The Runningback Situation

[Tony Oday]

If Gado is cut I will stop watching the Packers. HE is 'Packer' people. Came in last year played very well. He is a guy that can make the one cut runs just put him in the game. I see him as a gamer!

[Scott Campbell]

I like Gado, but if he is cut I vow to press on and continue watching the Packers.

[woodbuck27]

I think the Henderson injury does change things a bit. The only 2 locks for both FB and RB on this team are Henderson and Green, the two hurt guys. The others don't have the talent or don't fit the ZB scheme too well. It honestly looks like a real crapshoot for the other spots because they all have knocks against them...

RB
Davenport - lacks vision, balance, and intial burst
Gado - hesitent and lacks vision
Beach - lacks experience
Herron - lacks speed

FB
Leach - lacks hands
Cooper - lacks experience
Brown - lacks experience

Who knows what we'll see this season if Green and Henderson can't return to form? We could end up with a Leach and Beach backfield...

Lots of questions that will be answered in the next two preseason games.

Bengals next and (next up) Titans.

GO PACK GO ! PACKER FAN FAITH !!

[BananaMan]

As "El President For Life" of Sam's Club, I would be furious if Mr. Gado got cut. He's an amazing player and person, and I've had the pleasure of speaking to him in person. Very nice guy.

Also, I think I would be puking for weeks if we cut Samkon and he went on to perform very well for another team.

[drayge]

I don't think you can put Henderson on the PUP - that designation (as far as I can determine) is only for players injured prior to training camp. I can't seem to find any confirmation on it though.

That means a decision on Henderson's rehab needs to be made as well, as the roster spot may be more valuable than his play in a limited number of games.

IMO, we should see if Davenport or Herron can block well enough in the last preseason games, as that verstatility could save either of their jobs.

[HarveyWallbangers]

I think you can put a guy on PUP (whether he was injured prior to the preseason or during the preseason) or IL. IL means he's gone for the season (unlike baseball, basketball, and hockey). PUP means he has to sit out at least 6 weeks. You have a window of 3 weeks to bring him back after that. Then, you need to make a decision: cut him, put him on IL, or cut somebody else and activate him. I've been wrong before, but that's my understanding.

[drayge]

According to an ESPN report about the Colts

Players can only be put on the PUP list before the first practice of training camp. If they are not removed from it before the final roster cutdown to 53 players, they cannot be activated until Week 7.

I can't seem to find any NFL source about the rule, but I also cannot find any case of a player who is injured during a preseason game and is placed on the PUP list, which is the reason I said that I was not certain of the rule.

If ESPN has the rule right, then Henderson cannot be placed on the list and must be part of the roster or released. This means that - even if Leach is the starter - they need a RB to be the backup FB in case of emergency. The fact that rumors have Gado practicing at FB spells to me that Davenport and Herron don't have an upper hand due to their prior FB experience.

[run pMc]

Well, we know A.Green is a lock to make the squad.
Hendu is also a lock, but since he's hurt, GB needs to go to plan B for several weeks.
Probably, Leach makes it for his blocking & ST play. The 2nd FB is one of our RB's...
Gado, Herron, and Davenport all have taken snaps at FB. I'm not sold on Gado for some reason...he's too inconsistent for me, and he had fumble-itis last season. Definitely a fan favorite.
Herron had a good start but sounds like he's cooled off since, and Beach was on the cusp of getting released for being too banged up to practice.

Nobody's going to trade for anyone in this group...it's too early. GM's will be looking at the 1st round of cuts coming up and try to pick soebody up off the roster cuts before swinging a trade.

I'm not sold on the quality of the depth in our backfield, anyway. I can name several teams with vastly superior depth (Ravens, Bengals, Steelers, Patriots...)

I agree with what others have said...Game 3 will go a long way towards who we keep. May not know until Game 4...Beach might be the one cut with the hopes of landing on the practice sqaud. It is risky but common for hidden jewels to be stashed there. Rivera & KGB were there once upon a time.

[Joemailman]

Full of questions
Packers test fullback subs
By TOM SILVERSTEIN
tsilverstein@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Aug. 21, 2006
Green Bay - There's a pretty good chance that fullback William Henderson will be back in time from a knee injury for the season opener against Chicago Sept. 10.

William Henderson came out of the game late in the first half of the Packers' 38-10 victory over the Falcons after experiencing trouble with his knee.

But the Packers aren't taking any chances.

The same day Henderson underwent arthroscopic surgery on his knee, the Packers used halfbacks Samkon Gado and Noah Herron extensively at fullback. Both have worked occasionally at fullback since training camp began, but Monday they worked there almost exclusively in two-back sets.

"William's out right now so we have to pick up the slack," Herron said. "That's really what it is."

It might be more than that, however.

Henderson's backup, Vonta Leach, is coming off a game in which he dropped two passes, one of which he probably would have turned into a 9-yard touchdown. What's more, the Packers favor a quicker, more versatile fullback who can catch as well as he can block and don't necessarily need the big bruiser the previous offense required.

At 252 pounds, Henderson fits the mold of a bruiser, but he can catch and has much more experience than anyone else in the backfield. However, he appeared to miss several blocks in the exhibition game Saturday against Atlanta and at age 35 might be nearing the end.

"You'd like William (to be back); he's been around here a long time," offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski said. "He'll be back. When guys go down, you have to have other guys step up. That's true at any position."

Henderson came out of the game late in the first half of the Packers' 38-10 victory over the Falcons after experiencing trouble with his knee, and medical testing showed that he had loose cartilage. According to a source, Henderson has been dealing with the problem for a while but it flared up enough that he was not able to continue playing.

A decision was made to operate right away with the hope that he could be back in time for the opener.

"We had it cleaned out," coach Mike McCarthy said. "We're expecting him back as soon as possible. If anyone can get back in a quick, timely fashion, it would be William. I'm hoping it's three weeks, two to three weeks. Hopefully for the opener."

Henderson's agent, James D. Williams, said the initial report he heard was that the damage found in the fullback's knee was not as bad as first thought. He said he had not yet received a full report from the doctors but thought there was a chance Henderson would be back for the start of the regular season.

In the meantime, Gado worked a considerable amount as a lead blocker in practice and was used at least once in the same backfield as Ahman Green. The prospect of having two explosive runners who also have the ability to catch is something the Packers would love to explore.

In their zone-blocking system, the fullback doesn't have to take on linemen or linebackers.

"There are some things (where) you have to be physical, but there are a lot of things where he has the safety because the line's got the front seven guys," Jagodzinski said. "As far as being a downhill masher, you don't have to be that in this offense."

Gado, who stands 5 feet 10 inches and weighs 226 pounds, is built similarly to Green and has the bulk to handle blocking duties. He just doesn't have a lot of experience. Still, he'll probably get the first chance to prove he can be a replacement for or a complement to Henderson.

"I haven't done it since high school sophomore year," Gado said. "You don't need to be a bruiser in this system; you just need to be able to be versatile. I think pretty much the fullback is a glorified tailback in this offense. You need to have more versatility than fullbacks in most other offenses."

Leach, meanwhile, is more of a traditional fullback, weighing 250 pounds and carrying a lot of power in his pads. With Henderson's injury, he stood to be in good position to make the team, but after dropping the passes against the Falcons, he has some making up to do.

He doesn't know if the sudden move of Gado and Herron to fullback is a byproduct of Henderson's injury or a result of his drops.

"You can look at it either way," Leach said. "But (from my standpoint) you have to look at it that I just have to go out there and continue doing what I can do, catch the ball when they throw it to me."

Jagodzinski said the coaches were still contemplating using tight end Tory Humphrey at fullback. The 257-pound Humphrey played the position some last year while on the Packers' practice squad.