Green Bay Packers: Does a new season bring consistency at running back?
By John Dales
For the past several seasons, the Green Bay Packers have not exactly been dealing with an embarrassment of riches at running back. Is the man wearing No. 88 the solution to the problem?
One of the underlying problems with the Packers’ offense in the Aaron Rodgers era has been the inconsistency from year to year at the tailback position. Since taking the reins of the offense in 2008, Rodgers has shared the backfield with a multitude of running backs. Unfortunately, most of them have been limited to one or two productive seasons.
James Starks has been one of the constants at the position for the past few seasons. However, he was never able to rush for more than about 600 yards in a season. He was released by the Packers this past February.
Players like Christine Michael, Don Jackson, Eddie Lacy, and even Cedric Benson (remember him?) have also come and gone without making a lasting impact on the offense.
As of right now, the Packers roster consists of six running backs: Ty Montgomery and five rookies. There are currently 89 players on the roster, due to OTAs being in progress, so one would imagine the number of rookie running backs will be cut down.
That being said, it looks like this is Ty Montgomery’s position (despite continuing to wear number 88). Montgomery gained 805 all-purpose yards last season in his second year out of Stanford. This culminated in a two-touchdown, 81-yard day against the Dallas Cowboys in the divisional round of the playoffs.
One downside to using Montgomery as the starting tailback is that the 6-foot, 216-pound may not be the prototypical “between-the-tackles” type of runner.
The speed-first, elusive back, is not the type of runner to break multiple tackles on his way to a touchdown. Most of Montgomery’s best rushes last season came as a result of getting towards the outside. From there he would use his elite speed to outrun and elude a bevy of defenders.
Packers head coach Mike McCarthy stressed the importance of Montgomery’s work in the offseason during an interview with ESPN in March.
"“He’s a very talented young man, very bright, obviously understands the whole perimeter part of the offense now, so his utilization and the variation that he gives us as far as alignments and assignments and the different things that he can do will definitely benefit us as far as our offensive scheme. He just needs to have a great offseason … but this is a big opportunity for him.”"
As the season draws closer, an interesting storyline to look out for is the improvement of Montgomery.
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If the third-year player out of Stanford does end up making vast improvements over the offseason, the Packers would hopefully be able to run the ball with more consistency. A reinvigorated rushing attack can always prove to be a benefit for any offense.