Eddie Lacy continues to see first-team reps at Green Bay Packers training camp, with some reporters believing Lacy is the favorite to start in Week 1. Coach Mike McCarthydisagrees.
"I'm excited to see when DuJuan Harris comes back because I view him as our starter," McCarthy told Tom Pelissero of USA Today Sports on Thursday. "I want him to get back in there and earn it like he did all of last season. He made an impact in our offense."
Harris put up 257 rushing yards in limited work between the regular season and playoffs last year, doing a nice job creating yards on his own. Harris missed much of the offseason after having a cyst removed from his lung, and he hasn't practiced in camp because of a knee injury. With James Starks playing well in camp and Johnathan Franklin angling for third-down reps, Harris risks getting left behind after emerging out of nowhere last season.
These words should be seen as a clear message from McCarthy. Lacy, who might miss Friday's preseason opener because of a hamstring injury, hasn't locked up anything yet. McCarthy wants Harris to know that he hasn't forgotten about him.
We'd still be surprised if McCarthy views Harris as the starter a month from now. And we'd be surprised if the Packers' running game isn't vastly improved this season.
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