GREEN BAY:
Three running backs were drafted before Eddie Lacy, the guy fans thought would go in the first round who winded up lasting until late in the second. But if NFL teams could have a do-over, Lacy would be the first running back selected. He’s a lot better than the other rookie running backs, and he’s a lot better than the host of other running backs we’ve been wondering about over the past few months. No way is DuJuan Harris, Johnathan Franklin, James Starks or Alex Green ever going to start ahead of Lacy. He’s not only going to start for Green Bay, he looks like he could be special. On his first carry for the Packers, he plowed for 7 yards after the first couple of Rams met him. On his second carry, he ran through two arm tackles, then when he was met by a host of Rams, he carried them for another 7 yards. He carried the ball 8 times overall, and he generated at least 2 yards after heavy contact on all but one of them (40 yards total). This back looks very similar to Trent Richardson – a violent, tackle-busting machine. He adds another dimension to Green Bay’s offense; play-action will work now. Now that we’ve had a chance to see him do his thing, our expectation is he’ll be significantly better than any of the other rookie running backs. He should be the first rookie selected in a dynasty draft – no doubt about it. These would be our revised dynasty league rankings for running backs (and note that this is without having seen LeVeon Bell on the field year):
- Eddie Lacy
- Giovani Bernard
- LeVeon Bell
- Montee Ball
- Knile Davis
- Christine Michael
- Everyone else
Jermichael Finley comes off a couple of down years, but they made nice use of him in the St. Louis game. He caught 4 passes for 78 yards in the first half. The Packers are leaner at wide receiver nowadays. If any of their top 3 guys (Cobb-Nelson-Jones) gets hurt, it could elevate Finley into a far more prominent role in the passing game. Speaking of tight ends, Brandon Bostick looks like a keeper. He’s an undrafted rookie from last year that they’ve been developing. He’s cut like a tight end, and he caught 3 balls at St. Louis. Few (if any) readers are in a dynasty league that goes deep enough where it would make any sense to actually draft him, but we’re pointing it out anyway. … Mason Crosby struggled last year, but it looks like he’ll get a shot to stick around for another year. Giorgio Tavecchio isn’t a serious contender for the job. He missed a field goal at St. Louis, and his kickoffs aren’t deep enough. If the Packers decide to release Crosby, they’ll replace him with either Dan Carpenter or Rian Lindell (once the Bills release him). … Randall Cobb skipped the Rams game with a biceps injury, but he’ll be ready for the real games. Jordy Nelson (knee) is likely but not certain to be healthy for the opener. Given the receiver injuries, a small amount of love is required for Jarrett Boykin. He seems to be their No. 4 guy, so he’ll move up into that main rotation if any of the three big receivers miss action in the regular season.
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