like a necessity.
There are a plethora of quality options coming up in this free agent class, and the running back position has become one where the contracts are relatively cheap for the production you can get out of players.
Grabbing one of those options could at the least reinforce an inconsistent unit. At best? It could give Green Bay a higher-quality backup to Lacy — or even a new starter, should Lacy fail to live up to his coaches’ expectations.
*Pro Football Focus ratings; ratings go from 0-100 (100 is highest)
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