Scott Kane-USA TODAY Sports
Green Bay Packers running back Alex Green played just four games as a rookie in 2011 due to a torn left ACL, but he saw an increased role last season after Cedric Benson was sidelined by a foot injury. Green had three games with 20 or more carries in October as Green Bay’s primary tailback, but he averaged just 2.4 yards per carry over that span and never had more than 13 carries in a game the rest of the season.
The Packers addressed their need for more talent at running back during April’s draft, using a second-round pick (61st overall) on Eddie Lacy and a fourth-round pick (125th overall) on Johnathan Franklin. Both rookies are expected to immediately be atop the depth chart for Green Bay in some order, leaving Green, James Starks and DuJuan Harris to compete for one or perhaps two roster spots during training camp.
A concussion issue kept Green out of action for the final two regular season games last season, and he did not have a carry in either one of Green Bay’s playoff games. He said during the offseason that he was never 100 percent after returning from his knee injury, which may explain why he wore down but also comes off as a convenient excuse.
Green worked as the Packers’ No. 1 running back during OTAs, but that means very little now and he probably has to look outstanding during camp in order to secure a roster spot. The team could choose to showcase him as a potential trade chip during preseason games, but at this point there would not be a lot of risk attached to simply releasing Green at some point between now and Week 1.
Brad Berreman is a contributing writer at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter @bradberreman24.
