Ryan Grant

Halfway through their six-week sabbatical, the Green Bay Packers' trio of rehabbing aspirants appear ready to be declared physically able to perform.

Cornerback Al Harris, safety Atari Bigby and running back James Starks have been working off the grid since the season started, training in anonymity while their teammates prepare to play each week.

All three are aiming to be 100% healthy Oct. 18, when they are eligible to come off the physically-unable-to-perform list. None has taken part in a single snap since training camp started because of injuries that resulted in them failing their physicals, but the club thought enough of their progress to keep them around.

Should they be activated right away, their first game would be against the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field on Oct. 24. They would like to provide a midseason boost to a team that has yet to hit its stride.

Of the three, Starks appears to be the closest to 100%. After aggravating a hamstring injury during the conditioning run at the start of training camp, Starks has rehabbed for almost two months and is running full speed.

The 2010 sixth-round pick attends all the running backs meetings and watches every play during practice in preparation for his return. Given Ryan Grant's season-ending injury, anything Starks could provide would be welcome.

If you are mining the waiver wire for a prospect who could pay future dividends, keep tabs on Starks, who the Packers have been high on.