Packers 2019 training camp preview: Running back

We’ll learn a lot about the Green Bay Packers’ run game at training camp.

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has spoken about his plan to stay committed to the run game. And the role the running backs will play in the passing game.

But at training camp, we’ll get to see it in action for the first time.

Ahead of camp, which begins next Thursday, there are a couple of questions that will soon be answered.

Featured role or running back by committee?

If LaFleur’s offense will indeed place a greater emphasis on the ground game, then we can assume depth at the position will be crucial, as each running back will have an important part to play. While that may be true, how the carries are distributed will be fascinating.

Does LaFleur trust Aaron Jones to lead the way in a featured role? Or will he opt for more of a running back-by-committee similar to Mike McCarthy’s approach last season? Both can be effective, although I’d argue the more Jones gets the ball in his hands, the better for the Packers offense.

With a career average of 5.5 yards per carry and 1,404 yards from scrimmage with 14 touchdowns in 24 games, Jones has stepped up as the team’s best runner in his first two seasons.

We know LaFleur will feature the running backs, and likely more than the Packers offense has done in recent years. But exactly how he uses the RBs is going to be a storyline to follow throughout training camp and the preseason.

What role will Dexter Williams have?

And that also includes Dexter Williams, a sixth-round pick by the Packers back in April. We can assume Williams will be third on the depth chart entering training camp, but how involved will he be in LaFleur’s offense early on?

And what if he makes a fast start? Could he earn a bigger share of the carries once the regular season gets underway?

Williams could have competition from Tra Carson, which will be something to watch, although Williams’ fit in LaFleur’s offense should give him a great chance to make the roster and contribute right away in 2019.

Jones and Jamaal Williams have been the Packers’ premier running backs since 2017. How will their roles change under LaFleur, and how will the arrival of Dexter Williams impact the offense?