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Stapelton: Giants to use 3-back rotation

muhajir : 7/23/2014 6:46 am
"The Bergen Record's Art Stapleton suggests the Giants may use a "three-back rotation" involving Rashad Jennings, David Wilson, and rookie Andre Williams this season.

They also have Peyton Hillis and Michael Cox on the roster. Stapleton believes the theoretical three-headed monster could help "keep Jennings fresh," as the career backup will be 29 1/2 years old in Week 1, and has never handled more than 163 carries in a season. (He's also never played 16 games.) In this scenario -- based on the first practice of Giants camp -- Jennings would be the starter and lead back, Wilson would come off the bench to change the pace, and hammerhead power back Williams would vulture short-yardage work."

Also mentions that Andre has started camp ahead of Hillis on the depth chart and is getting goal line carries. Love the idea of keeping everyone fresh all season, especially Wilson and Jennings.

rotoworld - ( New Window )
Good.  
illmatic : 7/23/2014 6:58 am : link
I am really loving the depth at positions like RB and CB.
. . . love the idea of the Giants backs  
eclipz928 : 7/23/2014 7:04 am : link
lining up any formation other than single deep back or Gilbride's standard FB/RB I-formation. The roster over the last 9 seasons has had plenty of times where there were 3 quality and diverse back available for use, and I can't recall a single time they attempted to use a 3-back set in a game.
did the Giants start this rotation  
grizz299 : 7/23/2014 7:04 am : link
If backs when we had Jacobs/ Ward or were other teams doing it.?
Speculation  
ZogZerg : 7/23/2014 7:06 am : link
of the obvious. But, I could see a scenario where Williams doesn't play much - i.e., dress for the games. It depends on the final roster and injury situation. If Hillis performs in camp then I think he's the 3rd back to start the season.
This  
Jon in NYC : 7/23/2014 7:07 am : link
is Stapleton taking an education guess, nothing more.
*  
Jon in NYC : 7/23/2014 7:07 am : link
educated.

Damn autocorrect.
should have read:  
grizz299 : 7/23/2014 7:10 am : link
....back when we had....
I'd bet all three  
kmed : 7/23/2014 7:16 am : link
get some action, but Jennings gets a large majority of the action.
I am a big fan of Williams  
Matt in SGS : 7/23/2014 7:18 am : link
having watched him a ton at BC, and I think he's going to end up surprising a lot of fans before it's said and done. However, if there are concerns about his pass protecting abilities in recognizing the blitz and who to pick up, then you mitigate that risk by putting him in obvious running downs on short yardage and let him produce in that way until the coaching staff feels more comfortable.

As for Jennings, the lack of work is more attributed to the running backs he's played behind and he couldn't crack the rotation. He has been productive when he's played. He just wasn't going to unseat MJD when he was in his prime and one of the best backs in football. I'd like to think he's got fresher legs at age 29 than would be reasonably expected and he can hold up for a full season.
There is nothing to write about yet, so Stapleton is filling a column  
Marty in Albany : 7/23/2014 7:28 am : link
He may be correct, but it is just as likely that one of the 6 HBs will be really good. Maybe Wilson, maybe Gaskins, who the hell knows at this point. IF THAT happens, the best HB will play until he gets tired or gets replaced in short yardage or on passing downs IF NECESSARY. It is ALL speculation at this point.
Not even filling a column - just a couple of tweets.  
Big Blue Blogger : 7/23/2014 7:36 am : link
Here's the sequence:
Quote:
Art Stapleton @art_stapleton · 16h
Could see Giants using Rashad Jennings, David Wilson and Andre Williams in a three-back rotation, especially to keep Jennings fresh. #NYG
Replied to 0 times Retweeted 18 times Favorited 9 times

Art Stapleton @art_stapleton · 16h
@drewill44 very impressive today. Told you about catch earlier. Picked his way through line with ease + showed burst on another run #NYG
Replied to 0 times Retweeted 5 times Favorited 5 times

Nothing to see here. Nice to know Williams looks good though. I don't like Hillis as a short-yardage back.
Williams ahead of Hillis?  
Tark10 : 7/23/2014 7:56 am : link
I find it amusing that Williams is ahead of Hillis already. These guys haven't had live contact as yet. Williams has no NFL game experience as yet.
Watching Coughlin interview on Boomer and Carton  
BlueHurricane : 7/23/2014 8:34 am : link
He went out of his way to single out Williams. I have no doubt so long as he holds the ball in preseason he is going to play quite a bit this year. Excited to see the bowling ball run with it this year.
Giants should run the shit out of Jennings  
Jimmy Googs : 7/23/2014 9:05 am : link
over the next two years. While he may not have a lot of NFL carries, age is still is a big factor when it comes to RB decline.

Clearly mix in plenty of the other guys, but Jennings needs to get most snaps by far.

eclipz  
Matt M. : 7/23/2014 9:20 am : link
First of all, it is pure speculation by the writer. second of all, it makes no mention of a 3 back set, nor should it.
Williams is ahead of Hillis because Hillis is utterly terrible  
Greg from LI : 7/23/2014 9:23 am : link
.
RE: did the Giants start this rotation  
BigBlueinChicago : 7/23/2014 9:31 am : link
In comment 11777335 grizz299 said:
Quote:
If backs when we had Jacobs/ Ward or were other teams doing it.?


Other teams were doing it.

Pittsburgh and Carolina in the early 2000's started doing it making the carries ratio 60-40 or 55-45 and I think took off from there.
RE: eclipz  
BigBlueinChicago : 7/23/2014 9:34 am : link
In comment 11777462 Matt M. said:
Quote:
First of all, it is pure speculation by the writer. second of all, it makes no mention of a 3 back set, nor should it.


I was thinking the same thing.

Thread title: Stapelton: Giants to use 3-back rotation

In the first sentence of post: Giants may use a "three-back rotation"

So which is it? The thread title is misleading.
I think it will be more of Jennings getting  
kmed : 7/23/2014 9:35 am : link
2 of 3 series with other guys battling it out for the other series and wilson as a change of pace guy.
Throwback  
area junc : 7/23/2014 9:37 am : link
A.will is that classic old school power back. He doesnt need coddling and he doesnt need 2 b told what 2 do. Great fit w coughlin
RE: RE: eclipz  
muhajir : 7/23/2014 9:55 am : link
In comment 11777492 BigBlueinChicago said:
Quote:
In comment 11777462 Matt M. said:


Quote:


First of all, it is pure speculation by the writer. second of all, it makes no mention of a 3 back set, nor should it.



I was thinking the same thing.

Thread title: Stapelton: Giants to use 3-back rotation

In the first sentence of post: Giants may use a "three-back rotation"

So which is it? The thread title is misleading.

Your right, I titled it according to the headline in rotoworld but realized after I should have put a question mark. My apologies
Fantasy owners HATE RBBC  
CruzShip52 : 7/23/2014 9:58 am : link
Got so mad fantasy owners now who wanted to take jennings HAHA
The Giants did it with Dayne and Barber...  
Big Blue Blogger : 7/23/2014 10:19 am : link
...until Fassel realized that giving Dayne the ball was a waste of offensive plays.

Shula's perfect Dolphin team divided carries three ways (Csonka/Morris/Kiick), though it wasn't really a rotation because Csonka was the fullback. They ran the ball on about 70% of their snaps, so there were plenty of carries to go around.
The only reason using Williams that way would be news at all...  
Big Blue Blogger : 7/23/2014 10:23 am : link
...it that Jennings is a power back too. Taking him off the field in short yardage/goal line sets would indicate that either the team is trying to conserve him or they actually think Williams is superior in that role. (Maybe a bit of both.)
Thought the same as well  
AcesUp : 7/23/2014 10:25 am : link
Another note is that I can see Williams, thanks to his running style and ball security, being the guy that closes out games when the Giants are ahead.
Hillis and Cox are battling for the final RB (#4) roster spot  
JonC : 7/23/2014 10:35 am : link
so it's not a surprise TC wants AW to get reps, he's being given the opportunity to grab the #3 reps and establish himself in the rotation.
Even in 2008  
BigBlueinChicago : 7/23/2014 10:56 am : link
which I think most of us would agree was the apex of the Giants running game, here was how the carries were divided:

Jacobs - 219 (5.0 YPC)
Ward - 182 (5.6 YPC)
Bradshaw - 67 (5.3 YPC)

Nearly half of Bradshaw's carries came late in games when the Giants and the final game of the season in Minnesota when the starters played only one half.

When you have 2 guys producing at a high level, the third guy usually won't see the field just based on the amount of plays in a game.

If you run 65 plays and 1/2 of them are passes, that doesn't leave much for 3 guys. Most RB's need to get into a rhythm and you can't do it trying to give 3 guys carries in a given game.
*Correction  
BigBlueinChicago : 7/23/2014 10:57 am : link
Nearly half of Bradshaw's carries came late in games when the Giants led by healthy margins.
The  
mitch300 : 7/23/2014 1:04 pm : link
real question is can Williams pick up the blitz.
could  
msh : 7/23/2014 9:07 pm : link
be the return of earth wind and fire backfield they used to have with jacobs,ward and bradshaw

only difference is wilson is much faster he is a homerun threat defences will need to take notice of which should open things up for the passing game as a result
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