Rookie Paul Perkins could jettison fellow running back Andre Williams off of the Giants‘ roster, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post writes. In addition, veteran Orleans Darkwa also finds himself on the hot seat and it seems as though Williams and Darkwa could be vying for one roster spot. Williams disappointed in his sophomore effort while Darkwa has been dealing with a lower-leg injury all spring.
Rashad Jennings is locked in as the Giants’ No. 1 running back, as shown on their Roster Resource page, with Shane Vereen, Williams, Perkins, Darkwa, and Rainey in support. The Giants also have fullbacks Will Johnson and Nikita Whitlock in the mix. Not long ago, Williams was being looked at as someone who could lead the Giants’ rushing attack. Now, he has been relegated to a support role and could conceivably get squeezed out altogether.
Here’s more from the NFC East:
- Having free agent pickup Damon Harrison plugging up the middle will do more for the Giants than bolster their run-stuffing, Newsday’s Tom Rock writes. By clogging up the middle, Snacks should allow Johnathan Hankins and Jay Bromley more sack opportunities and improve the overall ability of the team to push the pocket in on opposing quarterbacks. While the ex-Jet’s $9.5MM/year salary might seem high for a two-down player, the Giants firmly believe that he will benefit them on third downs by lengthening the distance their opponent has to go with his work on first and second downs. Giants opponents converted 47% of third-down opportunities in 2016, the highest figure in the league, so Big Blue needs Harrison to help in that department.
- Mike Jones of The Washington Post has Mack Brown making the Redskins‘ 53-man roster over Rob Kelley and Keith Marshall, a projection that is surprising to some. Jones says that’s because Marshall, a seventh-round pick, has hardly practiced this offseason due to a hamstring injury. Kelley, a UDFA, has not been as consistent as Brown and is at something of a disadvantage in understanding the offense since Brown was on the team’s taxi squad last year. Still, things could change between now and the final roster cutdown and Washington could even wind up carrying four running backs on the roster.
- Cody Parkey has been a fantasy football hero at times, but the Eagles kicker could be supplanted by Caleb Sturgis, Dave Zangaro of CSNPhilly.com writes. Sturgis has looked better in the team’s open practices, according to Zangaro, and Parkey is coming off of an injury.