Eddie Lacy: 2015 Packers Player Report Card

It was an ugly season for Eddie Lacy. Did he do enough at the end to avoid a failing grade?

Eddie Lacy

  • Age: 25
  • Ht./Wt: 5'11", 234lbs
  • College: Alabama
  • NFL Experience: 3 years

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Expectations coming into the season:  Lacy was viewed as a rare thing in today's NFL: a three-down back who could take the ball to the house on any play. After back-to-back seasons of more than 1,000 yards and a yards per carry average which increased from 4.1 to 4.6 between his rookie and sophomore season, the Packers expected Lacy to continue to improve his game and help carry the offense when it needed a hand. When Jordy Nelson went down in the preseason, the team certainly expected Lacy to help ease the loss.

Player’s highlights/low-lights: Lacy had back-to-back 100 yard games against Minnesota in Week 11 and Chicago in Week 12, totaling over 200 yards in 39 carries. During those games he ran strong, showed a good nose for open space and the ability to run past-or through- defenders when needed.

Most of the rest of his season was technically a low point, but the lowest was being benched in Week 13 for violating curfew. That and Mike McCarthy calling into question his off-season routine and weight, which would be anyone's low point.

Level of Expectations met:  While Lacy had moments where he looked good, he never looked completely right and the season was, for the most, part a disaster for him. He looked slow, labored and rarely broke away from anyone in the open field. Lacy struggled to maintain a consistent level of production, so instead of helping to carry the team while Nelson was out, Lacy struggled under the burden and could not overcome the extra attention he got. The team rarely could depend on him and the offense suffered for it.

Grade: F

Player’s contributions to team success:  The team got maybe four solid weeks worth of work from Lacy during the regular season, with just three touchdowns on the ground and a career-low 20 catches from him. The entire season was a step back for the offense, and Lacy was no exception. On the plus side, he played well in the playoffs, which we'll get to in a minute.

Grade: D

Player’s contributions in the playoffs:  After an awful regular season, Lacy really stepped up in the playoffs, totaling 152 yards on 24 carries and averaging 6.3 yards per carry. While he struggled at first against Washington, he set up a James Starks touchdown and later sealed the win with a touchdown of his own. In the loss against Arizona, Lacy had success despite a box often stacked with defenders. He had two key, long runs in the third quarter to set the Packers up for a touchdown to get the lead for the first time all game. After a year of dreck from him, Lacy showed up and played hard when it counted.

Grade: B

Intangibles/misc: Until this year it was thought that Lacy was a good worker and a solid teammate. While he may be both of those things, the work aspect seemed to slip from him this year and he was certainly not at his best physically. Entering his fourth year, Lacy has to start taking on some leadership with the team, and that starts with setting an example in the  weight room as well as on the field. 

Grade: C

 

Overall Grade:  D+

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Comments (39)

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Packer_Pete's picture

February 11, 2016 at 05:49 am

"234lbs" - that's a joke and we all know it :-)

Overall I think he was injured most of the time. I still enjoyed seeing him run, but it was obvious in the open field that this was not the Eddie of the past season.

I think that if he dedicates himself to losing a few pounds and does a better job conditioning, then he will come back stronger than ever. I also think it speaks volumes that his RB coach was fired. With all the Starks fumbling and the not so great performances of Eddie, I think we also know that coaching was not up to par. Not meaning that as an excuse, but it certainly also played a role.

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jeremyjjbrown's picture

February 11, 2016 at 10:41 am

I think the Packers have a special scale that Raji, Lacy and Richard Rodgers stand on at weigh in. I don't care in the case of Raji.

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Razer's picture

February 11, 2016 at 02:18 pm

Ha, ha

I hear that the TV cameras make you look 20 to 40 pounds heavier...

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Rossonero's picture

February 11, 2016 at 07:07 am

Obviously he was out of shape, but it was a perfect storm:
- ankle and rib injuries
- a banged up and inconsistent offensive line
- a dreadful passing attack meant defenses could load the box

There's no excuse for being out of shape,but I'm very confident that in a contract year, he'll have the motivation to get in shape.

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NickPerry's picture

February 11, 2016 at 07:43 am

One would really hope so but Lacy's "Passion" for Football was questioned coming out of Alabama. If he does come to OTA's and Camp in shape which I believe he will too, I still wonder if Lacy will be offered a contract extension or even resigned. How can you trust a guy and give him a big contract that stayed THAT fat and THAT out of shape for an entire season? The only way Ted resigns Lacy is if it's incentive laden. My guess is Ted drafts his replacement in this years draft.

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Rossonero's picture

February 11, 2016 at 07:59 am

I think the problem was starting the season out of shape. Being behind the 8 ball made it tough to get in shape during the season. His bad eating habits and injuries didn't help either. Now he must form new habits. He'll be fine. Have you ever seen his E60? He's been through too much to let his career slip away.

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NickPerry's picture

February 11, 2016 at 05:14 pm

I saw it, it was something. I guess my thought was even coming into camp so out of shape is he'd start working himself into better shape as the season progressed. Eddie didn't, if anything he got worse. That run against Arizona where he picked up 60 on the carry, but ran out of gas at about 30 yards had to be embarrassing as a professional athlete. I mean he should have been in better shape just doing walk trough's all season, don't you think?

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Rossonero's picture

February 11, 2016 at 09:20 pm

Yes, he should've been in better shape. Listening to ESPN's Mike & Mike in the morning, Mike Golic mentioned that it's not unheard of for a player to have a few good seasons, then get a little complacent. Not to say it's ok at all, but it does happen.

Coy Bacon, All-Pro defensive end from the late 60s and 70s, struggled with his weight initially with the Dallas Cowboys. He was traded several times, but was a menacing defensive end for several teams, racking up dozens of sacks. Lacy will figure it out. I'm reluctant to give up so quickly on the best RB we've had since Ahman Green, but in the end, it's up to Lacy.

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sonomaca's picture

February 11, 2016 at 09:36 pm

If Elliott falls, do they take him at #27? That allows them to dump Starks and doesn't force them to resign Lacy. Also, would likely be a big upgrade.

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Rossonero's picture

February 12, 2016 at 01:12 am

They should take him, but my guess is he'll have a good combine and will be long gone by then. There's other interesting RB prospects later on too, such as Josh Ferguson from Illinois. He should be around in rounds 3-4.

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RCPackerFan's picture

February 11, 2016 at 07:16 am

Obviously Lacy's worst year as a pro. He is now at the crossroads of his young career. He has to come into next season in shape.

If Lacy comes in next season, in shape, and in the right mindset, our offense might become unstoppable. Especially if our WR's come back healthy.

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Thegreatreynoldo's picture

February 11, 2016 at 07:37 am

"...a three-down back who could take the ball to the house on any play." No, I think most of us viewed him as a 3-down back who conceivably could but was unlikely to take it to the house on any play.

I didn't expect him to get better. I count 7 pretty good games, 9 inc. the playoffs. My biggest disappointment would be that he only had 20 receptions - I was hoping for 60 receptions. Also, I thought he would break more tackles and be a trifle more elusive. I think we all expect professional football players to come to TC in reasonable shape, so that is disappointment. Despite all that, with 758 rushing yards, a D for expectations seems more appropriate. I agree with the other grades.

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zoellner25's picture

February 11, 2016 at 08:48 am

Great point. you aren't a 3-down back if you can't outrun Gilbert Brown.

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Tundraboy's picture

February 11, 2016 at 05:54 pm

Agree on F grade being too harsh and as far as thinking he could take it to the house not really, and not this year for sure.

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Razer's picture

February 11, 2016 at 08:11 am

Discouraging that a man doesn't take his take his craft serious enough to show up in-shape ready to play. Championship teams don't have these kind of gaps in commitment, especially at key positions. It forces the Packers to invest again at RB to protect themselves.

Good on MM for calling out Eddie at season's end.

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sheppercheeser's picture

February 11, 2016 at 12:00 pm

I totally disagree with MM's callout of Lacy- it should've been done behind closed doors. I don't think MM would like it if TT called him out on bad play calling or clock management via the press.

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Razer's picture

February 11, 2016 at 02:30 pm

McCarthy took a ton of flak for Lacy all year long, giving Lacy time to get things right. From showing up over-weight and out of shape to missing curfew in Detroit, it is obvious that Lacy didn't get the message. Call it 'a last chance' or 'a kick in the ass', either way Lacy and his camp know the score going forward. The coach did Lacy a favor by giving him a public challenge to take his pro life serious.

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Oppy's picture

February 11, 2016 at 09:40 pm

Yeah, I agree with the above comment- It is highly unlikely that MM (or the trainers, or the position coach, or..) didn't bring up the issue with Lacy during the season behind closed doors, and just decided to bring it up in the public eye out of the blue.

I'm fairly confident that the Packers gave Lacy direct communication about his conditioning throughout the year, and MM clearly felt that he had not responded. If there's one thing that can be said about McCarthy, it's that he has shown he typically protects. defends and deflects for his players. This time, it seems, he felt he needed to attempt to shock/shame Lacy into action because all else had failed.

We'll see if Lacy responds or not.

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zoellner25's picture

February 11, 2016 at 08:47 am

a D+ is way too kind. he gets an F. I just don't think he cares enough about football, and he plays the position where guys take more of a beating than anyone else. I didn't want to believe he was that out of shape until MM benched him for the Detroit game. He's lazy.

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EdsLaces's picture

February 11, 2016 at 09:59 am

I got this guy's don't worry. I've been eating boiled chicken and broccoli for 2 weeks. Tony Horton is no joke either. At 75 years old he's still got it.

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TarynsEyes's picture

February 11, 2016 at 09:59 am

How well a player does in a contract year is near the bottom of the list for the final decision criteria. Lacy did well in his first seasons with offense that was strong overall but when the offense took a hit his desire for his team success and his own didn't appear strong as witnessed by his lack of care with weight and performance. He needs to show much more in many aspects before a big contract is possible or move on beginning with this draft. Weight is and will be his undoing as he attested to being an issue in the family mindset and it's likely acceptance of it being so.

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Thegreatreynoldo's picture

February 11, 2016 at 08:44 pm

I agree with you on the contract year issue. I would just like to add that I find it very disappointing that Lacy came into camp overweight for a season that many thought (pre-Nelson injury anyway) might end with a trip to the super bowl. That did not motivate him either.

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4thand1's picture

February 11, 2016 at 05:00 pm

I love FF's but get no sleep. My hamstrings are fine.

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Oppy's picture

February 11, 2016 at 09:41 pm

Diets high in fats actually help defend against tissue injuries like pulled hamstrings.

Go team FF!

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Lphill's picture

February 11, 2016 at 11:13 am

Lacy will be comeback player of 2016 , he will be in shape and has a new coach.

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zoellner25's picture

February 11, 2016 at 11:18 am

Man I hope you are right, if we want any shot at SBLI anyway

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sheppercheeser's picture

February 11, 2016 at 11:54 am

Yup, Eddie can take it to the house alright..... the International HOUSE of Pancakes!

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lou's picture

February 11, 2016 at 11:57 am

Huge surprise this season, he looked like the long time answer as a 3 down back. He came in as a rookie a solid north/south runner with lean, he caught the ball and blocked better each season, and fought for every single yard. The good news is that even 20 plus pounds over weight he still had several 100 yard games when he seemed unstopable. The future is in his and his trainers hands, it's that simple.

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Samson's picture

February 11, 2016 at 12:44 pm

You can blame the player for lacking motivation but I fault MM & his crony coaching staff. -- Are they blind or just plain stupid??? ------ Didn't MM make excuses for Lacy all season ??? -- Even fans laying on their couch watching Lacy could see that something was amiss.

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Rossonero's picture

February 11, 2016 at 02:27 pm

Good point. Why make excuses all season long, then criticize at the end? Because of a bitter loss? I wonder, had the Packers won the Super Bowl, would McCarthy still have ripped Lacy in public? I don't think so. Probably privately.

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Razer's picture

February 11, 2016 at 02:39 pm

MM had his player's back through the season. He deflected criticism and distraction so that his players could do their work. Lacy hung his coach out to dry by failing to do his job on various fronts. This is all on Lacy and McCarthy let him know at season's end that he needs to take responsibility for his conditioning and conduct going forward. Don't blame the messenger, he travelled through hell to deliver this message.

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Since'61's picture

February 11, 2016 at 05:00 pm

I would send Lacy a very loud message by drafting his replacement this year. We will need to replace Starks anyway. Find a back with some speed and the ability to catch out of the backfield. More nimble than Lacy but still tough to bring down. If Lacyu turns himself around we have 2 backs that are tough to handle. Nothing wrong with that and we get Lacy back. If Lacy does not turn it around we have his replacement and Lacy can gain all the weight he wants once he's released. Thanks, Since '61

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Tundraboy's picture

February 11, 2016 at 06:15 pm

I'm with you on that.

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Bearmeat's picture

February 11, 2016 at 07:35 pm

You do realize the guy you are talking about is the same guy whose family made it through hurricane Katrina and several moves in the following years don't you?

Don't you think that type of guy would be pretty mentally strong?

Ridiculous once again Cowpie

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Oppy's picture

February 11, 2016 at 09:43 pm

You're talking about mentally fragile personalities? #glasshouse

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Tundraboy's picture

February 11, 2016 at 06:14 pm

After the previous year's debacle, the last thing I expected was for anyone to come into the season out of shape. Maybe the coaches were not paying attention. I wish this wasn't a contact year since if he has a great year people will cite that as a reason. Lacy has a lot to prove if he wants any kind of long term deal imo.

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Tundraboy's picture

February 11, 2016 at 06:14 pm

Deleted

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Oppy's picture

February 11, 2016 at 09:51 pm

Clearly, Lacy was overweight this season. It probably affected his play more from the standpoint of hindering his recovery from an ankle injury moreso than just being too out of shape to be impactful, but either way, it was an issue.

That being said, I think Lacy(and starks) also suffered from not being fed the ball as much as they probably should have during much of the season. I think some of that blame is on the man in charge of calling in the plays (I believe MM only really feels comfortable using the run to set up PA and to control clock during a lead), the man under center who has the ability to change the play at the LOS and likes to pass the ball, and lastly, the fact that the Packers were stuck playing catch-up too frequently in games this season and didn't have the ideal situations to run the ball.

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Tundraboy's picture

February 13, 2016 at 11:47 am

Very good points about why and when they run. Need to be less obvious and predictable about that. Everyone knows MM goes away from run as soon as he can.

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