The Packers drafted two guys at the same position to help fix the same problem.
But in addition to a competition for carries, there might also be a sit-com in the works, as second-rounder Eddie Lacy and fourth-rounder Johnathan Franklin are rooming together until they get settled into Green Bay.
“Eddie, he’s my roommate. We were laughing all night,” Franklin said, via Jason Wilde of ESPNWisconsin.com. He’s a great guy. I met him at the combine. He’s a great player. I’m excited to be on the same team with him. I expect to learn from him and I expect to teach him a little bit.
“They brought us here for a reason. We have to contribute. Competition is going to bring out the best in you. We’re definitely going to find out what kind of men we are and what kind of athletes we are. So I’m excited to compete with Eddie and learn from Eddie and get better with him as well.”
There’s a clear record of production from the two of them, which will make their partnership an interesting one.
It’s definitely a needed one.
The Packers haven’t had a 100-yard rusher in 43 straight regular-season games, more than double the next-longest streak in the league (Chargers, 19). Not since Ryan Grant in 2008 and 2009 have they had a single back put up respectable numbers.
Now, they have two possibilities.
Lacy had 1,322 yards on 204 carries last year at Alabama, while Franklin set UCLA’s single-season record with 1,732 yards.
Between them, the Packers have more options than in recent years, and it’s a friendly competition.
“We’re roommates in the hotel, we talk. But we’re going to have to compete,” Lacy said. “It’s just like when you’re in college – you get there, you meet the other running backs, you’re all friends but you have to compete. It’s no different here.”
The Packers clearly want to take some of the pressure off the passing game from having to do everything offensively, and with the new buddy comedy they drafted, they have a chance to do just that.