The order of the Green Bay Packers' backfield was one of the NFL's big questions heading into training camp. Answers are starting to come into focus.
Eddie Lacy looks every bit like a featured running back, impressing the Packers in practice and in his second preseason outing. DuJuan Harris is still recovering from his knee injury, but coach Mike McCarthy said Harris is the team's starter.
That is probably just a nod to Harris' experience on the team last year, but Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel notes that McCarthy's ideal 1-2 punch probably would be Lacy and Harris.
Fourth-round draft pick Johnathan Franklin, meanwhile, has struggled. The UCLA product has 16 carries for 40 yards combined in the team's scrimmage and preseason games.
"He looks like his numbers," a personnel man told McGinn. "He's not a real impressive guy. He plays small, and he doesn't play fast."
Franklin was known for his blocking skills, but that hasn't translated so far. He hasn't looked comfortable in a return role. Franklin is battling James Starks and Alex Green for the No. 3 running back job, and none of them have consistently stood out.
Franklin, touted by many as a draft steal, is a safe bet to make the team because of his draft status, but he's probably not headed for much of a role as a rookie.
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