AP

Packers rookie running back Eddie Lacy was going to play a role in the Packers offense even before DuJuan Harris was placed on injured reserve Tuesday, likely as a bruising compliment to Harris in a one-two punch for the Green Bay offense.

The Packers are going to have to come up with a slightly different plan now that Harris is out for the season. Guard Josh Sitton thinks that the plan will call for more of Lacy and that Lacy will have to respond by playing beyond his status as a first-year player.

“He’s going to have to step up and probably have a larger role,” Sitton said, via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. “He’s going to have to grow. He can’t be a rookie anymore.”

Lacy will be looking at a bigger role, but the Packers can’t put so much on his plate that it winds up limiting his effectiveness. Demovsky writes that fellow rookie Johnathan Franklin “doesn’t look ready to contribute,” which means that veterans Alex Green and James Starks could be looking at expanded roles as well. That’s a big switch from last week when it seemed they were fighting for one roster spot and it is one they’ll need to capitalize on to build the best Packers offense possible.