Ty Montgomery Still May Not Be a Three-Down Back

Ty Montgomery was anointed as the Green Bay Packers starting running back immediately following the draft. That’s significant because the Packers drafted three running backs, although none of them higher than the fourth round.

Montgomery’s primary directive during the offseason was to get better at pass blocking. That’s the one thing that kept him off the field in 2016, despite his exceptional 5.9 yards per carry and prowess as a receiver.

In other words, Montgomery was not a three-down back because he wasn’t good at blocking. Fast forward to camp. Even though Montgomery has been working on his blocking, word is he’s still struggling with that aspect of the game.

Meanwhile, the Packers are talking up fourth-round pick Jamaal Williams because he appears to be the only good pass blocker — save for fullbacks — in the running back bunch.

“You go back and watch the tape, he did a really good job from a protection standpoint,” offensive coordinator Edgar Bennett said. “And so now, it goes back to being consistent and doing it every single time.

“When he’s in that huddle, protecting that quarterback every single time, knowing his assignment and being extremely efficient at how he’s blocking whenever we get in that situation, that one-on-one. I would probably say that more than anything else stands out with him.”

Considering he’s never been asked to pass block (or play running back, for that matter) prior to last year, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Montgomery doesn’t excel in that area.

We’re not here to suggest that Williams will take Montgomery’s starting job. However, we also wouldn’t be surprised if Montgomery’s plays are again limited because of his struggles in this area.

That could open the door to more playing time for the rookie.

Of course, there’s an easy solution to this. Every time Montgomery is on the field, just give him the ball and you don’t have to worry about it…