Green Bay Packers: All-In On Ty Montgomery At Running Back?

The Green Bay Packers released James Starks and Eddie Lacy‘s contract is up, leaving Ty Montgomery as the only realistic option going forward.

Ty Montgomery spent his first season in the NFL as a wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers. While that’s how he started Year 2 as well, it’s not how he finished it. By the end of the year, Montgomery was a dual-threat out of the backfield.

Due to injuries, Montgomery was given a look at running back. The Stanford product lining up at behind the quarterback gave the Packers an entirely new dimension to their offense.

It started in Week 6 against the Dallas Cowboys, advanced in week seven against the Chicago Bears, and became official in Week 14 against the Seattle Seahawks, Montgomery is a running back. He’s got the moves for it too.

Don’t ask me how he squeezed through that hole, just know that he did.

On the year, Montgomery carried the ball 77 times for 457 yards (5.9 yards per carry) and three touchdowns. He also caught 44 passes for 348 yards. Basically, we’ve established that the transition from wide receiver to running back was successful. Montgomery enjoyed a fantastic year at a new position, and the Packers didn’t suffer without the injured Eddie Lacy.

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Lacy’s contract is now up however, and James Starks was released on Tuesday. For those keeping track, those were the top two running backs for the Packers heading into 2016. What does this mean for the future of the team? Do they have their eyes on a free agent running back? Are they going after someone in the draft? Or is their man already on the team?

All logic would point to Montgomery. Sure, there has been plenty of stories just like his that ended up not working out. Someone comes along, has a great stretch of games, the team decides to roll with him, and it backfires in their face. This time it’s different though, for one simple reason: Aaron Rodgers.

One of the greatest quarterbacks to ever do it is on the roster. With Rodgers comes a fantastic passing game, which does two things for Montgomery. First off, the defense will always be more worried about Rodger’s arm than anyone’s legs. Defense’s will play off, giving him more room to run.

Second, he’s a safety net. If Montgomery isn’t running the ball effectively, he can always catch a pass or two. Being a former receiver, it’s obvious he has excellent hands. What better way to open up the running game and build a running back’s confidence, then with some effective screens.

While some may prefer a bruising back to compliment an elite passing game, that’s not always the best option. Sure, Lacy could usually guarantee you a few yards every time he ran, but that’s just not sexy enough. What happens when Rodgers struggles, or his receivers decide to drop all his passes? Feeding the big back might work on occasion, but if the defense knows it’s coming, it’s not that scary.

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Throw in a back that can make quick cuts, outrun defenders, and catch passes, and you’ve got a problem though. Now there’s a much bigger threat of the big play. There’s also an extra receiver on the field. If Rodgers can’t get into a rhythm with his receivers, he can also sling one-or-two to Montgomery to open the offense back up. Based on the way extremely early indications of the offseason, the Packers have found a direction for 2017. That direction is Montgomery, and it’s exactly what the fans should want.