The New York Giants are in agreement on a contract with free-agent running back Shane Vereen, formerly of the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots. I don't have contract details yet, but my guess is the Giants had to overpay to lure Vereen away from the champs and that his deal will make him the highest-paid running back on the roster. Rashad Jennings, signed last year at this time, makes $2.5 million per year.
Jennings isn't going anywhere, and neither is second-year back Andre Williams. But the Giants went into this offseason looking for a change-of-pace back to fill the role they had carved out last year for David Wilson before his forced early retirement, and Vereen fits the bill. He has caught a total of 99 passes over the past two regular seasons and caught 11 for 64 yards last month in the Patriots' Super Bowl victory over Seattle.
Vereen is known as a sharp route-runner and sure-handed receiver, but also as a strong pass-protector, so he'll slide in nicely as a third-down back with Jennings and/or Williams handling the early-down work. Jennings is also a good receiver who can and will play on some third downs, but Vereen also can line up as a slot receiver or in several different places along the formation.
Basically, Vereen gives quarterback Eli Manning and offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo another weapon. All season, Manning and McAdoo talked about "hunting for completions" as a part of the foundation of the Giants' offense. They want to get the ball out quickly, make sure it's complete and get it into the hands of their playmakers to allow them to make plays. Vereen, Jennings, Williams, tight end Larry Donnell and receivers Odell Beckham Jr., Victor Cruz and Rueben Randle form a diverse and potentially dynamic collection of players at Manning and McAdoo's disposal on any given play.
There are potential drawbacks here, of course. Vereen has played a full 16-game season only once, and it was this past year. And part of me finds it tough to trust a player who only had big games when Bill Belichick liked the matchup. Vereen has played in 42 career games and has recorded more than 40 total yards in only 23 of them -- more than 100 in only five. But Belichick's game plans are so matchup-based that you can't fault Vereen for the week-to-week inconsistency in his numbers. The Giants are paying for the guy who helped make a difference when he was featured in Belichick's game plans, and hoping they can extrapolate that over a full season. Vereen just turned 26 last week, so he has some prime years still to come.
