Cedric Benson expected to fill in for Kuhn

Benson here, Kuhn sprains ankle
Posted by Vic Ketchman, packers.com editor on August 13, 2012 – 2:06 pm

Cedric Benson dressed in shells and was a limited participant in Monday’s practice, but he won’t play in Thursday’s preseason home opener against the Browns, and that’s causing Mike McCarthy to continue feeling the pinch at running back.

“We’re down to three running backs, Alex Green being one of them,” McCarthy told reporters following a practice that was cut short by 20 minutes on Monday after fullback/running back John Kuhn sustained a sprained ankle. “We’ll see where John is. I’d like to have four (running backs) going into the game.”

Benson spent the majority of practice watching Kuhn, Green and rookie Marc Tyler share reps. James Starks (toe) and Brandon Saine (hamstring) stood off to the side. Green, of course, is less than a year removed from knee reconstruction.

Injuries have created a desperate situation at running back for the Packers, and Benson was signed on Sunday to help ease the crunch. He’s rushed for more than a thousand yards in each of the last three seasons, but he’s more of a runner than he is a receiver and a pass-blocker, which has caused some to question Benson as a fit in the Packers offense.

“We have an idea of the kind of player we’re bringing in. We’ll teach him like we teach the rest of the guys,” McCarthy said. “Cedric Benson is a good fit for us. He’s been a very productive running back.”

McCarthy cited the Packers’ transition to a one-back type of offense as being an especially good fit for Benson.

Injuries are causing practice targets difficult for McCarthy to reach. It would seem to be his greatest concern as training camp heads into its latter stages.

“We’re not where we wanted to be. Today’s practice was supposed to be (two hours, 21 minutes long). When John went down, I didn’t think it was worth the risk to try to get through the last period,” McCarthy said.

Benson will be a welcomed addition to the backfield after he completes the initiation processes and is cleared for full participation.

In other injury news, tackle Marshall Newhouse and wide receiver Tori Gurley returned to practice on Monday. Gurley turned in one of the highlight plays of practice when he bowled over cornerback Dion Turner following a reception.

Defensive lineman Ryan Pickett and safety M.D. Jennings were excused from practice due to personal
reasons. Jermichael Finley continues to be sidelined by a quad injury.

For more on new RB Cedric Benson, who spoke with reporters in the locker room on Monday, click here.

Thompson vows to not ‘prejudge’ roster

Thompson says he won’t ‘prejudge’ roster
Posted by Mike Spofford on August 14, 2012 – 10:43 am

GM Ted Thompson said Tuesday morning that the 53-man roster for Week 1 is a long way from being decided with three preseason games still remaining. The Packers won’t make any cuts until after the third game, when the roster is reduced from 90 to 75 players. It comes down to 53 after the fourth preseason game.

“I don’t try to prejudge it,” Thompson said during his weekly training camp meeting with the media. “I let it go its course. Too many times you think, ‘This is probably going to happen,’ and all of a sudden somebody has a dynamite game and it’s completely different. So I let it run its course. We told these guys they have a chance to make our team and they still have a chance to make our team.”

Thompson also dismissed the notion that the signings of 31-year-old Reggie Wells on the offensive line and 29-year-old Cedric Benson, a running back with a checkered past, have signaled any shift in philosophy with how he goes about building a team. He emphasized that those signings were out of necessity due to injuries and questions about depth at those positions.

“A team is ever-evolving, and we felt like those were good moves at this particular time,” Thompson said. “We were very, very young at a couple of positions, like in the case of Reggie Wells, we’re very young in the backup roles (on the offensive line). Adding a guy with experience, we’ll take a look at him and see how he fits in, see if it’s a good fit. I don’t know if there’s any cosmic change in the way we like to do business.”

Particularly at running back, the injuries have piled up. When John Kuhn sustained an ankle injury Monday, the Packers were down to two healthy tailbacks (Alex Green, who’s on a snap count, and rookie Marc Tyler) and one fullback (undrafted rookie Nic Cooper).

“As we went further into training camp, we realized you never have enough horses,” Thompson said. “It’s a tough position to play. It’s a tough position durability-wise to stay out there. We think he can help that group out. What that means, whether he’s a starter, all that will be determined down the road.”

As for Benson’s off-the-field incidents over the years, Thompson said he spoke with Benson about them and came away confident that Benson is more mature now.

“I don’t want to talk about Cedric’s private affairs, but we had a conversation and I was comfortable he understands that maybe he made some mistakes in the past and maybe he’s more mature and farther down the road in terms of developing in that regard,” Thompson said. “We felt comfortable after that.”

Guard T.J. Lang To contract extension

The Green Bay Packers signed Guard T.J. Lang to his much anticipated contract extension. Ted Thompson, Executive Vice President, General Manager and Director of Football Operations, announced the signing on Tuesday. Lang, a fourth-year player out of Eastern Michigan, was one of only two Green Bay offensive linemen to start all 16 games in 2011 as he opened 15 contests at left guard and one at right tackle. He has started games at three different positions during his pro career (left tackle, left guard, right tackle), appearing in 44 regular-season games with 19 starts in his first three seasons. Lang was drafted by the Packers in the fourth round (No. 109 overall) in the 2009 NFL Draft. He went on to play in all 16 games with three starts in his first season and became the first Green Bay rookie since 2000 to start consecutive games at left tackle.

PreSeason Week 1 vs. Chargers

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