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          NFL Nation

          Jared Cook, James Starks practice without restrictions

          • Rob Demovsky, ESPN Staff WriterNov 9, 2016, 07:41 PM
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              Rob Demovsky is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the Green Bay Packers. He has covered the Packers since 1997 and joined ESPN in 2013. Demovsky is a two-time Wisconsin Sportswriter of the Year as selected by the NSSA. You can follow him on Twitter at @RobDemovsky.
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          GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The two things the Green Bay Packers' offense has missed the most -- a deep-threat tight end and a traditional running back -- could be back in coach Mike McCarthy’s game plan this week.

          Jared Cook and James Starks appeared to have no restrictions at least during the early portion of practice on Wednesday, when they were taken out of the rehab group for the first time in more than a month.

          Cook, the veteran tight end signed as a free agent this offseason, hasn’t played since he badly sprained his right ankle in Week 3 against the Lions. In Cook’s absence, the Packers have only one reception longer than 12 yards by a tight end. Cook, who signed a one-year, $2.75 million contract, caught six passes for 53 yards with a long of 15 yards in the two-plus games before his injury.

          Starks hasn’t played since he underwent knee surgery on Oct. 16 to repair a torn meniscus. Combined with the ankle injury that landed Eddie Lacy on injured reserve, the Packers haven’t had an experienced traditional running back. Instead, McCarthy has used receiver Ty Montgomery extensively in the backfield while sprinkling in snaps for rookie running back Don Jackson and second-year fullback Aaron Ripkowski.

          It’s not like Starks was ultra-productive before his injury. He averaged just 1.8 yards on 24 carries with a long run of just 10 yards. But if all goes well this week, both he and Cook could play Sunday at Tennessee.

          “We’re going to put them in, probably, if you want to put it in a classification or category I’d say limited,” McCarthy said before Wednesday’s practice. “But we’re going to cut them loose today and then tomorrow’s the padded work so that’ll be the best indication on where they are.”

          Cornerback Damarious Randall, however, still appears to be at least another week away from returning following groin surgery. For the first time since the Oct. 20 surgery, Randall did some rehab work on the field off to the side.

          Four other players were not seen at practice: OLB Clay Matthews (hamstring), DT Letroy Guion (unknown), RG T.J. Lang (hip) and C JC Tretter (knee).