Tom Coughlin had said the New York Giants would not make a move to sign anyone as Andre Brown's replacement until he was able to fully evaluate what the team had at the running back position. After Sunday's loss to the Dallas Cowboys, it is clear the Giants do not have much. David Wilson proved being a starter is easier said than done and the little depth at the position also failed to impress. As a result, a trio of veteran backs are coming in on Tuesday for a workout.
CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora reports that former Bronco Willis McGahee, former Giant Brandon Jacobs and former Jet Joe McKnight will all be coming into the team's facility to work out. McGahee was released at the start of training camp, while McKnight was released as a result of roster cuts right before the season kicked off. Jacobs has been searching for attention throughout the entire offseason.
The Giants had looked at running backs almost immediately after Brown was placed on injured reserve. They worked out Jonathan Dwyer, but he will re-sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers. They targeted Leon Washington who ended up re-signing with the New England Patriots. Beanie Wells also worked out, but he would not be a great upgrade.
This all comes off the heels of the poor performance by Wilson. The running back was given the reigns as the team's top back after Ahmad Bradshaw was released. He failed to impress, fumbling twice and getting benched. This marks the second-straight season that Wilson was benched as a result of turnovers. De'Rel Scott replaced him but could not hold on to passes from Eli Manning, causing an interception returned for a touchdown. Coughlin was coy on how the team would respond.
"I'm not going to answer that question now," Coughlin said, via NJ.com. "Give us a little time to work on this thing. He's still very much in our thoughts. He's got to play. He's a very talented young man ... They are not going to play unless they hang onto the ball. It's demoralizing to the whole team."
Wilson understands that his performance did little to inspire confidence in his abilities. The running back was very confident that he could be the lead running back for the Giants in 2013. Fantasy owners had bought into him as well, but were left disappointed.
"I mean, in that situation you just - coach makes that decision, I can't blame him for that," he said. "That's really all I got, I'm going back to work to put this game behind me. God will bring me through, I gotta work hard and my teammates have my back."
Manning was not critical of Wilson, instead saying the running back needed to bounce back and prepare for Week 2. If one of these three veterans impress in their work out, he might not get a chance to see the field much.