Backfield Breakdown New England Patriots & New York Giants
(Photo Courtesy Of kerbycallison.wordpress.com)
New York Giants
The Giants have one of the hardest backfields to gauge. As it stands right now they have Rashad Jennings, Shane Vereen and Andre Williams. The thing that makes this particular situation hard to judge, is that, they all bring a situational ability to the table.
Jennings is the most polished of the group. He was picked up last offseason to be the man for the Giants. Durability concerns leave many questioning whether he will be the man. Between the 20s he may be the best pure running option they have. He can also get out there and catch some balls.
(ESPN.go.com)
They Didn’t go out and sign Shane Vereen so they could misuse him, like the Patriots did. However, he does do most of his damage in the passing game. Vereen has a career YPC of 4.2, which is pretty good.
The Patriots never gave Vereen a chance to showcase his skills outside of the passing game. The Giants on the other hand will be giving him an opportunity to show what he can do.
Andre Williams didn’t get his chance, until, injuries forced him into the line up. He wasn’t ready for that type of role. He couldn’t even keep Payton Hillis off the field.
He is the power back for the Giants. I would expect him to put in most of his work in the short yardage and redzone situations. He is still young and has a lot to learn about the position. He has the longest road to the starting spot.
As a whole, you can expect to see all 3 guys throughout the course of the season. I believe, Andre Williams, is the least productive of the 3. Rashad Jennings may be productive, but, let’s face it, he will more than likely get banged up.
Love our content? Check out the GoingFor2 Live Podcast Network!
That leaves my choice for the starting job, Shane Vereen, he can run, evidence of this is his 4.2 career YPC. He will also help this offense get the ball down the field, with his ability to get involved in the passing game.
New England Patriots
The Patriots are famous for rotating RBs. This is the same team, that saw Jonas Grey rush for 200+ yards in a game, then sat him for the rest of the season. Usually the safest bet is to avoid this backfield. Sometimes you’re forced into situations that you didn’t wanna be in. Don’t worry I got your back.
The front runner in the backfield at the moment is LaGarrette Blount. He never found success anywhere except with the Patriots. He really isn’t anything special, a plowing RB who goes 3 yards and falls down. However, he doesn’t put the ball on the ground, that’s why Bill Belichick loves him so much
(Concordmentor.com)
James White is clearly the most talented back the Patriots have. We really didn’t see him at all last year. We could use that to our advantage though, now we can grab him late and possibly have the Patriots starting running back.
He brings a good balanced game to the field. He has the patience and quickness that Blount does not have. He is able to make those quick cutbacks and has excellent field vision. He also showed ability in the passing game in 2014, at Wisconsin.
He is the most well rounded explosive back the Patriots have, it would be silly to bury him on the bench again. I believe he is the Patriots best option at running back, at some point, early in the season, he should steal the starting job.
Jonas Grey on the other hand is their 2nd most athletic back, in my opinion, he too is a better option than LaGarrette Blount. Unfortunately for him, I like James White better. I will admit, he had moments last season where he looked like the real deal. He will have his time in the NFL, it’s just not this year.
They also have Travaris Cadet, your guess is as good as mine on how Belichick will use him. We will end up seeing all 4 of these guys throughout the season. If I had to pick one, that I feel has the inside track to pick up the most fantasy points, it would be White. If you can it is probably smart to avoid this situation entirely, unless you have stock in rogaine, Since Belichick will have you pulling your hair out by the roots.
ATTN Dynasty Commissioners: Do you want to do something cool for your league? How about a 1-hour live show dedicated to YOUR league? Team-by-team breakdowns, rankings, and more. For details and to book a show, visit: GoingFor2.com/plp.
