Packers’ Backfield Depth Thrown for Loss by Injuries

So much for the three-headed monster of Josh Jacobs, AJ Dillon and MarShawn Lloyd. The Packers’ backfield is a big question mark entering Week 1 against the Eagles.

Gren Bay Packers running back MarShawn Lloyd (32) runs through a ball-security drill at training camp on Aug. 6. / Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK

GREEN BAY, Wis. – After a short vacation following the end of the preseason, the Green Bay Packers got back to work on Wednesday. Based on warmups – the only portion of practice reporters were allowed to watch – only one player was not going to participate.

Rookie running back MarShawn Lloyd, who rode an exercise bike while everyone else on the roster stretched inside the Don Hutson Center before heading out to Ray Nitschke Field.

Coupled with veteran AJ Dillon being placed on injured reserve, the Packers’ backfield depth will be tested immediately for the Week 1 game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Brazil next Friday night.

Even with a healthy Dillon, the Packers had high hopes for Lloyd as an explosive change-of-pace back. Instead, he missed the start of training camp with a hip injury and the end of training camp with a hamstring injury. His preseason consisted of two touches.

“We’ll get him out there today, see where he’s at, let him run around,” coach Matt LaFleur said before practice. “You feel like he can handle most of the playbook. It’s not like he hasn’t been learning. It’s just the application of taking it from the classroom and applying it in a real game setting, you wish you had a little bit more exposure.”

After missing both sets of joint practices and the final two preseason games, Lloyd said “the goal” is to be on the field against the Eagles.

“Just taking things day by day,” he said. “If it happens, it happens. If it don’t, it don’t.”

Lloyd said it’s been frustrating dealing with an injury that requires patience to heal.

“It’s been rough, definitely rough,” he said. “I love this game. But it’s minor little things, minor injuries. I just know once I get past this little hump, it’s go time. So, just do the right things, take care of my body as much as possible, learning, getting some stuff from the older guys as far as how they treat their bodies and stuff like that.”

If Lloyd is inactive or limited against the Eagles, the only other running back on the 53-man roster is Emanuel Wilson. Viewed as a roster-bubble player entering camp, Wilson among all NFL running backs finished second in rushing yards, second in missed tackles and first in yards after contact this preseason after leading the league in rushing last preseason.

The Packers released Nate McCrary and Ellis Merriweather at the end of training camp but re-signed both to the practice squad on Wednesday. One could be pressed into duty against the Eagles.

“I thought all those guys ran extremely hard in that final preseason game and put some good stuff out there for everybody to see,” LaFleur said.

Meanwhile, Dillon’s season ended for the second consecutive year due to a stinger. He missed the final three games of last season due to a stinger and the final two preseason games this year after sustaining another one during the joint practice at Denver. While stingers are relatively common injuries, not all stingers are alike. The Packers are wary of some underlying issues that Dillon and doctors are trying to sort through.

“I think we’re very, very cautious with head, neck and hearts around here and we always have been,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said on Wednesday. “Obviously, he had the injury last year, went through some things this year.

“I won’t get into any of the details of it. but it was something we weren’t comfortable with at the moment. Hopefully, that will change in time – obviously, he won’t be with us this year – but he’s going to need some time to get through this to see exactly how this will shake out. We’re wishing the best for him. Obviously, he’s a pro’s pro and it’s a tough blow when these things happen. Hopefully, here in short time, he’ll get some good news.”

After plotting all offseason to go into the season with Josh Jacobs, Dillon and Lloyd atop the backfield depth chart, LaFleur is having to adjust. For now, at least, some of the playbook might have to be scrapped.

“It’s really discouraging because we had a pretty clear vision for what he could do, and it wasn’t just going to be as a runner,” LaFleur said of Dillon. “The versatility is what I was most excited about, just being able to do a lot of different things in regards to some of the stuff we did a year ago with him when we had some of our two halfback sets.

“It certainly leaves us with a void, but that’s life in the National Football League. You’ve got to adapt or you die, so we’d better adapt.”

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