Packers' Ty Montgomery: Could fill hybrid role in 2018

Packers head coach Mike McCarthy said Wednesday that Montgomery (wrist) is still considered a running back, but could be prepped for more of a hybrid role as a tailback/receiver if he can stay healthy in 2018, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com reports.

According to Michael Cohen of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, first-year Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst essentially echoed McCarthy's sentiments, calling Montgomery a "very, very versatile player" and "a guy we can kind of plug him in where we need him." Those comments mark a dramatic departure from last offseason, when Montgomery, who entered the NFL in 2015 as a wideout, was labeled a full-time running back after a promising trial at the position in the second half of the 2016 campaign. Montgomery wasn't able to replicate that success, however, upon opening the past season as the Packers' starting back, finishing with just 3.8 yards per carry on 71 totes while missing eight games due to cracked ribs. It's expected that Montgomery will be back to full strength by the time training camp arrives, but the emergence of rookie runners Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams last season means that Montgomery will likely rank no higher than third on the backfield depth chart. For all the difficulties he has had staying healthy during his career, Montgomery remains one of the Packers' top playmakers, so deploying him as a hybrid or gadget player could be an effective way to limit his wear and tear while still giving the offense an element of explosiveness.