News: Much has been made of the fusion surgery running back Eddie Lacy had on his toe after the 2011 season, reportedly scaring teams away from drafting him. But the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel did some digging on the procedure, including meeting with the doctor who did the surgery, and came away with the belief that the procedure will not hurt Lacy long-term. Alabama team doctor E. Lyle Cain Jr. said the surgery was a modified version of a standard fusion surgery -- only the bone on the very tip of his big toe was fused -- and that there's no concern about the surgery causing problems for Lacy now. "The joint underneath the toenail was fused to allow the ligament to work better basically," Cain said. "It's something you do to give you a better push-off. His big toe moves just like a normal big toe in terms of motion. ... If you fused it completely, it'd give you a stiff big toe and you can't push off and that's a big problem. In Eddie's case, he does not have that. His fusion does not affect his big-toe motion. The bottom line is, the fusion he had does not affect his big-toe motion."
Analysis: The vote of confidence from the doc is nice but Fantasy owners might finally get a sense of ease with Lacy once he gets through a chunk of training camp practices without injury and makes some moves in a preseason game. Lacy and fellow rookie Johnathan Franklin are expected to form a 'Thunder and Lightning' combo to give the Packers a run game they've been without for years. Lacy specifically should be the more productive of the two because he'll have chances to work at the goal line. Problem is Lacy has a history of injuries including the fusion surgery, so there's a chance something else could sideline him in the future. The later you draft him this summer, the better off you'll probably be. Expect someone in every league will take a stab at Lacy by the end of Round 7, which is where we might begin to consider him, but that could change by mid-August. He'll probably be an early-round selection in dynasty and a Top 10 pick in rookie-only formats as well.
News: Packers head coach Mike McCarthy told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that rookie running back Eddie Lacy is a good fit for the team, particularly after they made some changes to how they want to run the offense in 2013. "We've made some scheme adjustments that we've (provided), visiting with our players the last two weeks," McCarthy said. "We have already started that process. Lacy, frankly, will fit into some of these changes we've made. We'll see how it goes through the offseason and training camp. I'm excited about it."
Analysis: The paper surmises Lacy and fellow rookie Johnathan Franklin will form a 'Thunder and Lightning' combo to give the Packers a run game they've been without for years. Lacy specifically should be the more productive of the two because he'll have chances to work at the goal line. Problem is Lacy has a history of injuries including fusion surgery on his toe that could limit him in the future. The later you draft him this summer, the better off you'll probably be. But someone in every league will take a stab at Lacy by the end of Round 7, which is where we might begin to consider him, but that could change with a couple of positive reports from camp and a stint with the first-team offense in the preseason. He'll probably be an early-round selection in dynasty and a Top 10 pick in rookie-only formats as well.
News: New Packers running back Eddie Lacy told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he'll be ready to play. This comes after a scathing report from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette highlighting his injury history including a fusion surgery on a toe. "From Day 1," Lacy said. "I'm going to be ready to go."
Analysis: Lacy leaves behind a tremendous career at Alabama, rushing for 1,322 yards and 17 touchdowns last season and averaging at least 6.5 yards per carry in each of three college seasons and scoring 30 rushing touchdowns and a pair of receiving touchdowns over that time. A battering ram of a back, Lacy has some good speed to go with a powerful frame and if he holds up for 16 games could be a great source of production. But if he gets hurt or isn't effective early on, fellow rookie Johnathan Franklin will see work in his place. The later you draft him this summer, the better off you'll probably be. But someone in every league will take a stab at Lacy by the end of Round 7, which is where we might begin to consider him, but that could change with a couple of positive reports from camp and a stint with the first-team offense in the preseason. He'll probably be an early-round selection in dynasty and a Top 10 pick in rookie-only formats as well.
News: Did the Packers luck into taking Alabama running back Eddie Lacy with a late second-round pick, or did the Steelers do the right thing by passing on him twice during April's draft? The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports the Steelers passed on Lacy because of a toe injury that took a fusion surgery to fix, per a source. The injury was previously reported as turf toe and was one of several injuries Lacy has had over his young career. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel had a breakdown of his track record at the doctor's office, including playing just seven games as a high school senior in 2008, redshirting at Bama in 2009, the turf toe injury in 2011 with surgery in 2012. Then this past season he had elbow injury and a left-hand surgery that needed seven screws. He had chest and knee injuries that kept him from the combine and his hamstring limited him in his Pro Day in March. When he finally ran a 40-yard dash and performed drills in April he looked out of shape.
Analysis: Lacy leaves behind a tremendous career at Alabama -- he rushed for 1,322 yards and 17 touchdowns with the Crimson Tide last season and averaged at least 6.5 yards per carry in each of three college seasons and scored 30 rushing touchdowns and a pair of receiving touchdowns over that time. But now we understand the hesitancy teams had to take him as well as why the Packers also selected UCLA's Johnathan Franklin to help their ground game. It's pretty clear that Fantasy owners will be lucky to have Lacy for 16 games this season, which is something to keep in mind. The later you draft him this summer, the better off you'll probably be. But someone in every league will take a stab at Lacy by the end of Round 7, which is where we might begin to consider him, but that could change with a couple of positive reports from camp and a stint with the first-team offense in the preseason. He'll probably be an early-round selection in dynasty and rookie-only formats as well.
News:Eddie Lacy was considered a borderline first-round talent, but it took him 61 spots to get selected. That's when the Packers took the Alabama runner late in the second round of the NFL draft. Lacy is the draft's most decorated running back after rushing for 1,322 yards and 17 touchdowns with the Crimson Tide last season. He averaged at least 6.5 yards per carry in each of three college seasons and scored 30 rushing touchdowns and a pair of receiving touchdowns over that career.
Analysis: Conditioning issues and some health concerns stemming from this spring could have been part of the reason why his stock fell. But that doesn't matter now as he has a shot to be an impact player for the Packers and Fantasy owners. Green Bay hasn't run the ball as much as other teams thanks in part to two factors: Aaron Rodgers playing well and no back stepping up. Lacy might solidify a ground game that has been nearly forgotten over the past few seasons. The potential for an every-down back in the Packers offense is huge -- maybe 1,500 total yards and 10 touchdowns -- but until Lacy is healthy and is proven to be in such a role owners shouldn't get excited. As of now he's worth a speculative mid-round pick in drafts -- think Round 7 or 8 -- but that could change with a couple of positive reports from camp and a stint with the first-team offense in the preseason. He'll probably be an early-round selection in dynasty and rookie-only formats as well.
News: NFL.com reports Alabama running back Eddie Lacy ran slow and had a hard time holding up during his Pro Day workout. Lacy reportedly ran 40-yard dash times between 4.57 and 4.60 and seemed out of shape. He had been battling a hamstring tear that kept him out of the combine in February.
Analysis: Lacy is the draft's most decorated running back after rushing for 1,322 yards and 17 touchdowns with the Crimson Tide last season. He averaged at least 6.5 yards per carry in each of three college seasons and scored 30 rushing touchdowns and a pair of receiving touchdowns over that career. He's not quite as talented as Trent Richardson but he seems a bit more able than Mark Ingram, both former teammates of his. Hopefully he doesn't break down as often as Ingram has through his short pro career. Expect Lacy to end up with a chance to start this summer, making him a pick worth taking between Rounds 5 and 6 in standard formats. He'll probably be an early-round selection in dynasty and rookie-only formats.
News:Eddie Lacy, who really opened eyes during Alabama's BCS championship beatdown of Notre Dame, is considered the consensus top running back in the 2013 NFL Draft. But he is not expected to work out at the NFL combine because, according to ESPN, he suffered a hamstring injury last week while working out. ESPN reports Lacy suffered a "small tear in some tissue around his hamstring" and will sit out the combine workouts as a result. However, Lacy hopes to work out during Alabama's pro day March 13.
Analysis: Fantasy owners should continue to monitor Lacy's status and hope he is able to run at his pro day and be ready for training camp with whatever team drafts him. He is projected as a first- or second-round pick in the NFL Draft, and Fantasy owners will probably look at him with high expectations depending on where he ends up. He will likely be worth a mid-round pick in seasonal leagues and an early-round selection in dynasty and rookie-only formats.
