I like this a lot better than Forte. I love when old FAs say, "I want to play for a contender", and then inevitably go for the money. ($9M guaranteed.)
Both Forte and Starks had 4.1yds. per carry last year. Both are 30. Starks has about 700 career touches to Forte's 2,700! Starks knows the Packer offense. Starks fumbled too much last year, which is the concerning issue of keeping Starks. (Hopefully a fluke year.) Until the fumbling bug, Starks was one of few players to show up on offense last year. (QB with mediocre year, a fat starting RB, slow as molasses WRs and TEs lumbering down the field, oft-injured OLmen with turnstile backups...)
But the main thing is, do you want to pay a starting RB salary to a backup? The RB issue isn't Starks vs. Forte. It's whether Lacy can come back in shape. It's whether Jordy and Ty can come back healthy so the offense isn't one dimensional again. Starks is a back-up "fluid" yin to Lacy's starting "ramming" yang. Just fix the fumbling, James!
This is an okay value and smart resigning of Starks in my opinion.