Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur hinted at potential running back moves this week, and it's out of necessity.
The Packers lost Aaron Jones and Emanuel Wilson to injury in the Week 11 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. Fortunately, LaFleur said Jones likely avoided a serious injury. However, returning in time for Thursday's clash with the Detroit Lions seems improbable.
That leaves AJ Dillon as the only healthy running back on the active roster. While the Packers could use Jayden Reed more frequently in the backfield after leading the team in rushing on Sunday, Green Bay needs to make some moves at running back before Week 12.
What realistic options do they have?
Ellis Merriweather
The Packers will almost certainly add rookie Ellis Merriweather to the active roster. He is the only running back on the practice squad.
Merriweather went undrafted this past offseason before signing with the New Orleans Saints. The Packers signed him to their practice squad earlier this month. He has zero NFL experience and likely won't take on a significant role on offense, especially as he only signed with Green Bay a couple of weeks ago.
But Merriweather can provide some cover for Dillon. He rushed for 1,138 yards and five touchdowns at Massachusetts in 2021, although he finished with only 575 yards and three scores last year.
What can we expect from Merriweather?
"Merriweather comes with solid size as well as speed and offers possibilities as a short-yardage ball carrier," Tony Pauline of Pro Football Network wrote in Merriweather's draft profile.
The rookie has a good chance to take on the RB3 duties in Week 12, but the Packers may have better options for the backup spot.
James Robinson
UPDATE: The Packers have signed James Robinson to the practice squad, according to ESPN's Rob Demovsky.
Another option the Packers have is to bring back veteran running back James Robinson. Green Bay signed Robinson to the practice squad in October but released him earlier this month. He will have some familiarity with the offense and could provide solid cover as the RB2 behind AJ Dillon. Robinson remains a free agent after the Packers released him, so he can sign with any team immediately.
Robinson has 32 career starts in the NFL, which gives an advantage over a rookie without any NFL experience.
Despite that, Robinson's last regular-season game was on December 4, 2022, when he had four carries for the New York Jets against the Minnesota Vikings.
Robinson had 1,070 rushing yards and seven touchdowns for the Jacksonville Jaguars only three years ago. He had another eight touchdowns the following season before suffering a torn Achilles. Robinson hasn't had many opportunities since the injury. The Jaguars traded him to the Jets last season, and he has since spent time with three teams, including the Packers.
Robinson could make sense as a backup option to Dillon. He was part of the practice squad as recently as this month and is ready to play a complementary role in the backfield.
Patrick Taylor
UPDATE: The Packers announced on Monday that they have signed Patrick Taylor.
Robinson is one of three former Packers whom the team could look to bring back before Thursday's game with the Detroit Lions. Another name to watch is Patrick Taylor.
Bringing Taylor back would make a lot of sense, and it's the most likely option for Green Bay.
Taylor wouldn't need to learn the offense; he has played four games for the Packers this season. Green Bay signed Taylor as an undrafted free agent in 2020, so he has a deep understanding of Matt LaFleur's system.
Taylor began the 2023 season on the Packers' practice squad. They elevated him to the active roster for the maximum of three games, then signed him to the 53 for the matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Not only would Taylor take on some of the carries, but he is trusted in pass protection.
Signing Taylor should be easy enough, although it's not as straightforward as Robinson. Taylor is currently on the New England Patriots' practice squad. Green Bay can still sign him, but New England could prevent that by signing Taylor to its active roster. However, that seems unlikely.
Taylor could help the Packers against the Lions on Thursday. Bringing him back makes sense.
Tyler Goodson
Another former player the Packers could bring back is Tyler Goodson. He is currently on the Indianapolis Colts' practice squad.
Green Bay signed Goodson as an undrafted free agent in 2022. He has yet to play a regular season game, although he spent over a year with the Packers, featuring in four preseason contests.
Goodson was one of the surprise standouts at training camp in his rookie year. He rushed for 107 yards and a touchdown in three preseason games but missed out on the initial 53-man roster. The Packers re-signed him to the practice squad, and he remained in Green Bay throughout his rookie season.
Goodson was part of the Packers' running back competition this summer. Undrafted rookie Emanuel Wilson won the No. 3 running back job at training camp, so the Packers moved on from Goodson.
But it would make sense to give him another opportunity in Green Bay. Goodson is familiar with the offense and could immediately step into a backup role in Week 12 against the Detroit Lions. If Emanuel Wilson is out for a while, Goodson would give the Packers a solid option for their RB3 job once Aaron Jones returns from injury.
Goodson is a player to watch, and Green Bay would be smart to bring him back.