The Facts:
Next season, the Green Bay Packers will have all kinds of options for a lead running back, but the guy who ultimately emerges as the top dog might not even be on the current roster. After shuffling through five backs - six if you count fullback John Kuhn - each one different from the other, there's a feeling among some in the organization that they need to find one complete back and make him the focus of the running game.
Reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Fantasy Football Diehards Line:
According to Journal-Sentinel staffer Tom Silverstein, that doesn't mean there isn't room for a change-of-pace back like DuJuan Harris or a physical option like Alex Green or James Starks, but the Packers need a back who defines their running game. At various times, the Packers had running success, but only enough to occasionally draw an opponent's safety down in the box as an extra defender, the key to opening up the perimeter for passes. In final rushing statistics, the Packers finished 16th in the league in attempts, 20th in yards, 22nd in yards per carry and 25th in touchdowns. So, Silverstein reports, the offseason will be spent sorting out the personnel at running back. Worth noting: Silverstein considers it doubtful the Packers will take another chance on Cedric Benson, who signed during training camp and played in just five games before being put on injured reserve with a Lisfranc fracture in his foot. Ryan Grant was a short-term addition who deserved a ton of credit for the job he did both on the field and in the locker room, but he is not the future. James Starks has been as unreliable as a back could be despite possessing great talent. Team officials aren't sure the 5-7, 208-pound Harris can handle a featured role while injuries have kept Green from fulfilling his potential. ... It's a situation worth watching.
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