New York Giants: Eddie Lacy Expected To Be Available At Affordable Cost
Free agent running back Eddie Lacy is expected to be available at an affordable cost. That’s valuable information for general manager Jerry Reese.
The New York Giants have parted ways with veteran running back Rashad Jennings. That decision has created an opportunity for 2016 rookie Paul Perkins to receive a heavier workload in 2017, but it’s also created a void on the depth chart.
As the Giants weigh their options, general manager Jerry Reese may be inclined to test the waters with free agent Eddie Lacy.
Lacy, 26, is four years into an NFL career that can be best described as polarizing. He’s one of the best running backs in the league when he’s healthy, but weight issues and related ankle injuries have severely damaged his market value.
According to Pete Dougherty of PackersNews.com of the USA TODAY NETWORK, those issues could result in Lacy signing a one-year deal.
"Teams are aware of his weight problems, and he’s coming off an ankle injury that required surgery and ended his 2016 season after five games.So there’s a good chance Lacy will have to sign a one-year deal to prove to the league his ankle is fine and he can get, and keep, the weight off."
If that proves to be the case, then the Giants could be an interesting team to watch on the free agency front.
Dougherty goes on to report that an anonymous agent he spoke to projected Lacy’s salary at a mere $2 million. If he were available to the Giants for a one-year deal worth $2 million, it would be fair for Reese to take this gamble.
Not only is Lacy one of the more dynamic talents in the NFL, but he’s familiar with former Green Bay Packers assistant and current Giants head coach Ben McAdoo.
McAdoo may not have coached Lacy’s position, but he was a coach in Green Bay during the 26-year-old’s most productive season.
When McAdoo was the quarterbacks coach for the Packers in 2013, Lacy ran for 1,178 yards and 11 touchdowns on an average of 4.1 yards per carry. The year after McAdoo left, he picked up 1,139 yards and nine touchdowns on 4.6 yards per carry.
Lacy’s weight and injuries have become an issue, but he ran for 360 yards on 72 carries in his five appearances in 2016.
Lacy may have health concerns , but he still ran for 72.0 yards per game and 5.1 yards per carry in 2016. That includes a 103-yard game against the Detroit Lions and an 81-yard game on 11 carries against the Giants.
Lacy is coming off of ankle surgery, but if he better manages his weight, it’s conceivable that he could come back strong.
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If the necessary investment is an affordable one-year deal, it would be justifiable for the New York Giants to sign Eddie Lacy.