Time to Invest in a Running Back?

Modern Conventional wisdom is that running backs are not worth first round draft picks.  Generally, I'm on board with that conventional wisdom.  The Packers are in an unusual situation, however.  During the last couple of seasons, no combination of words scared me more as a Packers fan than "3rd and short."  The Packers were not good at stopping opposing offenses in short yardage situations, and the offense certainly did not have a reliable running back for most of the season.

That said, the Packers would do well to take a long hard look at Alabama running back Eddie Lacy if he's still available in the first round.  At least, that's what a number of mock drafts are saying.  The Packers have not had an reliable every down back since Ryan Grant was taking hand-offs from Brett Favre, and we've seen what a revolving door that position has been in the past couple of years.  Frankly, the position is a mess and it is in desperate need of players with defined roles.

Lacy could be the every down back the Packers have been lacking.  He could actually turn "3rd and short" into a strength, or at least not something that makes Packer fans cringe and Aaron Rodgers throw.  I don't know that anybody else on the roster currently has the durability and skill set to be an every down back.  Sure, there are some potential guys, but nobody that really gets you excited.

The other issue is that the offensive line was a mess last year as well.  It's difficult to say how much of the problem was the running backs and how much was from the line.  Certainly, the line needs to be addressed, but I think that it's time that the Packers invest in the running back position.  I don't know if Ted Thompson got lucky when he stole Ryan Grant from the Giants, or if he really knew something, but clearly the ensemble cast approach hasn't been working these past couple of years.

Running back by committee is the trend in the NFL these days.  It works well and it keeps guys fresh.  It seems to work best, however, when there is one guy who takes the lead.  Nobody on the current roster has shown the ability to carry the load over the course of a season.  DuJuan Harris certainly looks like he could be a fantastic compliment, but I don't know if he can be a lead guy.  Lacy could be that lead guy.  If the Packers take a shot on him late in the first round, even I couldn't complain about Ted Thompson not giving Montee Ball a second thought.

Admittedly, most of the mocks I've seen out there have the Packers taking a linebacker or an offensive lineman, which would not be bad moves by any stretch of the imagination, but it's been long enough since the Packers have had a consistently reliable ground game that you would have to give Lacy some strong consideration.