It is safe to say David Wilson is feeling pretty bad about himself. The New York Giants running back coughed up the football twice in the team's loss to the Dallas Cowboys and officially has the reputation of being prone to turnovers. After finally earning the spot as a starter during the preseason, Wilson was expected to balance out the offense, not be a cause for problems. As New York continues to work out how to handle the situation, teammates are voicing their support for Wilson.
Teammates like Victor Cruz are trying to keep Wilson's head up. The team will need the running back at some point during the season so there is urgency for him to bounce back after the struggling performance. Cruz spoke with WFAN radio to note that the team has rallied around Wilson.
"We don't want to mentally get down," Cruz said. "I just want to talk to [Wilson] and keep his spirits high, and understand that we're behind him. We're going to need him to make plays. He's a dynamic running back, and we're going to need him to make plays in order for us to win ball games. We've just gotta keep his emotions high, keep his mentality positive, and we can go from there. . . . It's definitely a tough time for him and he's gotta get through it."
Wilson's future is unclear at the moment. The running back was benched in favor of their year back Da'Rel Scott. He is not prepared to be the official starter for the Giants, leaving head coach Tom Coughlin to look into free agency. While noting that Wilson's game needed a lot of improvement, Coughlin told media that he is not going to get into whether or not the running back will be a starter for Week Two.
The Giants are clearly concerned about the depth and quality at the position. The team is bringing in three veteran backs to work out on Tuesday with the possibility of signing one. Former Giant Brandon Jacobs, former Bronco Willis McGahee and former Jet Joe McKnight are scheduled to be at team facilities. New York cut defense end Adewale Ojomo on Monday leaving one roster spot open for a running back.
Coughlin might not be addressing the matter, but a roster with 52 players instead of 53 makes the Giants mindset pretty clear. New York is preparing for the Manning Bowl. After watching the kind off offense Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos put together last Thursday, the Giants need some improvement.
