Gray provides more options
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Brian Daboll couldn’t really answer on Saturday whether he intends to lighten Saquon Barkley’s workload this season with a two-back rotation. He doesn’t know if Barkley will be on the field come training camp as his contract standoff with the team drags on.
“Well, depends on what we have out here come August,” Daboll said before the second practice of rookie minicamp. “Getting around, seeing what we’ve got in terms of players’ loads and how much – it’s a completely different team. We’ll see how it goes once we get out here and compete with pads in training camp and preseason games.”
Rookie Eric Gray’s selection in the fifth round of April’s NFL Draft out of Oklahoma does add an interesting element to Daboll’s and Joe Schoen’s roster construction for this fall, though.
The running back depth chart now includes vets Barkley, Matt Breida and Gary Brightwell, Gray and second-year pro Jashaun Corbin. On top of that, second-year wideout Wan’Dale Robinson is a former running back whose skill set makes him a dual threat in the backfield and out wide.
Breida (punt protector), Brightwell (kick returner), Corbin (returner), Gray (punt returner) and Robinson (punt returner) all have special teams value and potential, too.
It should create a healthy competition for roster spots and playing time. And it should not be ignored that players like Robinson and Gray — both of whom were drafted by Schoen — come with the versatile skill set that Daboll appears to prefer.
“Running back, there’s certain guys that have different skill sets: pass backs, running backs in terms of just handling the ball,” Daboll said. “Like to utilize guys that can do both in both phases.”
Barkley is still a player the Giants need to compete at their highest level this season, so the pressure is on Schoen to get something done. Gray even made a case on Saturday for a running back’s value to be higher in the modern NFL.
“I think it’s a very valuable position,” he said. “You look at today’s game, you look at just the different running backs in the league and you think about how important they are to the offense. They’ve got to learn protections; they’ve got to learn the passing game. They have to know what everyone is doing, so in my opinion it’s a very valuable position that can make a lot of money.”