McCarthy Wants Another Back, But May Not Get One
The Green Bay Packers could certainly use another running back. Starter Eddie Lacy has a gimpy ankle and backup James Starks just had knee surgery.
Although Lacy was solid against Dallas (17 carries for 65 yards), he was clearly not 100 percent. That forced the Packers to use receivers Ty Montgomery and Randall Cobb in the backfield, along with a good deal of five-wide empty backfield sets.
The Packers rushed for just 78 yards on the day.
Packers coach Mike McCarthy said he’d like another running back on Monday, but that move certainly doesn’t appear imminent.
“Well, you definitely want to,” McCarthy said when asked if he’d like another running back this week. “It just depends on how you want to play the game. How they line up and what they have on the other side of the ball factors into that, too. It’s a long year. If you start making roster moves, it’s just really never one factor that factors other positions. Because, frankly, you have players that you may have to jeopardize putting out there.”
Obviously, the Packers are wary of releasing someone on the active roster right now. They released quarterback Joe Callahan last week, thinking they’d re-sign him to the practice squad, but he was claimed by the Saints.
The other question here is, who would the Packers even add at running back if they did add someone? With the Bears on the schedule on Thursday night, this is a shortened week. You have to wonder if the Packers signed someone, if he’d even be of any use.
Maybe the obvious answer would be to elevate Don Jackson from the practice squad or to bring back Brandon Burks. Jackson was cut by the Packers before training camp and then re-signed to the practice squad after. Burks initially made the final roster, but was released when the Packers briefly brought in Jhurell Pressley.
They’ve been sitting with just Lacy and Starks since releasing Pressley.
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This is comical roster management. This is a professional team, who in their own minds are contenders and they don’t have a running back that isn’t currently injured. What kind of operation is this? The solution isn’t to throw the ball more, that’s for damn sure. Thursday is going to be a nightmare. Start drinking Tuesday morning to prepare. The only saving grace to losing would be buffoon getting canned…. And that’s a pipe dream at best.
It sounds sad, but we have to reach the bottom for something drastic to happen. And losing to the 2016 Bears would count as hitting rock bottom for most sane people.
I hope we lose. I hope the season goes to shit. I found myself yesterday hoping Rodgers would fuck up. I’m just sick of this regime. Its boring, its just time to change things up in GB.
Even if they found someone, the fat turd wouldnt know what to do with him.
They can’t add a running back. If they did they would have to choose to either go without a SEVENTH WR (!) or a SIXTH safety (!). Clearly a SECOND RB — when your one if looks like a 38 year old retired fullback and has a bum ankle — could not be as important as one of those guys…..
Additionally, if they did ever cut the 7th WR or 5th safety, they would most likely replace them with a 2nd and 3rd long snapper on the active roster in order to play them in a rotation to keep their long-snapping arms “fresh”.
The pack is bringing up Jackson. I believe 3 days late. Don’t know anything about the guy but he has to be better than no second running back. Wasn’t sold on Ty as a third down back but I think he can work as a pass catching third down back. Just hold onto the damn ball.
Sherman carried 2 punters and TT will be known for having 1 RB barely available with an ankle injury
How fucking dysfunctional is this team?
Consider this:
Green Bay is paying Rodgers $20M per/year and he’s widely (prior to this year) regarded as one of the best QB’s in the league….yet Green Bay hardly relies on the passing game (evident by their numbers in relation to league average over the last 3-4 years) and McCarthy PREFERS to split the game plan 50/50 run-to-pass.
Green Bay runs an up-tempo offense designed to set up the play action yet Eddie Lacey is anything but up-tempo and doesn’t exactly put the fear into defensive coordinators (is it any shock that play action has rarely worked for Green Bay in the last 2 years with him in the backfield?). Lacey needs 20+ carries per/game to be effective and actually wear defenses down yet Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the offense aren’t exactly built that way. How does this make any sense?
Furthermore — McCarthy/Thompson had the chance to sign Forte, Ronnie Hillman and Spiller. Passed on all of them to stick with the very mediocre and below average James Starks? Now both Lacey and Starks are banged up and no one else exists in an offense that’s “supposedly” splitting the load 50/50.
This is the most dysfunctional team in the entire league and the numbers prove it.
Here’s an idea — scrap the run game….go 5 wide, throw 40+ times per/game and actually implement some creativity in the passing game (slants, screens, reverses, crossing routes, etc). Look at New England, New Orleans, Oakland, Atlanta — how many of those teams rely on the run game as much as Green Bay does? How about any of those teams have a fat, overweight back with no speed? NONE.
Green Bay’s offense is a joke. It starts with this bullshit 50/50 split. It’s one thing to have a LeVeon Bell or David Johnson — great RB who catch balls outta the backfield who can ACTUALLY keep DEFENSES honest with their playmaking ability. EDDIE LACEY AND JAMES STARKS DO NOT DO THIS!!!!
So until Thompson finds a dynamic RB who can accomplish this — THROW THE FUCKING BALL!
Packers haven’t had a game breaking RB since Ahman Green
&&&&&&&&& the Packers just acquired Knile Davis from the chiefs