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.