Expect Saquon Barkley to carry heavy workload as Giants rookie
On one side is the most electric wide receiver in football, with Odell Beckham Jr. demanding double coverage. In the slot is the emerging Sterling Shepard. Down the middle of the field, the New York Giants have tight end Evan Engram catching touchdown passes and making big plays with his blazing speed. There is -- and was -- a good set of weapons around quarterback Eli Manning.
The Giants have much the same vision as last year,cheap nfl custom jerseys with a two-time Super Bowl champion QB throwing passes to an enticing group of weapons. Only now they’re adding Saquon Barkley to the mix, a running back who has the power to run between the numbers, if necessary, and the balance and speed to break long runs to the outside while also being a dangerous threat in the passing game. It’s a promising group that almost certainly should score more points than it did last year during a 3-13 season.
“It has a lot of potential,” Engram said Tuesday from the BTIG Charity Day.
There are no excuses left for Manning and this bunch, which finished 31st in points scored last season without Beckham for most of the year. The Giants have a new coach, a fresh scheme, an allegedly improved offensive line and Barkley, the uber-talented No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft.
Barkley is going to be a major piece for this offense from the start. Look no further than the way Giants coach Pat Shurmur used rookie running back Dalvin Cook last season -- in the 3? games before he tore his ACL -- when Shurmur was the offensive coordinator in Minnesota.
Cook played 75 percent of the offensive snaps, with much of his time on the sideline coming in third-and-long situations. He started all four games and handled 21 of 25 red zone snaps before his knee refused to cooperate on a midfield cut.nike nfl jerseys cheap paypal The former Florida State star received eight of the team's nine red zone carries before the injury.
Cook was the 41st overall pick, ninth in the second round. Barkley was second overall in the entire draft.
Barkley is likely to be used in every role imaginable, especially with his pass-catching ability. He caught 54 passes last year for Penn State. Cook lined up wide as a receiver eight times in fewer than four full games last season. He even had a couple snaps alongside McKinnon.
This is what the expectation should be for Barkley. He’ll receive a heavy dose of work with Gallman and his extra year of experience likely playing the third-and-long role. Stewart should serve as insurance.
