Who they have: RB Ryan Grant, RB DeShawn Wynn, RB Brandon Jackson, RB Kregg Lumpkin, RB Tyrell Sutton, FB Korey Hall, FB Quinn Johnson, FB John Kuhn.
How many theyll keep: Probably 5.
Best guess (*=starter): Grant*, Jackson, Wynn, Johnson*, Kuhn.
Breakdown: Halfbacks The drop-off in Grants production last season is well-documented. After missing all offseason practices and the first week of training camp while awaiting a multiyear contract the Packers eventually gave him a four-year deal with a maximum value of $30 million; he already has missed escalators Grant injured a hamstring and wasnt at full speed for months. Though he ended up rushing for 1,203 yards, his yards per carry plummeted from 5.1 in 2007 to 3.9 a byproduct of breaking only two runs all season for longer than 22 yards, as he struggled to break arm tackles and get past second-level defenders. At 6-foot-1, Grant is a long bruiser who never will beat defenders with straight speed or quickness, but he's shown his downhill running style can be effective. His first full offseason of work in the Packers program should help him; a healthy and settled offensive line wouldn't hurt either. But whether Grant returns to the form that made him such a threat in his first season here remains to be seen. Coach Mike McCarthy has been reluctant to employ a two-back system, and Grant certainly is being paid like a No. 1 guy. He was due to receive a $2.75 million roster bonus in March, on top of his $1.25 million base salary and a workout bonus of $250,000 for total compensation of $4.25 million this year. Jackson is a former second-round pick entering his third season, a key benchmark. He became a reliable third-down back last season, but his numbers (45 carries for 248 yards with a long of 32, 30 receptions for 185 yards with a long of 18) reflect the fact that he simply hasnt shown game-breaking ability. Wynn responded well after getting cut in August but didnt get many chances (eight carries for 110 yards, all in the last two games). He probably has an edge over Lumpkin, who beat out Wynn in training camp last year but is coming off a significant hamstring injury that ended his rookie season. Sutton, the undrafted rookie from Northwestern, is undersized (5-foot-8, 211 pounds), hasnt been durable, doesnt have great speed and needs to have a fantastic preseason to make the team. Fullbacks Johnson (6-1, 250) seems to be the sort of sledgehammer the Packers lacked during their slide last season, when short-yardage and goal-line situations repeatedly caused problems. That the Packers were willing to draft a fullback in the fifth round and had graded him higher than that shows how much they like Johnson, who is a good bet to make the team. The Packers wont carry three fullbacks, so barring an injury, either Hall or Kuhn probably is out. Theyve been used relatively interchangeably, though Kuhn is better inside, Hall perhaps better in space. Both have been core special-teams players. Hall is more athletic and carries the lower price tag ($460,000 vs. Kuhn's $1.01 million). But Kuhn has been more durable, and that gives him the edge here.