Free Agent Eddie Lacy's Future Contract
Should the Green Bay Packers re-sign Eddie Lacy to another contract or look somewhere else? Eddie Lacy is an UFA, unrestricted free agent, in the 2017 NFL season. The running back position is an important position to fill to have a well-rounded offense. Lacy is a good running back, so why not pull the trigger and sign him for another four years? If one were to look at Eddie Lacy and his four years in the NFL, mixed views would arise in determining whether or not Eddie Lacy is worth a big contract.
Eddie Lacy was a beast during his time at the University of Alabama. Entering the Alabama football program and becoming a starting running back is the dream of most running backs in the Southeast. In 2010, as a freshman, Eddie Lacy played in 12 games and had 406 yards with 6 TDs. Not bad for a freshman in the slug-fest SEC West, while backing up 2009 Heisman winner Mark Ingram and splitting carries with Trent Richardson. With Mark Ingram out of the picture in 2011, Lacy was the No. 2 running back with Trent Richardson taking the reins from Mark Ingram. That year, Richardson rushed for 1,679 yards and 21 TDs with a scrimmage total over 2,000 yards. After the 2011 season, Trent Richardson enters the NFL Draft and Eddie Lacy becomes the No. 1 back heading in 2012.
With the 2012 Alabama Crimson Tide season beginning, Eddie Lacy was the No. 1 RB on the depth chart. The Crimson Tide rolled over most of the opponents, heading to the Discover BCS National Championship at 12 wins and 1 loss. Eddie Lacy ended the season with 1,322 yards and 17 rushing touchdowns and 189 receiving yards and 2 receiving touchdowns. Alabama was averaging 224.6 rushing yards per game that year. A majority of those yards came from Eddie Lacy. After winning the 2013 BCS Championship with Alabama, Lacy entered the NFL draft and was drafted Round 2, Pick 61 by the Green Bay Packers.
Eddie Lacy in his rookie year played well. He had a concussion during a game in September 2013, but he returned to the field that following month. He was able to break the 1,000 yard rushing milestone in rookie year. Lacy ended his rookie year with 1,178 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. He became 2013 Offensive Rookie of the Year and was selected to the Pro-Bowl. The 2014 season was a little better for Lacy. Lacy had 1,139 rushing yards, 427 receiving yards, and 13 TDs combined. The Green Bay Packers began to believe that they had a superstar running back and that they had potential for a potent offense.
In 2015, the third year of Eddie Lacy's rookie contract, things were different. Lacy was listed at 235 pounds, a 15 pound gain from his Crimson Tide college years. When Lacy hit the field in game one of the 2015 season, it was noticeable that Lacy was not playing at 235, but more like 255-260. Lacy, known for agility, speed, strength, and running through the tackles, was running out of steam way too early. Lethargic running was beginning to take the place of agile running. Injuries then began to plague Lacy, an ankle injury in Week 2 hampered his performance. In Week 9 a groin injury against the Carolina Panthers limited him from continuing that game and from playing in Week 10 matchup. Lacy was even benched in Week 13 because of a team issue. By the end of the 2015 season, Eddie Lacy had 758 rushing yards 188 receiving yards and a combined 5 TDs. Per NFL.com, Coach Mike McCarthy, at the end of 2015 said, "He's got a lot of work to do." "His offseason last year was not good enough and he never recovered from it. He cannot play at the weight he played at this year."
The Green Bay Packers starting running back needed to lose weight. He contacted P90X founder Tony Horton and spent time with him changing his eating habits, working out, and doing everything possible to get into shape for the 2016 season. When training camp began for the Green Bay Packers, Lacy looked slimmer. According to ESPN, Lacy had dropped 15-18 pounds at the estimated weight of 240. "Lacy was somewhere near 260 pounds last season, when his production dropped to 758 yards after consecutive 1,100-yard seasons to start his NFL career." In the following five games of Lacy's return after losing weight, Lacy ran for 360 yards, averaging 5.1 yards per carry, but a revival of the old Eddie Lacy was not to happen. During the October 9, 2016 Packers vs. Giants season game, Lacy suffered an ankle injury. He played the next week versus the Cowboys, but was put on injury reserve and had surgery on his ankle, done for the 2016 NFL season.
Eddie Lacy's rookie contract is up. All four years that he initially signed to play for the Green Bay Packers is gone. Lacy is 26 years old, and he still has prime years at his position left. The question is will the Green Bay Packers want this Alabama product on their team? For the final two years of his rookie contract, injuries, discipline issues, and weight issues limited Lacy. Is he worth re-signing to another contract? What about the other options. Today, February 28, 2017, two of the best NFL rushers in recent years, Adrian Peterson and Jamal Charles were released from their respective teams. Both have had multiple issues that have limited them, from torn ACLs to suspensions. Adrian Peterson is 31 and Jamal Charles is 30. Should the Packers by-pass Lacy, sign one of these free agents, or work with Lacy on another 4 year contract?
Eddie Lacy is working to return to the field and hopefully as a Green Bay Packer. He recently posted this video of himself working to rehab his ankle and return his body to the specimen that it was at the NFL Draft. The Packers should stay young and re-sign Lacy to another contract. His work from college to the NFL shows that he can dominate the field. A team option could be put into the contract to not sign him to an extension if his injuries and weight become an issue again. Staying young at the running back position will help the Packers maintain a strong team for multiple years and not just a contender for one year. Plus, signing Peterson or Charles could be detrimental. Signing either would take a significant hit to the salary cap and risk of injury is higher with older running back, especially for both Peterson and Charles coming off knee surgeries in 2016. The Packers did not re-sign James Starks, age 31, but promoted Ty Montgomery, a wide receiver, to the backfield as the speed back that James Starks was. Signing an older RB defeats the purpose of releasing Starks. Eddie Lacy will provide speed and ability to run through the tackles that will disappear slower for him than it will an older Adrian Peterson or Jamal Charles. Re-signing Eddie Lacy to another contract is the best option for the Green Bay Packers, with the right coaching, he could have another rookie season, breaking 1,000 yards.
