New York Giants: Is Andre Williams On The Roster Bubble
The New York Giants have a crowded backfield, which is part of the reason ESPN’s Dan Graziano believes Andre Williams is the veteran on the roster bubble.
The New York Giants have added a ton of talent to their roster this offseason as they look to end their playoff drought at four seasons. They went on a spending spree during the early stages of free agency to shore up their defense, adding more pieces during the NFL Draft as well.
The Giants made six selections in the 2016 NFL Draft, with three coming on the defensive side of the ball and three on offense. All three were weapons added for Eli Manning, as the Giants selected wide reciever Sterling Shepard in Round 3, running back Paul Perkins in Round 5 and tight end Jerell Adams.
All three of those players could have an impact right away fro the Giants, as all three positions have reps available. Shepard should find himself in the starting lineup right away, but Perkins may not be far behind.
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Perkins brings something to the Giants backfield that they are lacking in elusiveness. He is shifty in the backfield and open field and can make people miss. That is something the Giants have lacked in recent seasons, as the running game hasn’t been able to get anything going in multiple seasons.
The Giants have a full depth chart at running back with Perkins joining Rashad Jennings, Andre Williams, Shane Vereen, Bobby Rainey and Orleans Darkwa. It is hard to imagine the Giants keeping that many running backs, and some players could be released at some point this summer.
Over at ESPN’s NFL Nation, each team’s reporter selected a veteran that they believe could be released this summer. Giants’ reporter Dan Graziano believes that veteran could come from the running back group, with Williams being the causality.
"It would be a surprise to see the Giants cut bait on a draft pick after only two seasons. But Williams had a rough 2015, and the selection of Paul Perkins in the fifth round complicates matters a bit. The running back group already includes Rashad Jennings, Williams, Orleans Darkwa, Bobby Rainey and Shane Vereen. There are people on the coaching staff who still believe Williams can be productive. But if he struggles in camp and Jennings stays healthy, the Giants could face a tough choice here."
Saying Williams struggled in 2015 would be an understatement. Williams had a chance to become the Giants’ short yardage back, but he generates little power coming out of the backfield despite his size. He routinely runs into the backs of his lineman, more often than not being stopped for no gain or very short gains.
As Graziano notes, Williams has some support on the coaching staff. Despite Ben McAdoo taking over, the Giants still have a number of holdovers from Tom Coughlin’s time with the team. But, Williams is nearing the end of his Giants tenure if he doesn’t show something during this offseason.
He is one dimensional, as he offers very little in the passing game. Because of that, he will be battling with Jennings and Darkwa for a roster spot. Jennings is safe, as he offers a little bit of everything and should be the Giants’ starter once the season starts.
Next: New York Giants 2016 NFL Draft Grades
The same cannot be said for Williams. His saving grace right now is that he was selected only three years ago in the fourth round. The Giants give their draft picks every chance to succeed, but it is fair to say that Williams is running out of chances to succeed with this organization.