Even after losing Johnathan Franklin for good, the Green Bay Packers believe they have the depth and versatility in the backfield to trample opponents on the ground.
"It's the best it's ever looked," one NFL personnel man told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, judging a decade's worth of Packers backfields. "They're good to go. As long as Eddie Lacy's healthy, I think they're as comfortable as they've ever been."
Coming off an era that saw everyone from Samkon Gado and Ryan Grant to Brandon Jackson and Alex Green lead the team in rushing, this year's squad boasts strength in numbers. After Lacy in the top spot, James Starks has the skill set to fill in at No. 1, while coach Mike McCarthy called DuJuan Harris a "big part" of last year's plans before the back was lost to a season-ending patellar tendon injury in August.
"I'm lucky," position coach Sam Gash said. "From top to bottom, the guys we have, I'm happy to be with a group as solid as this. I'm coming in just hoping not to mess it up. I'll make sure the guys are where they're supposed to be and take it from there."
Green Bay's commitment to restocking the backfield in last year's draft ultimately saved the season when Aaron Rodgers broke his collarbone. Gash specifically pointed to Harris -- who flashed 4.44 speed before the injury -- as a player who could contribute immediately as a compliment to Lacy come September.
With the world's best passer in Rodgers now healthy and coming off an "exceptional" spring, this versatile and stacked offense is going to be a comprehensive nightmare for opposing coordinators in 2014.
The latest "Around The League Podcast" shines a light on the most unpredictable teams entering the 2014 season.
