New York Giants Cut Brandon Jacobs; Eyeing Replacements
By C. Crockett
It was a match made in heaven it seemed when Giant fans got their first taste of bruising Brandon Jacobs way back in the Tiki Barber era. Now, the seven year marriage between Jacobs and the Giants has ended after seven years after Jacobs and the team could not come to agreements on a restructured contract.
The Giants had expressed that they wished to keep Jacobs around as a complement to Ahmad Bradshaw, but wanted to restructure his contract. Jacobs was due a $500,000 roster bonus in mid-March and was due to make $4.9M this upcoming season. Jacobs said he would agree to a pay cut, something he has done before to allow the Giants to re-sign Ahmad Bradshaw, but only if it were ‘fair’. It’s quite obvious Jacobs did not think what the Giants had in mind was very fair, so he will be an unrestricted free agent.
Jacobs will be remembered for his punishing run style that is very rare in the NFL. Normally, the career of such a big, hulking running back would not even last seven years, but Jacobs still had plenty in the tank. He has had some injury woes the past few years, but he has been able to perform at a steady pace with his reduced workload. I would imagine he would fill a similar role with another team, 8-12 touches a game, especially down by the goal line.
Where do the Giants go from here? They could look to draft another running back in the late rounds, as I’m sure Jerry Reese will be looking for a running back with a similar skill set to Jacobs. D.J. Ware, Da’Rel Scott and Andre Brown all move up a spot on the depth chart for now, but I don’t see any of them making a huge impact next season. Ware has played well at times, but has never gotten a real chance to carry the load. Scott is a burner from Maryland who played exceptionally well during the preseason last year, while Andre Brown has only had 2 career rush attempts in the NFL.
The odds of the Giants signing a free agent running back are unlikely due to their ongoing salary cap concerns. Michael Bush, and Mike Tolbert would be excellent fits but their price tag will be much too high. Cedric Benson, a guy who I thought the Giants should have targeted last year, might be willing to sign another one-year deal as it seems Cincinnati has moved on without him. One player I think to watch for is Steve Slaton. Remember him? The same Steve Slaton that rushed for nearly 1,300 yards in his rookie season? He’s seem to have fallen off the face of the Earth, but I would love to see the Giants give him a shot, as he’s more than likely looking to reestablish himself in the league. What better way to do it than with the defending champions on an already loaded offense?
One thing is for certain, Ahmad Bradshaw will NOT be the only running back in New York who gets significant playing time next season. The ‘feature back’ is a dying breed in the NFL, and Coughlin has not used a feature back since the departure of Tiki Barber. If I had to guess, I would say Reese looks for a big running back anywhere from rounds 5-7 in the NFL draft to replace Jacobs. Those are some big shoes to fill, but Reese has not disappointed in the past.