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News on the injury front has not been getting any better for the Green Bay Packers. After losing tackle Bryan Bulaga to a torn ACL early in training camp, cornerback Casey Hayward tweaked a hamstring in practice and missed much of the preseason, returning for the third game against the Seattle Seahawks only to reinjure the same muscle. Now, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Tom Silverstein reports that Hayward will likely miss the entire first month of the season with his injury.
Micah Hyde will take Hayward's place in the slot, but expecting a rookie to play as well as Hayward did last season would be foolish, especially when those expectations would be placed on a fifth-round draft pick. The Packers will need Hyde to continue to tackle well around the line of scrimmage, but will likely need to give him safety help in coverage.
Based on the time frame that Silverstein reported, it seems likely that Hayward will be out through the Packers' bye week in week 4. That would cause him to miss the first three games against three 2012 playoff teams: the 49ers, Redskins, and Bengals. A return in week 5 would be welcomed as the Packers host the Detroit Lions and Calvin Johnson that week.
In the meantime, Tramon Williams and Sam Shields will continue to man the starting jobs on the outside.
More from Acme Packing Company:
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- Packers vs. 49ers Preview: Q&A with Niners Nation
- NFL 2013 Predictions: FootballOutsiders.com Says Packers-Patriots in Super Bowl XLVIII
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