Green Bay's running difficulties have been somewhat overlooked this season.  But more than a few people (myself included) have voiced their concern with the team's prospects running the football, especially in the red zone.  Some members of this faction place the blame on Ryan Grant and DeShawn Wynn, who have been the primary running backs.  These people want to see Wynn gone and Grant take a lesser role with the offense.  The problem here is that there is no suitable replacement.

These people should be pleased to learn that the team brought in a few free agent running backs for a workout today.  They are Dominic Rhodes, recently cut by the Buffalo Bills...and Ahman Green.

Yes, Ahman Green.

Green's departure from the team back in 2007 was non-descript despite his status as one of the better running backs in franchise history.  Between 2000 and 2004, Green was an outstanding offensive threat, registering five straight seasons of 1,000+ yards, 40+ receptions, and 8+ total touchdowns.  He was the rare back who could be a workhorse on the ground and on flat routes, combining power running with enough burst to break off monster gains.

Then the injuries piled up and turned him into a shell of his former self.  Basically, it's what happened to Shaun Alexander before, what's happening to LaDanian Tomlinson now, and what might eventually happen to Adrian Peterson.  Running backs hit 30 and start getting hurt and eventually become backups for younger versions of themselves.  It's one of the few constants in the NFL.

Still, Green's track record, apparent recovery from his various ailments, and history with the franchise make him an intriguing prospect.  After all, one of his best attributes has been his vision, which is something you don't lose until you hit old age in real life.  Perhaps he can better avoid hitting his teammate's names on the backs of their jerseys while he keeps Grant fresher and (presumably) more able to produce effectively. 

Personally, I doubt that Green would be able to contribute very much, if at all.  This may sound good to those of you who doubt Ryan Grant's ability to execute basic run plays without running into the backs of his blockers, but this is no different than when the team worked out Levi Jones a few weeks ago.  The team is simply kicking the tires on a couple of veterans to see if they could potentially fill an emergency role if players on the current roster got hurt.