It seems that the New York Giants are considering a switch in the running back hierarchy as Rashad Jennings is hardly getting any touches with the first team, while Andre Williams and Shane Vereen seem to be closer to that “Feature back” designation.
Jennings had a strong start for his Giants career but an injury put him off that success track early on, finishing the season averaging 3.8 yards per carry in 11 games, going for 639 yards and 4 touchdowns. Meanwhile Williams made the most of his rookie season and the opportunity presented to him, rushing for 721 yards and 7 touchdowns, although averaging a poor 3.3 yards per carry.
Jennings has been getting second-team reps over the last few days, while Williams and Vereen, the newcomer from the New England Patriots, have taken over first-team duties. Vereen rushed for just 391 yards on 96 carries last season, but his speciality is his pass-catching ability, with 99 receptions over the last two seasons for the Patriots.
So is Williams, who seems improved in reading a defense and getting some extra yardage compared to last season, about to be the #1 guy on the ground for the Giants? It wouldn’t be too surprising. Vereen is more likely to be a situational back and should be more involved on passing downs than anything else. Jennings needs to take his game a little bit higher so he doesn’t lose touches and snaps once the regular season begins.
One response to “NFL Rumors – New York Giants Might Make Andre Williams Their Starting Running Back”
Imo, Jennings is probably the most well rounded of them all right now. Williams is clearly the bell cow potential. Vereen is clearly the best pass catcher. Considering Jennings age and injury hx but well-roundedness and experience… I think the best situation would be to have Williams and Vereen as the starters and Jennings being able to fill in for either if injured or nicked up, or in 2-minute situations where you don’t want to waste time switching RBs.