Alex Green was happy with the way his body -- specifically, his surgically reconstructed left knee -- felt after the preseason opener. He was also diplomatic about the Packers’ reported signing of Cedric Benson.
Green spoke to reporters Saturday, a couple of days after the Packers’ loss at San Diego, which was his first game action since tearing his ACL last October. Green carried the ball only three times for three yards, but he emerged unscathed and excited about the prospect of getting increased opportunities as his leg continues to improve.
“I had no swelling after the game, no bruising, no aches, no setbacks,” he said. “I think I might have a little increased role. I feel 100 percent confident mentally in my knee. I’m not really thinking about it anymore. Besides a little rehab after practice, I feel pretty confident.”
Green said he’d find out later in the day what the training staff had to say but he was optimistic it’d be positive. “I felt good after the game, I feel good today. I had no swelling, nothing like that," he added.
A third-round pick out of Hawaii a year ago, Green was slow out of the gates in 2011 but started coming on and impressing coaches by midseason. In Week 7 at Minnesota, though, he suffered the knee injury blocking on a kickoff return. He missed the rest of the season but his rehabilitation went well and he had a head-turning offseason. In training camp, he’s been the best-looking running back. The first big test was the Chargers game, and Green said it was an encouraging one.
“I definitely took a step, just being on the field,” he said. “Just being out there was a step for me -- picking up blitzes, getting used to the speed of the game, all that kind of little stuff. That was big for me, trying to get back to where I used to be, if not better.”
The second-year man was also asked about reports that the Packers had signed Benson, a free-agent back rumored to be in Green Bay on Friday. Green said he hadn’t been told anything by coaches about Benson but he was tactful and team-first when discussing what the 29-year old could bring to the young RB group.
“It definitely adds competition, bringing in a veteran running back," Green said. "We have a pretty young group with [James] Starks being the leader, only three years in. It will bring some experience. It’s somebody to learn from. I think it would be a good asset to this team.”
Green said he wasn’t sure how Benson would be used but insisted he didn’t feel threatened and wasn’t worried about losing snaps.
“I think it’s a great thing for the team,” he said. “This is a business. [General manager] Ted [Thompson] does a great job of bringing in guys and helping the team win a championship. That’s what it’s about here and that’s our goal, so if you bring in a guy that can help us out, then I’m all for it.
“As far as me, I’m working on what I can do.”
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