Alex Green is trying to come back from a knee injury he suffered Oct. 23. Credit: Mark Hoffman

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Green Bay - Four teams already stocked with at least one high-octane running back - Chicago, Kansas City, Carolina and San Francisco - went out and got themselves another in free agency last spring.

The Bears signed Michael Bush from Oakland, the Chiefs signed Peyton Hillis from Cleveland, the Panthers signed Mike Tolbert from San Diego and the 49ers signed Brandon Jacobs after his release by the New York Giants.

In Green Bay, where coach Mike McCarthy's team passed more and with greater efficiency in 2011 than ever before, the Packers elected to stand pat.

Well, not exactly. They did cast aside Ryan Grant, their best back down the stretch a year ago. He remains adrift in free agency and, in all probability, won't be returning.

Thus, the depth chart of James Starks, Alex Green and Brandon Saine leaves the Packers scraping near the bottom of the barrel in the National Football League at a position that annually seems to lose more importance.

"I wouldn't call it (the talent) mediocre," said Alex Van Pelt, the first-year position coach. "Obviously, we've got a very young group, with James being the veteran right now. But there's definitely talent there."

While it's true that the Packers don't expect their running backs to win games, they sure don't expect the unit to lose them, either.

Yet, that's about what happened in the divisional playoffs against the New York Giants six months ago at Lambeau Field. Grant and fullback John Kuhn lost fumbles, Starks and Saine were beat by linebacker Michael Boley for a pair of sacks and, coupled with horrendous play in the secondary, Green Bay went one and out.

Despite the fact that Grant had a strong final month, the Packers never seemed comfortable with the four-year, $18 million deal they extended him in the Brett Favre summer of 2008. Soon to be 30, Grant was a two-down, downhill runner with limitations as a pass blocker and receiver.

McCarthy often saluted Grant as one of the club's finest leaders. Still, the team moved on, giving their three developing big backs a vote of confidence while forcing themselves to get better.

The Packers don't figure to rush any more than the 39.4% they did a year ago, a low for the McCarthy era. They're not looking necessarily for a 1,000-yard rusher, either.

McCarthy prefers the backfield-by-committee approach and has made Van Pelt acutely aware what he wants for his Aaron Rodgers-led attack.

"In our room we talk about protecting our football and protecting our quarterback," said Van Pelt. "That's where it really starts. The rest is a bonus.

"The biggest thing in this system as running backs is, 'Let's get what's there. We don't have to get explosive runs. Let's gain the 4 yards we're supposed to get and keep it in manageable down and distance.' And we have a group that's very capable of doing that."

Starks will enter training camp as the No. 1. However, if Green is able to regain the form he was starting to show before blowing out his left knee Oct. 23, he has the ability to supersede Starks.

Shortly after Starks charged for 315 yards in 81 postseason carries 18 months ago, McCarthy said, "I think he's got a chance to be a great player."

Van Pelt has seen the tapes of Starks tearing apart Philadelphia for 123 yards in a wild-card game and hammering Pittsburgh's rugged run defense for 52 yards in 11 carries in the 45th Super Bowl.

"It's his ability when he gets in the open field," said Van Pelt. "He's a bowling ball of butcher knives. When he gets into a groove and starts to feel it, as a runner, it's something special. He runs very hard."

But three straight seasons filled with injuries have called into question whether Starks can stay on the field and/or contribute when nicked. Just as important is an honest assessment of Starks' capabilities in the passing game, both as a blocker and receiver.

Starks was responsible for seven of the unit's 13½ pressures in 2011, a total that was well up from the group's eight in 20 games the season before.

"I saw some things from James last year where hand placement was an issue," Van Pelt said. "He kind of leaned and shouldered guys, more or less.

"In the off-season we made guys more aware. Striking a blow. Not taking the collision but taking it to them and widening the pocket for Aaron. Not just the fundamentals part of it but being assignment sound. Aaron does so much at the line that we have to be on the same page."

Van Pelt is Starks' third position coach in three years. To find himself, he must smooth his rough edges in protection, receiving and run reads.

At 6 feet, Green doesn't present the inviting target to tacklers that the 6-2 Starks does as possibly the NFL's tallest back. Green's 40 speed of 4.52 seconds is almost identical to Starks' and he caught the ball very well in camp as a rookie.

"He's extremely explosive and a very talented guy," said Van Pelt. "Like to see more of him, obviously."

Green underwent reconstructive surgery Nov. 9, but his rehabilitation supposedly has gone well. Expectations are that he will be cleared for contact fairly early in camp.

Before Green can assume a legitimate role, however, he must pass the protection test.

"From what I've seen, he's got the body type to do it," Van Pelt said. "But like any young back, it takes a while to understand the protection scheme."

Some would argue that the 50-question Wonderlic intelligence test has its shortcomings, but in Saine's case it indicated how quickly he could assimilate the Packers' system. His score of 29 led all backs at the 2011 combine.

Of the three backs, Saine ended the off-season as the most reliable.

"Saine's just steady," said Van Pelt. "He's going to do the right thing. He may not be the electric, Adrian Peterson type, but he's very consistent."

Saine isn't a run-of-the-mill overachiever when it comes to ability, either. His 40 time was a swift 4.39, but what probably earned him a callback in late October was how much harder he ran inside than at Ohio State.

Kuhn suffered a sprained knee in the playoff game and missed much of the off-season. He has carved out five seasons in Green Bay with his ability to swing from fullback to I-back to one back to third-down back.

His value as a blocker comes more in knowing what to do than having the horsepower to get after people.

Kuhn, 29, could be challenged by rookie Nic Cooper, a highly productive running back at Winston-Salem State who is moving to fullback.

"He's explosive, he's powerful," said Van Pelt. "You see a lot of athleticism there. Very soft hands. He's learning, He's coming on."