New York Giants: Ben McAdoo Names Paul Perkins The Starter
New York Giants head coach Ben McAdoo announced that Paul Perkins will be the starting running back during the 2017 NFL regular season.
The New York Giants have been in a desperate pursuit of stability at running back since 2011. The combination of Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs provided a stellar balance, but in the years that have passed, the Giants have been unable to rediscover that same magic.
In 2017, the Giants will trust a promising young player with the opportunity to save the Giants’ sputtering run game.
New York made a significant change at the position by parting ways with veteran Rashad Jennings. It later drafted former Clemson Tigers star Wayne Gallman, and will look to Shane Vereen for a healthy and productive season.
During a recent appearance on WFAN, however, head coach Ben McAdoo revealed that it will be Paul Perkins who starts at running back.
McAdoo on #Giants run game: "We're working on perimeter things. Paul Perkins is going to be our starter there on first and second down."
— Dan Schneier (@DanSchneierNFL) May 1, 2017
This is a tremendous opportunity for Perkins, who closed out the 2016 campaign in style.
Perkins finished the 2016 regular season with 112 carries for 456 yards, which translates to 4.1 yards per attempt. He added 15 receptions for 162 yards in a display of his versatility during his promising rookie season.
Between Week 15 and Week 17, however, Perkins amassed 226 rushing yards on 47 carries—an average of 4.8 yards per carry.
That includes Week 17, when Perkins became the first and only Giant to run for at least 100 yards during the 2016 season.
With Perkins in on first and second down, Gallman and Vereen will take on a heavy workload on third downs. Perkins is more than capable of making plays as a receiver, but his value will be established by his ability to run between the tackles.
If Perkins succeeds in being able to run behind the likes of Justin Pugh and Weston Richburg, he could diversify the Giants’ offense in an invaluable and genuinely necessary way.
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After the New York Giants ranked No. 29 in rushing yards, No. 30 in yards per carry, and No. 32 in rushing touchdowns in 2016, Paul Perkins needs to step up in 2017.