Sorting out New York Giants running back situation
By Curt Macysyn
There has been a fair amount of speculation that Big Blue may opt for Penn State running back Saquon Barkley in the NFL Draft.
Surely, Barkley seems worthy of consideration by the New York Giants at No. 2. In fact, we won’t make much of an argument against Barkley as being the most talented player available to be selected this year. In reality, we see Barkley or NC State’s edge rusher Bradley Chubb being instant impact players next season.
The problem for the New York Giants drafting Barkley surrounds the current roster. Bringing Barkley on board would be like buying a Tesla when you cannot pay the electricity bill. It feels great at the time, but reality soon sets in.
And putting Barkley behind an inferior offensive line simply won’t work. Even with extreme confidence in general manager Dave Gettleman to get things done, the offensive line may be a two-year process to complete in its entirety.
The prudent thing to do would be to pass on Barkley and grab running back with a second-round or third-round selection.
Draft Contenders
For the record, Sports Illustrated rates Barkley No. 1 on its Big Board. My guess right now is that the highest he goes is No. 3. Two quarterbacks – likely Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen go first and second.
If the New York Giants keep the second overall selection – they could go all-in on a quarterback. It’ll be either Darnold or Rosen. Or they could still trade the pick.
Where does that leave other positions?
At the end of the day, we don’t think the team can by-pass a franchise quarterback. That probably means Barkley takes his talents elsewhere. Ignoring Barkley does not mean ignoring the running game in the draft. In the second-round (No. 34), Big Blue should target LSU running back Derrius Guice.
According to Sports Illustrated:
"“A violent, thrashing runner who thrives running through contact, Guice has the talent to make an immediate impact as an early-down bellcow back. The questions are what kind of contributions he’ll make as a receiver, and whether or not he can stay healthy considering his style after battling a nagging ankle injury last season.”"
Ignore the injury concerns, all running backs have those. The critical question becomes his impact in the receiving game. Keep in mind Gettleman drafted running back Christian McCaffrey (Stanford) last year. McCaffrey embodies a hybrid – part runner, part receiver. Gettleman had the guts to draft a “football player”. That concept got lost during most of the Jerry Reese-years.
New York Giants
One back who fits the mold of a complete football player is Sony Michel of Georgia. Being part of a time-share with Nick Chubb with the Bulldogs may be beneficial to his long-term health prospects. Per Sports Illustrated:
"“[Michel] wasn’t featured heavily as a pass-catcher, but can be dangerous in space and is one of this draft class’s best in blitz pick-up.”"
Michel looks like a better package for the new NFL than guys like Ronald Jones II (USC) or Kerryon Johnson (Auburn). SI rates these guys higher than Michel though.
Status Quo
Free agent running back Shane Vereen became a typical New York Giants free agent signing under former general manager Jerry Reese. It sounded great on paper, on the field it was pretty much a dud. The G-Men paid big money to the former New England Patriots back in order to expand his role. Then the team utilized him the same way as the Pats, and less effectively.
A case could be made for retaining Orleans Darkwa. Clearly, he’s an underdog and deserved more of an opportunity with the New York Giants. But his production may have piqued the interest of other NFL teams. Either way, don’t figure on him being back as the bell cow back.
Second-year man Wayne Gallman averaged 4.3 yards per carry last season. That’s nothing to sneeze at with the offensive line he ran behind. Gallman showed good receiving skills (34 catches) as well. He needs more of a nose for the end zone (1 TD).
Returnee Paul Perkins’ roster spot hangs by a thread. Perkins regressed last season – he averaged 2.2 yards per carry. Calls to cut Perkins are misguided. He certainly deserves a an opportunity to operate in a working offense. At best, he may be in a running back rotation, and at worst, he’s depth.
Free Agents or Trade
The discussion about adding a running back through free agency or trade continues to heat up. The hot name this week was LeSean McCoy. McCoy has two-years and $18 million in salary cap hit left on his contract. No wonder why the Buffalo Bills want to jettison his contract.
Added to the discussion was Pittsburgh Steelers star Le’Veon Bell. With a franchise tag designation in his past, and maybe in his future, Bell won’t take a discount to come to the New York Giants. Receiver Odell Beckham has lobbied to bring the productive Pittsburgh star to New York.
Now, never say never – Giancarlo Stanton to the New York Yankees comes to mind. But overall Bell to Big Blue makes little sense, except in Madden Football.
Ditto Carlos Hyde, who will cost less, and produce much less than McCoy and Bell. Keep an eye on Alfred Morris as a possible replacement for Orleans Darkwa. Morris has just come off of a very affordable two-year, $3.5 million contract with the Dallas Cowboys, per Spotrac.
Must Read: New York Giants: Gettleman has little cap wiggle room
Because of the presence of Ezekiel Elliott, Morris carried the ball less than 200 times over the past two seasons. There’s mileage left on those tires.
New head coach Pat Shurmur knows unrestricted free agent Jerick McKinnon. This is McKinnon’s first foray into free agency, and he may want to go into a solid situation. It’s unsure whether he can be a full-time starter in the league.
The current Sportrac valuation shows McKinnon securing a four-year, $16.5 million contract. That would seem to be too rich for a team that has multiple priorities this offseason.