Why Green Bay Packers Would Be Insane to Cut Ryan Grant

Reports surfaced today that the Green Bay Packers may be wiling to part ways with veteran running back Ryan Grant, instead preferring to keep Dimitri Nance, the player who replaced Grant in 2010 after he was lost to injury in last year's season opener.

Grant, the starting running back for Green Bay since mid-2007, had over 1,200 yards rushing in his 2008 and 2009 seasons and is an important offensive leader for the team.

However, in missing the 2010 season, the opportunity arose for Nance to show off his skills, and clearly impressed the Packers coaching staff despite only having 95 rushing yards for the season.

This preseason, two other Green Bay backs, James Starks and Alex Green, have shown considerable talent.

Starks is already slated to be the starting running back for the team, and rookie Green, who has admittedly been struggling in his preseason appearances, is faster and more explosive than the elder Grant.

This seems to leave Grant as the odd man out. Add in the fact that he was due to receive $3.5 million in salary this year (he has since taken a $1 million pay cut), compared to the $525,000 due to Nance this season, and it seems like a no-brainer to let Grant go.

But this would be too hasty of a decision for the defending Super Bowl champions.

The Packers would be better served to retain a proven veteran such as Grant, at least through this season, to supplement their emerging stable of young running backs. He provides not only depth, but also leadership.

And it is unfair to say that the 28-year-old Grant is over the hill. While the Packers were able to win without him in 2010, his 1,200-yard back-to-back seasons aren't the kind of thing that should be tossed out without any proof that he is unable to replicate his previous success.

To cut a proven veteran without any indication that he retains no value for the team would be a mistake, should the Packers decide to do so.

A more realistic move would be to have Green, the team's third-round pick in this year's NFL Draft, shift to a practice squad position for the 2011 season, and allow him to develop into a more featured position in 2012.

During that time, then, the Packers would be able to evaluate what benefits Grant can continue to provide the team, and if he under-performs, try to move him in the offseason. Cutting him now would be a mistake.