Green Bay Packers

Packers' Starks explains change in running style that kept him healthy

Published Jan. 29, 2016 1:55 p.m. ET

foxsports

Green Bay Packers running back James Starks has overcome the injuries that plagued him early in his career. After missing 29 of his first 64 games with a variety of leg, ankle and foot injuries, he has played all 16 games in each of the past two seasons.

Starks credited a "smarter" running style for his improved health.

Via Ryan Wood of PackersNews.com:

Some of the hits I was taking when I was young. trying to break all those tackles. You break two or three tackles, get two yards and a hurt knee. That was kind of messing me up.

...

I’m still making people miss, but being smarter with it.

Starks is coming off a career-best season. He accumulated nearly 1,000 yards from scrimmage in 2015, while starting running back Eddie Lacy struggled through a tumultuous year. Even though he turns 30 years old next month, the free-agent-to-be will have a chance to test his value as a full-time starter on the open market this spring.

If Starks signs elsewhere and the Packers don't trust Lacy to rebound, running back should be a major position of need this offseason.