New York Giants Offseason: Reviewing the Running Back Position
By Sean Dyer
Who’s In, Who’s Out?
In: Orleans Darkwa, Wayne Gallman, Paul Perkins
Out: Shane Vereen
Deciding whether or not the New York Giants would re-sign Orleans Darkwa was tough. I went back and forth on it.
I settled on re-signing Darkwa because I think he was impressive enough in 2017, behind a less than stellar offensive line and Big Blue won’t have to break the bank to bring him back.
New York could bring in another running back or two, either through free agency or the draft, to compete with Darkwa. There’s no way he’s just handed the starting job in 2018. But at the price range Darkwa should be looking for, he’s worth bringing back.
Wayne Gallman will be entering his second year in the league. He’s obviously not going anywhere. What should be expected of Gallman, however, is an expanded role in the offense. Gallman played well as both a runner and receiver in 2017 and he could take on a Jerick McKinnon-type role in Pat Shurmur’s offense.
It may sound crazy, but don’t give up on Paul Perkins just yet. He struggled mightily last season but remember all that potential he showed in 2016? Giants fans couldn’t wait to get Rashad Jennings out of town to give Perkins the keys to the Giants backfield.
Perkins still has talent. He was just running behind a terrible offensive line. Perkins never got a real chance to run behind D.J. Fluker or Brett Jones, or John Jerry after he moved to left guard which proved beneficial to the running game.
There’s no guaranteeing that Perkins will find his way back into the running back rotation. He may even get cut depending on what other running backs the Giants add this offseason. But considering how little he makes, he’ll certainly get an opportunity to work his way back on the field.
Shane Vereen’s time with the New York Giants seems to be over. He was never as impactful on the offense as fans hoped. He’s now a free agent and will likely be headed elsewhere.
Gallman’s ability to catch the ball out of the backfield will make letting Vereen go even easier.