Green Bay Packers: Releasing James Starks Might Be a Necessary Decision, But it Isn't the Right One

By Jason Shubnell
NFL Writer

He has been Green Bay’s lead back for the past two years. He was an integral cog in their 2010 Super Bowl run. But are the Packers ready to say goodbye to James Starks?

Rob Reischel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has Starks as one of the many cuts the Packers must make to trim down to their 53-man roster. He has been out for some time this preseason with a bad turf-toe injury and may not be ready for Week 1, should he even make the cut.

A surprising move, but one that may not be to difficult to make. Green Bay set out this offseason to sign a veteran running back, after letting Ryan Grant go. They did not put much focus on the position in the draft, which led many to believe they would be players in the free agent market. Along comes Cedric Benson, who ran for at least 1,000 yards each of the last three seasons with Cincinnati.

Benson is right around that age where running backs flat-line or fall, but still has some juice in his legs. In first half action against his old team in the Packers third preseason game Thursday night, Benson carried six times for 38 yards, while catching a ball for a first down. It was his first action of the year, and did so with the Packers starting offense.

Meanwhile, Brandon Saine is sitting idly by, waiting to get a bigger opportunity in the green and yellow. He is entering his second season, but has been resting a hamstring injury as of late. He gives Green Bay more versatility, however, than Starks and hasn’t shown to be as injury-prone.

Alex Green suffered an ACL tear year and hasn’t shown much in the first three weeks of the preseason. If the cut comes down to anyone, it looks as though Starks will have to worry about Green sneaking by him, while he takes his pink slip elsewhere around the league.

It’s something that didn’t seem really possible a few months ago. The Packers running game was nowhere near as productive as its passing game last year, but was dependable. It was one of the thinnest positions on the depth chart, which made Starks’ security seem well intact.

But so is the injury game, especially when you are playing on team with such high expectations. However, missing a significant portion at the end of last season, Starks was, perhaps unknowingly, battling for a roster spot in 2012.

We know Ted Thompson to be a fairly ruthless general manager. Cutting Starks may be a necessary choice, but not necessarily the right one.

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