Green Bay Packers: Reason Revealed For Davis Trade
By Erik Lambert
The Green Bay Packers have it bad enough losing at home to Dallas. Now the hits just seem to keep on coming for this team in a trying season.
Not only is there growing concern over the play of Aaron Rodgers, which hasn’t been at its customary MVP level since last season. Now the team is dealing with a serious injury situation. Already they learned key cornerback Sam Shields is going on IR with a bad concussion. Now it looks like their running game is entering a full-blown crisis. Veteran James Starks is out for a few weeks and he may be getting some company according to Ian Rapoport.
Sources: The #Packers are expected to be without workhorse RB Eddie Lacy for several weeks. It's more than a sprained ankle.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 19, 2016
Initially it was believed that Lacy was dealing with a nagging ankle problem. However, this revelation leads one to believe it might be more serious. Perhaps it’s a high ankle sprain. In that case he could miss a month or more depending on severity. If he requires surgery? That could be 2-3 months. This would definitely explain why the Packers made the unexpected trade for Knile Davis from the Kansas City Chiefs.
It marks the first trade the organization has made outside the draft since 2010. So it’s clear they were desperate for help from the beginning. Davis is averaging 3.3 yards per carry for his career but he has experience, is 25-years old and can be effective if given space to run. Obviously the Packers feel confident they can make due with him until Lacy and/or Starks return.
Beyond that the burden of the offense falls every more on the shoulders of Aaron Rodgers. In other times that would’ve been just fine. Yet his play of late would seem to signify this is living dangerously in every sense of the word. He’s missing throws he used to make in his sleep. The decisiveness and confidence just don’t seem there. Not having a reliable ground game is bound to make that harder on him.