Giants should say no All Day to over-the-hill vet

THE GIANTS should not be in the market for a big-ticket, injury-prone running back about to turn 32, whether he has a history of personal baggage or not.

Even if said running back goes by the name Adrian Peterson.

The Giants can use another running back, but they also can use an offensive tackle, a tight end and/or a big receiver, another corner and another pass-rusher even if they sign Jason PierrePaul to the long-term deal he deserves more.

The Giants have $23,914,686 in cap space and Peterson is costprohibitive if he hopes to make anything close to the $18 million contract he will have to restructure to stay a Viking.

Except at quarterback, the Giants have embarked on a youth movement, with general manager Jerry Reese throwing $200 million at free agents in their prime to rebuild the defense a year ago.

The prospect of a younger Peterson to take pressure off Odell Beckham Jr. would have been titillating, but not now.

Four years removed from his magical 2,097-yard season following ACL surgery the previous December, and one year removed from a 1,485-yard season, the artist formerly known as All Day averaged 1.9 yards on 37 carries in 2016 once he returned from sur- gery for a right lateral meniscus tear.

Peterson is not considered to be a good fit in the Ben McAdoo offense, and it is doubtful that he would relish sharing carries with Paul Perkins, who will be ready for a larger role in his sophomore season.

The Giants need a 22-year-old mauler to open holes more than they need any 32-year-old running back whose best years are behind him. As are his worst months. In September 2014, a grand jury in Montgomery County, Texas, indicted Peterson on felony charges of reckless or negligent injury to a child, his 4-year-old son. That November, Peterson pleaded down to one misdemeanor count of reckless assault, which resulted in a $4,000 fine, 80 hours of community service and a requirement to enroll in parenting classes. He was reinstated by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in April 2015.

In the wake of the Josh Brown eyesore, if McAdoo plans on fill- ing his room with what he likes to call “talented men of integrity,” he might want to look elsewhere.

It should flatter the Giants that the artist formerly known as Purple Jesus would include the G-men as a team that could help him reach his first Super Bowl.

“There’s a couple teams out there that I’ve thought about. ... New York was one of them that popped up, Tampa Bay, lot of different teams. Houston would be a good spot,” Peterson said. “I’ll stop right there. ... I’m just throwing random names out there.” He sure is. “I see myself in purple,” Peterson said.

A much better idea.