Mike McCarthy on running back DuJuan Harris: “I view him as our starter”

DuJuan Harris made quite an impression on the Green Bay Packers during his limited action last season, running for 257 yards on 62 carries in six games. While Harris has started training camp on the physical unable to perform list due to a knee injury, coach Mike McCarthy says he still considers the 24-year-old running back to be the team’s starter:

"I’m excited to see when DuJuan Harris comes back, because I view him as our starter. I want him to get back in there and earn it like he did all of last year. He made an impact in our offense. (USA Today Sports)"

Of course, the vote of confidence from McCarthy doesn’t mean Harris is guaranteed to be starting when the season begins. Vying for his spot are rookies Eddie Lacy and Jonathan Franklin, as well as James Starks and Alex Green. McCarthy spoke about the stable of talented running backs his team possesses:

"These young guys are competing, doing good things. Eddie and Johnathan have done a lot of good things in their opportunities. They’re young, and they’ve still got a lot of growth. Alex is fighting through a knee (injury). James, this is his best training camp. We’re better today than we were last year."

For those interested in the running back battle in Green Bay, the Packers kick off their preseason against the Arizona Cardinals on Friday.

[Source: USA Today Sports]