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James Starks is expected to be the Green Bay Packers‘ top backup at the running back position for Eddie Lacy. He came through with a solid season last year and was an excellent change of pace back for the Packers. Mike McCarthy is no longer calling the plays, but Tom Clements will likely continue forward with the same type of offensive system that will rotate carries between Lacy and Starks.
Looking ahead to 2015, the Packers are going to rely on Starks to put up consistent production when he’s put on the field.
During the 2014 season, Starks ended up carrying the football 85 times for 333 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught 18 passes for 140 yards on the season. Those numbers were a bit down from years past, and he is more than capable of taking them back to a higher level in 2015.
Green Bay is going to be primarily a passing offense once again this coming season, and Aaron Rodgers is expected to be one of the top candidates for the MVP award. While that is what Green Bay is built around, he can’t play to the best of his abilities without a legitimate rushing attack. Lacy is going to put up big numbers once again, but Starks is going to be the piece that has to step up and play at a high level for the offense to be as dangerous as it can be.
Keeping Lacy healthy and fresh is something that the Packers will have to make sure happens throughout the 2015 season. More than likely, Starks is going to see a similar amount of carries as he saw last year, although there is a chance that they will actually increase. He wasn’t used as much until later on in the year, and then he started breaking out and playing solid football.
There is no question that the Packers are going to be Super Bowl contenders in 2015, but the rushing game has to put up big numbers once again. Starks isn’t going to be putting up 100 yards per game, but he does need to chip in with a good 30-40 yards per game with the role that he will have. That is easier said than done, but Starks is a seasoned veteran who is more than capable of taking care of business.
At 29 years old, Starks is a leader who knows how to step up when his number is called upon. He was actually a huge part of the Packers’ Super Bowl win back in 2010, and has the capability to be a starter somewhere if he ever gets that chance. Expect to see Starks have a fairly large role in the Green Bay offense during the 2015 season and for him to continue being a very consistent presence on the ground for the Packers.
Evan Massey is a featured writer for www.RantSports.com, and contributes across the NFL, MLB, NCAA and NBA portions of the site. Follow him on Twitter at @Massey_Evan and like him on Facebook.
