New York Giants: Dwayne Harris To Remain Involved Offensively
New York Giants versatile wide receiver Dwayne Harris expects to remain a part of the offense in addition to being a special teams ace.
The New York Giants poached Dwayne Harris away from their NFC East rival Dallas Cowboys last offseason. Some analyst thought that the Giants overpaid for Harris’ services, as he signed a five-year, $17.5 million deal with $7.1 million guaranteed.
While some people believed the Giants overpaid for a one-trick pony, as Harris was used almost exclusively on special teams with the Cowboys, he proved to be a valuable player for the Giants.
Harris was excellent for the Giants in the return games, as he was third in the NFL in yards per kickoff return with 28.7 yards per return, and eighth in total yards with 631 on 22 returns. He was also productive as a punt returner, averaging 10 yards per punt return and amassing 341 yards on 34 attempts.
Harris also had a touchdown of the kickoff and punt return variety, which was the first time that he had at least one of each in the same season. Harris was not only productive for the Giants in the return game, he also had his most productive season as a receiver in his career.
In his career with the Cowboys, Harris caught 33 passes for 418 yards and three touchdowns in 45 games. In 15 games with the Giants, Harris set career highs in a season with 36 receptions for 396 yards and four touchdowns.
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Harris was pressed into duty last season at receiver as the Giants did not have a backup plan for Victor Cruz. This year they have someone else to help fill the role in second round pick Sterling Shepard. Cruz is also on target to return for training camp, which many would think means that Harris would have a diminished role in the offense.
In actuality, it is the exact opposite. Harris is confident in himself and the offense for the upcoming season, and is ready to have a big role once again this season despite seemingly being behind Cruz, Shepard and Odell Beckham Jr.
“I’m super confident in this offense,” Harris said to Giants.com. “I’m one of the few guys that knows every position there is at the wideout position. So I feel good. You can put me anywhere — either inside or outside — and I’m still comfortable. I’m very comfortable with the knowledge that I have in this offense.”
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Being knowledgeable about the offense is the edge that Harris has one some of the other receivers, as he is entering his second full season under Ben McAdoo’s system. Shepard is learning a new offense and game in general as a rookie out of Oklahoma, while Cruz looks to shake off a ton of rust as he has not played since Week 6 in October of 2014.
As a result, the Giants should be leaning on Harris more than people think, as he and quarterback Eli Manning should have some solid chemistry after playing together last season.
“We’re definitely feeling a lot more comfortable,” Harris said. “Eli, this is his third year in this offense, and the guys he has around him, his team, we all feel comfortable. We all fill each other out. We all have that same mentality. We’re all on the same page, and it shows on the field when we get out there. We have a couple mistakes here and there, but they can be fixed. But overall, I think we’re doing a good job.”
While Harris may not have as big a role overall, he could see his statistic improve as the deep threat for the Giants in this offense. Beckham Jr. is as athletic as they come, but he is needed to fill numerous roles in the Giants’ passing game, leaving Harris as the potential deep threat in the offense.
The Giants were outstanding throwing intermediate routes last season, as Manning completed 150 passes 6-10 yards downfield, but only 85 from 11-20 yards, which ranked 25th. Part of the reasoning behind that was the Giants offensive line not being able to give Manning enough time in the pocket, but it was also because they didn’t have the personnel to do it.
That should change this season, as the Giants look like they can go four deep at wide receiver. Throwing the ball downfield is something that Manning has wanted to do more this season, and it sounds like Harris is on board with that.
“I think we’re getting better just throwing the ball down the field more,” Harris said. “We’re definitely trying to work on throwing the ball down the field, throwing more deep passes. And [we need to get] the run game going. That’s one of the key elements in our offense. We got it going later on in the season. We’ve just got to continue that momentum and keep carrying it in the beginning of this season.”
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The Giants have the potential to have one of the most potent offenses in the NFL with the quartet of receivers that they have. Manning has plenty of options to throw the ball to, including Will Tye and Larry Donnell at tight end, with Shane Vereen out of the backfield.
This is arguably one of the best skill position groups in the NFL, and Harris should benefit from that as all of the attention will once again be on Beckham and Manning.