Report: Packers work out former Wisconsin Badgers RB Montee Ball

[Da-news-now]

Is this the first step towards a reunion of former Badger stars, or is Green Bay just curious to see if a free agent has anything left in the tank?

Something was weird with Eddie Lacy on Thursday night. Nobody outside of the Green Bay Packers' organization really knows what's going on, and nobody is telling, but clearly something happened this week or during the game against the Lions to make him fall out of favor with his coaching staff.

Mike McCarthy even mentioned it in his press conference on Friday, saying Lacy's limited snaps "could be" a disciplinary action, but giving no more details.

Furthermore, the Packers promoted John Crockett from the practice squad before Thursday's game and released Alonzo Harris, another strange move. Crockett then went on to take the first series of the second half, helping to spark a little energy into the offense.

Now, we have no idea what's going on there, but there is a report out today that a well-known free agent running back spent the day in Green Bay today:

Notable Friday tryout: RB Montee Ball with the Green Bay Packers. The backfield intrigue grows.

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) December 4, 2015​

Yes, that's former Wisconsin Badgers running back Montee Ball, he of the 83 total touchdowns in his four years in Madison.

In all honesty, this very well might mean nothing at all. After being the 58th overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft (chosen three spots ahead of Eddie Lacy), Ball struggled to see the field consistently in 21 games with the Denver Broncos in 2013 and 2014, as he started just three of those games and averaging 4.2 yards per carry.

However, for Packers fans who are also fans of the Badgers, it will bring back some visions of the 2011 Wisconsin offense. That season, Ball posted over 2,200 yards from scrimmage and 39 touchdowns while his teammate, current Packers receiver Jared Abbrederis, finished with eight touchdowns and nearly 1,000 offensive yards of his own.

There have been no reports that a signing is imminent, and Ball was not the only player to work out in Green Bay on Friday - former Broncos quarterback Zac Dysert was also working, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. We'll be keeping an eye on the transaction reports this weekend just in case.

One thing is certain, however: this decision raises even more questions about the state of the Packers' running backs. Stay tuned.

NOTE: The Green Bay Press-Gazette's Wes Hodkiewicz notes that Ball is eligible for the Practice Squad under the league's veteran exemption. Since the Packers have not used either of their two available exemptions this season, it is possible that they may be looking to fill the spot vacated when Harris was released and Crockett was promoted on Thursday.

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[57packer]

I don't think Ball brings anything to the table. If the idea is to put him on the PS for the rest of the season to get a look at him, fine. I'm a pretty big Badger fan but I don't see Ball being a great fit other than the fact that UW runs a lot of zone blocking scheme so Ball may be somewhat familiar with that aspect of what the Packers do. I'd be fine with Starks, Lacy and Crockett the rest of the way - unless of course something turns negative on the Lacy front.