By Jordan Long
The New York Giants look for their first win of the year as they host the San Francisco 49ers. The Giants will be without running back Saquon Barkley for the rest of the year. He tore his ACL during Sunday’s loss to the Chicago Bears. New York found his replacement in free agent Devonta Freeman.
Barkley is one of the top young running backs in the NFL. Since he was drafted by the New York Giants 2nd overall in 2018, he has proven he belongs in the NFL. Entering this year, Barkley topped the 1,000 rushing mark twice. He scored 17 touchdowns on the ground.
Besides his running ability, the Giants used him in the passing game. Defenses had a tough time covering him. When he caught the football, he averaged 8.2 yards. Those helped the Giants make 2nd and 3rd downs more manageable to convert. He totaled 6 touchdowns.
The Giants hoped Barkley’s numbers would improve this season. In 2 games, he had a tough time running the football with 34 rushing yards and a disappointing 1.8 yards per rush. In the passing game, he has 60 yards receiving.
In Sunday’s loss against the Bears, he had 28 yards rushing on 4 carries or 7 yards per rush. The running game was working for the Giants. They were creating holes for Barkley to run through. Once the injury occurred the Giants went with Dion Lewis who had a difficult time running the football with 20 yards. New York decided they needed to add another veteran running back.
New York agreed to a contract with free agent Devonta Freeman. The deal is 1-year which could be worth $3 million. He might be ready to go this weekend.
Freeman hasn’t played at all this season. He has been a free agent since he was released by Atlanta on March 18th, 2020, saving the Falcons $3.5 million in cap space. Teams expressed interest in Freeman including the Seattle Seahawks and the Philadelphia Eagles. In the end, the Giants were the team Freeman felt he could have the most playing time and carries for.
Freeman should be the number 1 back on the depth chart. He can carry the rock for the Giants which should help move the chains. In his 6 year NFL career, Freeman averaged 4.2 yards per carry. The Giants will use him in the passing game too. Freeman has 2,015 yards receiving and 11 touchdowns in his career. The Giants improved the running game with this move. The offensive line must create holes for Freeman to run through. If not, it could be a long year for the Giants’ running game.
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