Green Bay Packers running back Eddie Lacy said, “I think I look good,” Tuesday after he was criticized for his weight during the 2015 campaign, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com.
The former Alabama Crimson Tide playmaker reportedly tried P90X workouts, boxing and basketball this offseason after Green Bay head coach Mike McCarthy said he “cannot play at the weight he was at [last] year,” per Demovsky.
Lacy reflected on his journey and how he responded to being challenged by his coach, per Demovsky:
At the end of the day, we're all grown men. Whether he calls me out, I just have to take care of that responsibility. You don't get mad or [lash] out or anything like that. You just take it as it is what it is and make it go away.
I feel like I handled it well, and I held up my end of the bargain. It's a process. I've got to keep going and just keep hoping for the best.
Demovsky cited a source in a separate piece who said Lacy had lost between 15-18 pounds since the end of the 2015 campaign when he returned to the Packers for offseason programs in April. Demovsky said the Packers listed the running back at 234 pounds last season as he turned in the worst statistical effort of his career with 758 rushing yards.
Demovsky cited another source who said Lacy weighs “in the 240s” now, which would suggest he “was somewhere near 260 pounds last season.”
In addition to the new workouts (some of which were done with P90X founder Tony Horton, per Demovsky), Lacy changed some of his eating habits. The running back said, “It was different. Some things were harder than others. But at the end of the day, it’s all about the result. Whether it’s fun or not, you’ve just got to get it done,” per Demovsky.
If the result is a leaner and stronger Lacy, that would be a problem for Green Bay’s opponents in 2016, considering how effective he was during the first two seasons of his career:
Season | Games | Carries | Rushing Yards | Yards per Carry | Rushing Touchdowns |
2013 | 15 | 284 | 1,178 | 4.1 | 11 |
2014 | 16 | 246 | 1,139 | 4.6 | 9 |
2015 | 15 | 187 | 758 | 4.1 | 3 |
Despite the concerns about his weight, Lacy has proved to be durable during his NFL tenure (playing in 46 of a possible 48 regular-season games) and will also have the ability to showcase his newfound physique in a Packers offense that should be well-suited for his rushing style.
Opposing defenses can ill afford to bring too many defenders into the box because quarterback Aaron Rodgers will slice them apart. The signal-caller has thrown for at least 3,821 yards in seven of the last eight seasons and only failed to reach that mark in 2013 because of a broken collarbone. He also topped 4,000 passing yards five times in that span and is widely considered to be one of the best players in the league.
With fewer defenders in the box, the physical Lacy will have the opportunity to drag his way through tacklers and pick up difficult yardage near the goal line and first-down markers. That will be even easier in 2016 now that he is apparently in better shape.
Read 0 Comments
Download the app for comments Get the B/R app to join the conversation