Ryan Grant started Saturday's preseason game against Cleveland, finishing the night with 13 yards on three carries. Grant also added a five yard reception and looked healthy in his limited time, but it's hard to take much away from today's performance. We don't expect head coach Mike McCarthy to tip his hand in the preseason, and though indications are that the team will ride the hot hand between Grant and James Starks, a healthy Grant figures to be the starter and primary ball carrier.

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel confirms that Ryan Grant has been the Packers' first-team tailback throughout camp so far. A heavier James Starks is running with the twos. The Journal-Sentinel expects the Packers to ride the "hot hand," but there's little reason to believe it won't be Grant when he's healthy and already locked in as the starter in one of football's most explosive offenses. Starks is shaping up as more of a handcuff pick for Grant, who would offer terrific value as an RB3.

Ryan Grant took the first snap at running back as the Packers opened training camp on Saturday. Grant has been medically cleared and is already participating in full team drills after missing 15 games last season with a serious ankle injury. "I thought Ryan looked very well," observed coach Mike McCarthy. "He had a couple of runs that came out of there. He looked like his old self." Clearly ahead of James Starks, we're warming to the idea of Grant as a rock-solid RB2.

The Packers have paid Ryan Grant's $1.75 million pre-training camp roster bonus, ensuring he'll remain with the club this year.

The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel downplays the idea that coach Mike McCarthy will use a "game-by-game, 50/50 split" in the Packers backfield this year. McCarthy's history suggests he will instead stick with the hot hand "for stretches," preferring one back to touch the ball 20 times per game. "That's his style," says beat writer Tyler Dunne. "He's done it with everyone from [Ryan] Grant to DeShawn Wynn." Grant has the "edge" over James Starks for the early-down job as long as he returns to pre-injury form in training camp.

Ryan Grant says the Packers have informed him that he will return as the team's starting tailback after a lost 2010 season. "That's the conversation that was told to me," Grant said. "I was told that by [former RBs coach Edgar Bennett], initially. Jerry [Fontenot, the new position coach] didn't tell me that anything changed. Jerry told me that as of right now I'm still the leader of the backfield and the expectations won't change. ... I do believe there will be competition, which is fine. I'm all for that." We expect Grant to beat out James Starks for the lead back role, though he's not a safe bet for more than 200 or so carries.