Packers Sign Free Agent Ahman Green

After at least one false start, Ahman Green has officially signed with the Green Bay Packers.

According to Greg Bedard of the Journal Sentinel, the former Packers All-Pro running back has agreed to a one-year contract with the Packers.

DeShawn Wynn, who has served as Ryan Grant’s primary backup this season, is expected to be placed on injured reserve. Wynn has a knee injury that was expected to keep him sidelined for four weeks.

The move speaks to the lack of confidence the Packers have in running back Kregg Lumpkin, who went through training camp with the team and is currently on the practice squad.

Green reportedly will earn the pro-rated portion of $845,000, the veteran minimum. The deal was reported by several news outlets yesterday, but later retracted when it was learned that the deal hadn’t been completed. The Packers brought Green and former Indianapolis Colts running back Dominic Rhodes in for workouts on Monday.

The signing of Green comes a day after the NFL’s trading deadline and is hardly the splash many hoped to see from the Packers. However, it’s a clear sign that Packers coach Mike McCarthy and general manager Ted Thompson may be ready to acknowledge that something is seriously wrong with the team’s running game.

Still, there are low expectations for Green. Before he signed as a free agent with the Houston Texans, many experts declared him a bad fit for the Packers zone-blocking scheme. One thing Green can do effectively is catch and set up screens – something the Grant continues to struggle with.

Green’s best years are behind him at age 32. In his career, he’s carried 2,015 times for 9,045 yards (4.5 average) and 59 touchdowns. He also has 375 catches for 2,865 yards and 14 scores. But in his two years in Houston, Green played in only 14 games, with six starts, largely due to injuries. In those two years he gained 554 yards on the ground.

For better or for worse, Green is back in the Packers Green and Gold. He’s one of the most prolific offensive players in the history of the Packers franchise, so it’s fitting that he ends his career in Green Bay. Better yet, he needs only 45 yards to surpass Jim Taylor and become the Packer’s all-time leading rusher.