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Packers OC believes rookie RB will add 'explosive element' to offense
The Packers revamped their running back room this offseason, parting ways with Aaron Jones (Vikings) and signing former Raider Josh Jacobs.
However, it's the first of Green Bay's third-round picks (No. 88) from the 2024 NFL Draft that offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich believes could play a significant role in 2024.
"I would like to get [MarShawn Lloyd] out there as much as possible," Stenavich said via Eric Edholm of NFL.com. "It'll be nice to get him the ball in space and just see what he can do because I think he's gonna add a good explosive element to the offense."
Lloyd was NFL Network draft expert Daniel Jeremiah's top-rated running back in the entire class after rushing for 820 yards and nine touchdowns at USC in 2023. He also showcased his speed, running a 4.38 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine.
The biggest concern with Lloyd has been his lack of availability. He suffered injuries in each of his four years of college at both South Carolina and USC.
If Lloyd can stay healthy, he may reach the high expectations the Packers have for him, but it's still hard to imagine him out snapping Jacobs, who was just handed a four-year, $48 million contract in free agency.
Jacobs is coming off a bit of a down season when he rushed for 805 yards and six touchdowns. Green Bay likely paid him to be the All-Pro running back he was in 2022 when he rushed for a league-leading 1,653 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Stenavich acknowledged just that, defining Jacobs as a three-down back.
"Josh is a phenomenal running back," Stenavich added. "He's one of those guys that you can really have in the game all the time and not have to worry about anything with him."
It's safe to say Jacobs will be the lead back in 2024, but the sneaky addition of Lloyd could give the Packers one of the best running back duos in the league.
More must-reads:
- Packers HC has high expectations for rookie safety: 'He's a sharp guy'
- NFC North check-in: Most, least improved position groups post-draft
- The '1,000 or more receiving yards in 2023' quiz
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MarShawn Lloyd practice injury a reminder of health concerns for Packers RB
Green Bay Packers second-year running back MarShawn Lloyd had to have been experiencing deja vu on Monday afternoon in training camp. Most of his rookie season was cut short because of a string of injuries, and those injuries started during his rookie training camp. The Packers are hoping for big things out of Lloyd in year two — after all, they selected him in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft out of USC — but he's already getting banged up not even a week into training camp at Ray Nitschke Field. Lloyd was injured on the first day of padded practices, and head coach Matt LaFleur can't be too happy about how that injury took place. Early on in the first set of 11-on-11, new Packers cornerback signee Nate Hobbs tackled Lloyd low at the legs. It was a hit that would have been perfectly legal in a game, but it wasn't what LaFleur was looking for in this practice. “We need everybody to stay up on their feet,” LaFleur had said at the practice, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “We’re not going to the ground today (full tackling). So, that’s the expectation that I have for our guys. And I love the competitive spirit out there, but I want them to take care of each other as well.” That hit sent Lloyd to the ground, and he injured his right leg in the process. He didn't practice for the rest of the day, and his injury status is unclear because the Packers don't update injuries on the same day they occur. The hit also sent Hobbs to the bench as an act of discipline by LaFleur. After the practice, the cornerback, who spent the first four years of his career with the Las Vegas Raiders, admitted that he knew he was wrong. “It wasn’t malicious. I didn’t see him until the last second. I got off a blocker. I just saw him. He got low and I got low and he hit me just as I got low. I didn’t get a chance to ask him about it, but I can't do that," Hobbs said.
Ryan McMahon Only Needed 2 Games With the Yankees to Embarrass Aaron Boone
Only eight plate appearances into his New York Yankees career, Ryan McMahon has already been more productive than the team’s previous third base options. What might sound hyperbolic or outright false at first glance is actually true, at least from a certain point of view. Analytics — specifically, Wins Above Replacement — proves that argument, and it’s one that Yankees manager Aaron Boone should be ashamed of. McMahon went 2-for-3 with a two-run double in Sunday’s victory over the Phillies, giving him four hits in his first eight at-bats. FanGraphs ruled that McMahon is already worth 0.2 fWAR through two games in a Yankees uniform. Amazingly, McMahon has a higher fWAR than the trio of DJ LeMahieu, Oswald Peraza, and Jorbit Vivas, who have played a combined 148 games in the infield thus far. LeMahieu provided -0.1 fWAR over 45 games before being unceremoniously cut earlier this month, while Vivas (-0.2) is currently at Triple-A. Peraza and his -0.6 fWAR remain on the active roster, though he’s shifted into a bench role. Baseball-Reference has been slightly more generous, giving Peraza -0.2 bWAR. Boone stuck with LeMahieu and Peraza until he couldn’t anymore, and it’s partly why the Yankees have dropped to 5 1/2 games back in the AL East. Injuries and age took their toll on LeMahieu, who only played second after returning from calf and hip problems. Peraza owns a .152 average and .452 OPS in 170 plate appearances. We’ll see if McMahon can elevate the Yankees, who open a pivotal four-game set with the rival Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night.
Dallas Cowboys work out trio of DBs with experience under Matt Eberflus
The Dallas Cowboys know all too well what it's like to have a secondary decimated by injuries. This season, the team is looking to bring in some camp bodies to get them through the next month of training camp and the NFL preseason. With All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs and third-round 2025 NFL draft pick Shavon Revel recovering from season-ending injuries a year ago and Caelen Carson recovering from offseason surgery, the team is checking out some reinforcements. Following Monday's practice session, it was reported that the Cowboys have worked out four defensive backs in Oxnard: Thomas Graham, Harrison Hand, Christian Holmes, and Christian Matthew, according to ESPN's Todd Archer. An interesting note about the group of cornerbacks is that all but Holmes spent a brief tenure under Cowboys defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus while he was head coach of the Chicago Bears. Hand was a fifth-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in the 2020 draft. The 26-year-old spent the 2022 season under Eberflus in Chicago. Graham was drafted by the Bears in the sixth round of the 2021 draft and spent just over a year with the team before being signed off the practice squad by the Cleveland Browns. Matthew, who was tied for fifth in the nation in pass breakups during his time at Valdosta State, was a seventh-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals in 2022. He spent part of the 2023 season on the Bears' practice squad before becoming a free agent. Holmes, the lone player of the group who did not play under Eberflus, has spent three years in the league with NFC East rivals. After being selected in Round 7 of the 2022 draft by the Washington Commanders, he briefly signed with the New York Giants last summer. Whether any of the players sign a deal in Dallas remains to be seen, but don't expect them to be much more than camp bodies while the team waits for its secondary to get back to full strength.
LA Lakers have inside track to sign 2x All-Star in new buyout deal, it would complete their roster
The Los Angeles Lakers could make yet another addition to their roster this offseason. After a poor postseason run, the Los Angeles Lakers have been active this summer in hopes of bolstering their roster. In fact, general manager Rob Pelinka has already made some key additions to the roster, including Deandre Ayton, Jake LaRavia, and Marcus Smart. Signing an elite center was arguably the most important task for Pelinka this offseason, and he fulfilled it with the arrival of Ayton. However, one could argue that the Lakers still need a quality backup center. Luka Doncic could recruit Nikola Vucevic to the Los Angeles Lakers While the Lakers re-signed Jaxson Hayes, a player of Chicago Bulls star Nikola Vucevic’s caliber would undoubtedly be a major upgrade. Moreover, with Vucevic being on the Lakers’ radar for years, it means that the organization rates him highly. Previously, the Bulls didn’t indulge in a trade with the Purple and Gold around Vucevic. It has led to Vucevic’s trade value diminishing so much that he is expected to complete a contract buyout with the Bulls. The Laker Nation would love to sign the 34-year-old, and Luka Doncic can help in this quest. How? Well, Doncic and Vucevic share the same agent in Bill Duffy. This means that if Vucevic completes a buyout, the Lakers could have the upper hand in negotiations. The 2x NBA All-Star has given the last five and a half seasons of his career to the Bulls, but it’s obvious that their time together is about to end sooner rather than later. Adding fuel to the fire were former Orlando Magic star Evan Fournier’s comments. Fournier ridiculed the Bulls while taking a shot at Vucevic after the latter called out his move overseas. Luka Doncic has already proven he can recruit stars Ahead of his first full season with the Lakers, Doncic is doing everything in his power to bring back the glory days for the Lakers. He has already undergone a massive transformation to silence his critics. Additionally, Doncic has been actively involved in recruiting players for the Lakers. Smart admitted Doncic was a huge reason behind his decision to sign with the Lakers. Ayton also acknowledged Luka’s role in his decision to join the Purple and Gold. Let’s not forget Ayton also has the same agent as the Slovenian superstar. So, Doncic has already given the inside track for one star; there’s no reason to doubt he would do the same in Vucevic’s case.
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