1) Introduction: At the end of training camp, DuJuan Harris was cut by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Harris was picked up by the Pittsburgh Steelers but lasted only four days on the team. Out of opportunities in the NFL, Harris found a job selling cars at Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram Arlington in Jacksonville, Fla. A few months later, he’d be starting for the Green Bay Packers.
2) Profile:
James Darell Starks
- Age: 24
- Born: 09/03/1988, in Brooksville, FL
- Height: 5’9″
- Weight: 208
- College: Troy
- Rookie Year: 2012
- NFL Experience: 1 year
3) Expectations coming into the season: Considering he was a car salesman to start the 2012 season, not much was expected from Harris this year. Even when he was signed by the running back-needy Packers, Harris was afterthought, still trailing Alex Green and James Starks on the depth chart.
4) Player’s highlights/low-lights: In his first game with the Packers, Harris found the endzone against the Detroit Lions. Including the playoffs, Harris scored four touchdowns in six appearances. It’s hard to consider any part of his 2012 as a “low-light” considering he gave the Packers’ running game a much-needed boost.
5) Player’s contribution to the overall team success: It became evident fairly early that Harris was the team’s most effective running back. In the regular season, Harris racked up 157 yards and two touchdowns on 34 carries. Although he certainly wasn’t the focal point of the Packers’ offense, Harris provided the team with some balance offensively.
6) Player’s contributions in the playoffs: Harris started both of the Packers’ postseason games. Against the Vikings, Harris racked up 100 total yards and a touchdown on 22 touches. Against the 49ers, Harris was successful against a tough San Francisco run defense, racking up 53 yards and a touchdown on just 11 carries before the team abandoned the ground game.
Season Report Card:
(A+) Level of expectations met during the season
(C+) Contributions to team’s overall success.
(A) Contributions to team during the playoffs
Overall Grade: A-
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Marques is a Journalism student, serving as the Sports Editor of UW-Green Bay\'s campus newspaper The Fourth Estate and a Packers writer at Jersey Al\'s AllGBP.com. Follow Marques on Twitter @MJEversoll.
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Benson excited in the 1st month and Dujuan excited in the last month. Will Dujuan be able to go a full season. Not likely, teams will be more prepared. Will he outperform Alex Green? that is the question. Whoever wins the battle in August, then trade the other (or release).
GB needs a top tier everydown RB to carry the team! I like Monte Ball but their are other RB’s available in 2nd round that will do the job.
If Starks and Green show up and are hurt, throw them on IR and cut them at the end of the next season.
benson excited?
stop it.
he’s an average (maybe slightly below average) NFL back. did he look good compared to the garbage we’ve had to endure for who knows how long? yes. is he exciting? hell no.
Benson ran in a power scheme his entire career. I wouldn’t say he excited, but he was just getting the feel and hitting his stride for the zbs when he got hurt. At the vets minimum, he’s worth bringing back. Easily the best RB the Packers had till he got hurt. With more experience in the blocking scheme he would be an effective RB.
Harris is easily best as a part time RB, role player. Not big enough to handle a full time job.
harris did a ton with limited opportunities. He may not have been the focal point of the offense, but when his number was called he answered, and that is exactly what the packers need from the RB position. only time will tell whether or not harris’ production will disappear as fast as james starks’ did.
FWIW, Harris is listed at nearly the exact same height and weight as MoJoDrew. Seems that it is a bit premature to say that Harris can’t carry the load in the backfield. Of course, it is equally premature to anoint him as the clear solution to the lackluster RB corps. However, until GB knows what they have in their young talent (another year to get healthy for Starks and Green, and the unknown abilities of Harris) I am perfectly comfortable taking a wait-and-see approach with the backfield.
I don’t want to see GB waste a pick on a RB, like the Saints did with Mark Ingram. . .
The thing I like best about Harris, is his ability to leak out of the backfield and be a real threat to defenses that sell out to stop the other 4 guys running routes. It is an effective way for GB to mimic the threat of a highly-mobile QB without Rodgers getting his head taken off. Seems like a good outcome.
It’s too bad we didn’t see more of him against the 49ers in the second half. Hopefully he can stay healthy all year next and provide some excitement from the running back position.
It’s the offseason, and I’ll get excited when free agency and the draft starts, but for now I’ve gotta go along with ThomasMagnum on this, wait and see. I also see a guy the size of MoJoDrew, and I thought that from day one, no problem.
Give the kid a chance, see what happens, and let the chips fall where they may. Harris has certainly earned a legitimate shot at a long hard look!
To be determined is all I have to say.
Harris looked great when he was given reps. I hope that he can continue to develop alongside Alex Green who also looked good late in the year.
A more size-able piece in the run game would be nice but as of now, it’s looking like a pretty respectable two-headed attack.
Leagues above Kuhn and Falls Forward(TM) anyway.