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Cheese Curds, 2/22: Eddie Lacy's risk/reward equation leaves value in question

Green Bay's free agent running back is atop multiple lists of free agents, but will that translate to a big new contract?

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Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

When he has remained healthy, Eddie Lacy has largely been a productive running back for the Green Bay Packers. In 2016, he was on the best pace of his career in several statistical measures before an ankle injury put him on injured reserve.

Lacy's 5.1 yards-per-carry average was a half-yard better than any other full season in his four-year career, and was a full yard better than his average during a disappointing 2015 campaign. However, questions about his weight and conditioning still cloud the picture for his free agent status, and appear likely to lead to him getting a shorter, incentive-laden contract rather than a big-money deal like a couple of other players at his position.

In today's Curds, Lacy and the running back position in general are discussed, along with a look back at a legendary Packer's legendary wait and much more.

Top 10 NFL RBs set to hit free agency | PFF
PFF ranks Lacy second among all free agent running backs this season, behind only Le'Veon Bell. Meanwhile, another name that might be a good fit in Green Bay is Arizona's Andre Ellington.

Notable free agent running backs - NFL Videos
Meanwhile, here's a video breakdown from NFL.com of the running back class, with a focus on Lacy, Bell, Latavius Murray, and LeGarrette Blount.

They're a double-edged sword | Packers.com
In Mike Spofford's mailbag, he takes on a reader who wants Clay Matthews to go away and discusses some of the differences between Ted Thompson's and Bill Belichick's approaches to roster-building.

Kenny Clark, Dean Lowry project well for future of Packers' defensive line - ESPN
Was Clark a star as a rookie? No, but that's likely not what the Packers were expecting. He's remarkably young, and developed his game as the season progressed; look for him to take a big step in year two.

Jerry Kramer: Famous for Not Being in the Hall | The MMQB with Peter King
Reading the account of Kramer waiting for the Hall of Fame announcement in 1997 is devastating. What more do Packers fans have to do to get this guy in Canton?

Bears shopping Jay Cutler; almost certain to move on - NFL.com
SHOCKING. The Bears couldn't find a trade partner two years ago for Cutler, though, and he'll probably end up getting released.

Martellus Bennett accidentally threw major shade at Magic Johnson - SBNation.com
Bennett tried to say that he wished he could replay a conversation he had with the NBA legend, but his phrasing unfortunately made it sound like he was dissing Magic.