The Sports Xchange
Christine Michael became expendable Saturday when the Green Bay Packers added three running backs on the final day of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Michael and running back Don Jackson, who opened last season on the practice squad but elevated to the active roster due to a slew of injuries, were let go by the Packers on Monday.
Michael, 26, rushed for seven touchdowns last season splitting time between the Packers and Seattle Seahawks. Michael was a second-round pick of the Seahawks in 2013.
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The moves underline coach Mike McCarthy’s statement Saturday that the Packers view converted wide receiver Ty Montgomery as the No. 1 running back on the roster. Montgomery, drafted as a wide receiver, also played running back at Stanford and moved back to the position when Eddie Lacy went on injured reserve in 2016.
Depth might not be a concern after the Packers went with three running backs -- BYU’s Jamaal Williams (fourth round), UTEP’s Aaron Jones (fifth round) and Utah State’s Devante Mays (seventh round) -- to close the draft.
Williams was the 134th pick and has a chance to carve a niche in the offense as a rookie. His 4.59 speed doesn’t qualify as elite, but he was undoubtedly a workhorse for the Cougars, a role Montgomery never has handled.
Montgomery, who slipped in the 2015 draft because of durability questions (shoulder, knee, arm), ran a 4.55 40-yard dash at the combine.
