Fittingly, New York Giants running back Devin Singletary used his South Florida homecoming to prove he still deserves to play in the Northeast.
Singletary, who played high school and college football less than an hour north of Hard Rock Stadium, made the most of Saturday’s preseason clash with the Dolphins. He finished the 26-3 victory with a game-high 40 yards on eight carries — a chunk of that coming on a 13-yard touchdown run — and a four-yard reception.
At this time a week ago, Singletary appeared firmly on the roster bubble. Not only has he seemingly salvaged his chances of making the Giants’ Week 1 roster, he has also raised additional questions about the team’s overall strategy.
What are the New York Giants’ plans for running back Devin Singletary?
Answering this question comes with the caveat that we could easily have a different response at this time next weekend. Welcome to the NFL!
We’ve written enough recently about the chaos that has taken over the Giants’ running back unit, including Tyrone Tracy Jr.’s future and the unexpected Najee Harris signing. So there’s no need to repeat what we already know.
That said, it’s currently difficult to envision the Giants cutting Singletary next weekend. He’s evidently taken well to Matt Nagy’s offense, and there haven’t been negative reports about the eighth-year back at any point this summer.
Singletary’s place on the 53-man roster always felt uncertain, partly because Brian Daboll — who had previously coached Singletary in Buffalo — is no longer in New York. His limited snaps against the Vikings only furthered the growing doubts about him in Week 1.
Whether the Giants would trade Singletary is another conversation entirely. Cam Skattebo is the only running back who appears guaranteed to make the initial 53-man roster. Enough has gone wrong for Tracy recently that we’re not offering any predictions about his status.
Will Devin Singletary make the New York Giants’ Week 1 roster?
Considering that Singletary restructured his contract and is playing on the veteran minimum, it’s not unrealistic to think that he could draw interest via trade. The Falcons just lost Trey Sermon to a season-ending ankle injury, and the Bills are obviously familiar with the 2019 third-round pick.
For what it’s worth, we’re skeptical that the Giants would carry Skattebo, Tracy, Singletary, and Harris. None of those four has extensive special teams experience, which is a key reason why veteran receiver Braxton Berrios appears likely to survive final cuts.
Harbaugh and the Giants have not yet announced how much action the projected starters will see in next weekend’s preseason finale. Singletary should nonetheless factor into the offense and potentially make his final stand.
But if Singletary isn’t wearing a Giants helmet on Sept. 13, at least his performance over the last week certainly bodes well for his chances of cracking someone’s Opening Day roster.
Add us as a preferred source on Google