Getty Tommy Bohanon signed Monday with the Green Bay Packers.
No sooner had the Green Bay Packers gotten back two rushers from weekslong injuries than two more from their stable were sidelined at training camp. But without fullbacks Danny Vitale (calf) and Malcolm Johnson (groin), the Packers for the second time in less than a week decided to look elsewhere for additional help.
That help comes in the form of veteran Tommy Bohanon, a transaction move Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst announced Monday that bolsters the team’s banged-up fullback group. Bohanon made 16 starts over the past two seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars and is a proven pass target with more career receiving yards (239) than rushing yards (72).
But having just returned starting Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams from hamstring injuries, the Packers are again adapting their rushing plans with less than 72 hours until their next preseason game Thursday at the Baltimore Ravens.
Following Saturday’s practice, after Vitale exited with his injury, head coach Matt LaFleur even addressed the adversity injuries are causing his team and the running backs in particular.
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A Backfield Carousel
Tim Boyle hands the ball off to Dexter Williams.
While training camps, by nature, are designed to features shifting looks and roster cuts, the Packers’ situation has been a little more unique — and less controllable — than normal.
After adding Corey Grant and rookie Darrin Hall within the first days of practice, Williams and Jones began missing time with hamstring issues, while Tra Carson battled neck spasms. Only the latter played in the preseason opener, taking eight carries for 15 yards.
Prior to facing the Texans, the Packers applied a bandage with the addition of second-year Keith Ford, who had 21 carries in his debut season for the New York Jets after earning his way off the practice squad. He did not, however, see action in the game as rookie Dexter Williams took the most carries (14) for 62 of the team’s 95 rushing yards.
Whether Ford makes the 53-man roster depends more on how Jones and Jamaal Williams return from their injuries. On one hand, Jones said after practicing Saturday that he “wouldn’t even call it an injury” in regards to his hamstring tightness. On the other, Williams missed the same practice with his ailing hamstring and remains day-to-day.
The same goes for newly-added Bohanon: How soon exactly Vitale and Johnson recover and return to the field will directly correlate to how long he remains in Green Bay. And even still, he must prove worthy of a roster spot or risk being the next rusher released as Grant was Thursday.
The Road Forward
However the Packers hope to mix up their run game in Matt LaFleur’s new system, Jones is undoubtedly at the top of the backfield hierarchy when healthy. He has the moves to become a 1,000-yard rusher and a breakout force for the Packers in 2019.
Chances are Ford and Bohanon won’t be around for the regular season, especially since the Packers rightly favor their passing game. (I mean, it is Aaron Rodgers). But that’s not to say the Packers are without other rushers to observe throughout the preseason.
TOUCHDOWN IRISH!
Sophomore Dexter Williams scores on a 13-yard run.
The Packers will almost certainly against the Ravens put the ball in the hands of Dexter Williams, the rookie who proved to be a stout and speedy presence as Notre Dame’s leading running back in 2018. He stands a legitimate chance of nabbing the No. 2 spot on the depth chart, even if Jamaal Williams makes a quick recovery.
Otherwise, count on LaFleur to stay smart about how he uses his running talent in the practices and games leading up to the September season opener against the Chicago Bears.
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