"Ryan Grant wasn't one of the Green Bay Packers' six or seven best players, but he was one of their six or seven most important.

So let's make no bones: Grant's season-ending ankle injury is a meaningful blow.

Let's start by acknowledging that the Packers have the playmakers to compensate for the most part. Besides having a top quarterback, they have two difference makers in their passing game with receiver Greg Jennings and tight end Jermichael Finley, and their four-deep receiving corps is as good as any in the NFL.

In other words, they were a pass-first team with Grant and have the talent to remain a top offense and winning team with an even more pass-oriented offense without him. Grant's injury is hardly back breaking in that sense.

On the other hand, it's hard not to think this injury won't matter at some point down the line, most notably in the playoffs, when the opponents get tougher and the defenses get better.

There's a reason Grant was going to get a huge bulk of the Packers' carries for a third straight season. The difference between him and his backups is substantial, enough to make winning a Super Bowl noticeably more difficult now that he won't be in the postseason.

There might be only five players on the roster the Packers could less afford to lose: Aaron Rodgers, Charles Woodson, Clay Matthews, Finley and Jennings.

The Packers have other players who also are better than Grant. Nick Collins, Josh Sitton and Cullen Jenkins come to mind. Nick Barnett, Donald Driver, B.J. Raji and maybe even Ryan Pickett are at least of similar caliber.

Others, because of their position, would have ranked higher in importance in previous years, most notably tackles Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher. But judging by first-round pick Bryan Bulaga's play in training camp, a season-ending injury to Clifton wouldn't hurt as much. Same for Tauscher with either Bulaga or second-year pro T.J. Lang to fill in for him.

The one other player whose loss would be comparable in this sense is cornerback Tramon Williams, especially with Al Harris on the physically unable to perform list for another five weeks.

The issue is how the Packers replace Grant. Brandon Jackson becomes the primary back, John Kuhn will play more in one-back sets and Dimitri Nance, signed off Atlanta's practice squad, is the No. 3. Suddenly, their backfield doesn't look much different than in the first half of 2007, when Jackson, DeShawn Wynn and Vernand Morency rotated in an inert run game until Grant got his shot by default in Week 7 and became a key player in the Packers' run to the NFC championship game."