The New York Giants placed a lot of emphasis on their backfield for the 2018 campaign with the selection of former Penn State standout running back Saquon Barkley with the second overall pick in this year's draft. It immediately puts him in the driver seat to grab the starting job from the onset of training camp.
This has also led to the franchise reassessing the other running backs on the roster. According to Ian Rapoport of The NFL Network, the Giants have decided to waive veteran running back Paul Perkins after two seasons.
The #Giants waived RB Paul Perkins, who recently underwent surgery for a pectoral injury prior to the strength and conditioning program. It was a non-football injury. He had several starts for them.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 10, 2018
Perkins' role diminished in his second campaign in 2017, rushing for just 90 yards on 41 carries in 11 games played, which was a significant drop off from his rookie season when he had 490 rushing yards. His decrease in playing time behind the likes of Orleans Darkwa and Wayne Gallman was a telling sign that the team didn't necessarily see him a potential candidate to be a long-term solution in the backfield.
The addition of veteran running back Jonathan Stewart via free agency on a two-year, $6.8 million deal also didn't help his case to be of significant use next season, or beyond. Perkins still had two years left on his four-year, $2.6 million rookie contract that was going to pay him $693,137 for the 2018 campaign.
The 23-year-old now hits the open market that is still filled with several proven players available, such as Adrian Peterson, Eddie Lacy, and Jamaal Charles. Perkins has the advantage of being at an earlier stage of his career where he still can develop into a dependable option in the backfield for another team. With training camp just around the corner, the market for him could quickly pick up.
Follow Us
Subscribe