Giants sign veteran RB Freeman to help replace injured Barkley
NEW YORK — According to ESPN, the Giants signed veteran running back Devonta Freeman to a $3 million, one-year contract Tuesday night. Freeman could practice with the team as early as Wednesday and has a chance to play on Sunday against the 49ers.
Saquon Barkley’s season-ending torn right ACL prompted the Giants to bring in the free agent Freeman, 28, for a visit and workout on Tuesday.
The expectation following that workout was that Freeman, who played his first six NFL seasons for the Atlanta Falcons, would sign as long as he cleared the Giants’ coronavirus testing protocol.
He already had been tested twice by the Giants as of Tuesday morning, though, including a point of contact test the day of his workout. Freeman could be on the field with Joe Judge’s team immediately.
That would be best for all parties since the Giants (0-2) need to get Freeman up to speed in their offense for Sunday’s Week 3 home game against the San Francisco 49ers (1-1).
If Freeman suits up, his first game as a Giant would come against his former Falcons offensive coordinator, Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan, who called the plays in Freeman’s only two Pro Bowl seasons in 2015-16.
Freeman will join a Giants roster with Dion Lewis, Wayne Gallman and Eli Penny in the backfield, and Rod Smith on the practice squad. He’d also be reuniting with Giants tight end
Levine Toilolo, a Falcons teammate from 2014-17.
He bided his time and last weekend was in Philadelphia visiting with the Eagles, but they let him leave and shoot up I-95 to visit the Giants.
The 5-8, 206-pound Freeman is a short but powerful runner who is effective when healthy. He has a concussion history and played in only two games for Atlanta in 2018 due to foot, knee and groin issues. But he did play in 14 games in 2019.
Freeman has 3,972 career rushing yards, 32 rushing TDs, 257 career catches and 11 more TDs through the air. He projects to be the Giants’ lead early-down back with Lewis as a thirddown complement.
On Tuesday, the Giants officially placed Barkley on injured reserve, and they signed corner Ryan Lewis off the practice squad to fill Barkley’s vacancy on the active roster.
The fact the Giants did not put wide receiver Sterling Shepard on I.R. on Tuesday might be a good sign that he won’t miss more than a week or two. Players who go on I.R. have to remain out for at least three weeks.
Shepard (toe) played just one play at the start of Sunday’s second half in Chicago after hurting himself late in the second quarter.
The Giants also signed linebacker Jermaine Grace to their practice squad and released undrafted rookie offensive lineman Tyler Haycraft from their practice squad.
Grace, 26, has played almost exclusively special teams in 24 games for the Falcons, Seahawks and Colts. He was released by the Browns in July.