That's been their roster number for a while. And RBs get nicked a lot. Jennings, Williams, Hillis and Cox. Cox showed last night he has the talent to be on the team. I like him better than Hillis. More speed and athleticism.
Jennings has never gone into the season as the #1. Career back up whose career high in carries is 163 from last year. He also has an injury history ending both 2011 and '12 on IR.
Hillis is slow and was considering retirement last year. It's hard to believe that he's actually younger than Jennings.
Williams is a rookie.
I think you carry four minimum and it wouldn't surprise me if that fourth back on opening day is a player that's currently on another roster at the moment.
He's the one back we have that provides something completely different and that is speed. He seems to have up'd his game from last year, I like what i saw from him last night.
Keep Jennings and Williams healthy through the pre-season, they will be the bell-cows in this stable. Maybe someone comes up after first cuts to bring in, butI don't see anyone else competing for anything beyond the 4th RB slot.
I think with a group so inexperienced they will keep him precisely because they will value his experience. He also has good hands which should be an asset in this offense.
would give more carries/attention to Cox and Gaskins going forward to see if they can handle being the backups all by themselves.
Hillis is a straight line only runner that isn't not going to move the chains with this average O-line. The other guys have more speed and some lateral movements.
Going into the season I think Coughlin will want to keep him for that one guy he can better trust not to put the ball on the ground or miss a blitz in key moments of given games.
Keeping Jennings and Williams for sure. I think Hillis is the next guy, experience + he can block/catch passes (somethings Williams cannot do, at least not yet). Cox needs to beat Hillis out or make it via special teams. He doesn't have Hillis' versatility, I think.
That said, it is likely that they will keep four RB's. As good as Williams looks, let's not enshrine him in Canton after one preseason game. If you are Coughlin, do you want Williams as the starter with only Cox behind him if Jennings gets hurt? And, Williams hasn't proven he can block and catch yet either. No. You have to go with 4, at least for now.
There are probably eight roster spots for RB, FB and TE.
Three go to the top three RBs; three go to the top three TEs. One probably goes to the best fullback. The eighth goes to the best remaining player at one of those three positions, unless the slot is desperately needed elsewhere.
Going into the season I think Coughlin will want to keep him for that one guy he can better trust not to put the ball on the ground or miss a blitz in key moments of given games.
That does sound like a TC thing to do. I just am wishing the other guys are reliable enough to handle those types of things enough b/c they are more valuable runners and special team players. Cox may very well be the fastest RB we have now.
the 2007 Reuben Droughns of the 2014 roster. Hopefully they won't have to cut another Ryan Grant to keep him.
(Which is to say, I don't mind him sticking around if the alternative is an undistinguished camp body, but I don't want the team losing somebody with real potential.)
Keep an eye on the waiver wire. Rookies like Henry Josey in Philly and LaDarius Perkins in Green Bay face uphill roster battles. Veterans will shake loose too. Complementary running backs are cheap.
Can't see two FBs, since neither Conner nor Hynoski is very versatile.
Another speedster who's already on the street is Chris Rainey. I could imagine the Giants giving him a tryout, though he doesn't exactly fit the team's current Character Initiative.
the ball on the ground from time to time. I just don't think Hillis offers enough talent to be the #3 RB, even if he is the experienced veteran.
Cox and Gaskins need to start moving up the depth chart this preseason.
Hillis was available last October, and imo he will be available again if we need him again this season. So in the meanwhile go with the younger, albeit unproven, talent.
been slow. He is however a torpedo in short yardage and he knocked about 3 Bills on their asses on one dive up the middle last night. For the first time ever Cox impressed me. He made a couple of great runs. The 4 RBs & Hyno. Connor moves on.
been slow. He is however a torpedo in short yardage and he knocked about 3 Bills on their asses on one dive up the middle last night. For the first time ever Cox impressed me. He made a couple of great runs. The 4 RBs & Hyno. Connor moves on.
Right on the money. And let's not forget that Hillis can catch and is an excellent blocker.
(Williams & Cox) so inexperienced I'm almost sure they'll keep 4.
If Williams is right that Cox "has the best feet" of them all then the roster battle is between Hillis and Gaskins. Gaskins may be the better athlete at this point but doed he have enough sense of the game to supplant Hillis?
on a play last night. I could be wrong though (dont have DVR) but I think if theyre practicing him at that position then he'll have a lot of value.
Think they keep 4 RB's: Jennings, Williams, Cox, Hillis. Hillis may serve as a nice alternative at fullback, especially in McAdoo's system where he already demonstrated last season that he has great hands receiving out of the backfield.
(Williams & Cox) so inexperienced I'm almost sure they'll keep 4.
If Williams is right that Cox "has the best feet" of them all then the roster battle is between Hillis and Gaskins. Gaskins may be the better athlete at this point but doed he have enough sense of the game to supplant Hillis?
Lou - wouldn't it make sense to keep the better athlete, albeit inexperienced, since he would only be the #4 RB anyway?
Googs: There are at least three ways to approach the #4 RB slot.
1) A developmental player whom you don't want to expose to waivers;
2) An experienced player who can step in and start if the #1 guy goes down;
3) A significant contributor on special teams.
Of the three, only the third option is likely to dress regularly if the other RBs are all healthy.
Hillis would fit option #2, though I personally think he needs to be at least third on the depth chart to make the team. I'm not sure where Gaskins fits: not option 1, really, because he would probably clear waivers and reach the practice squad; maybe option 3, if Quinn likes him.
whether Gaskins would clear waivers, but if Giants believe he would then keeping Hillis has merit.
However, if all the other guys we have at RB are healthy at end of preseason AND Gaskins has shown to be a decent ST player (i don't think Hillis plays ST but could be wrong), then I still would go Gaskins.
Do you think that another team jumps on Hillis if we cut him?
I think the market for a year-to-year vet like Hillis...
...is as much a function of injuries and other mishaps around the NFL as it is a reflection of his own inherent value. So it's impossible to predict whether he would find a job until much later in pre-season. Plus, as a vested vet, he would be more likely to get picked up after Week 1.
In that respect, Hillis is hardly unique. A lot of other vets will be in the same boat if they lose roster battles here: Manningham, Davis, Fells, Bowman, McBride, Demps, Conner, Jerry, Painter and both Browns are examples (Patterson too, though he seems very likely to make the team); not to mention non-vested players like Herzlich, Adkins, Cox, Kuhn and Hosley who are subject to waivers but ineligible for the practice squad.
I don't think Hillis is given much attention by other teams
if we cut him. At least until they become \desperate.
Look what it took for the Giants to even give him a tryout in late October...we had to lose Brown, Wilson, Scott and Jacobs all to injuries. The only RB we had left was rookie Michael Cox.
Now every year in the NFL is different, and maybe Hillis' career got somewhat resurrected by the Giants but that doesn't make him a better player this year.
Keep:
Jennings
Williams
Cox
Hyno
Connor
The idea of abandoning the FB to keep useless TEs doesnt make sense to me
And Gaskins is an unknown to me not sure if he will warrant a roster spot but Hyno can be the 4th RB
Hillis
Cox
Hyno at FB
Hillis is slow and was considering retirement last year. It's hard to believe that he's actually younger than Jennings.
Williams is a rookie.
I think you carry four minimum and it wouldn't surprise me if that fourth back on opening day is a player that's currently on another roster at the moment.
He's the one back we have that provides something completely different and that is speed. He seems to have up'd his game from last year, I like what i saw from him last night.
Keep Jennings and Williams healthy through the pre-season, they will be the bell-cows in this stable. Maybe someone comes up after first cuts to bring in, butI don't see anyone else competing for anything beyond the 4th RB slot.
Hillis is a straight line only runner that isn't not going to move the chains with this average O-line. The other guys have more speed and some lateral movements.
2. Williams
3. Cox
That said, it is likely that they will keep four RB's. As good as Williams looks, let's not enshrine him in Canton after one preseason game. If you are Coughlin, do you want Williams as the starter with only Cox behind him if Jennings gets hurt? And, Williams hasn't proven he can block and catch yet either. No. You have to go with 4, at least for now.
That does sound like a TC thing to do. I just am wishing the other guys are reliable enough to handle those types of things enough b/c they are more valuable runners and special team players. Cox may very well be the fastest RB we have now.
IMO
(Which is to say, I don't mind him sticking around if the alternative is an undistinguished camp body, but I don't want the team losing somebody with real potential.)
Why not Jennings, Williams, Cox and have Gaskins on the practice squad.
If that doesn't work there will be plenty of out-of-work RBs after cuts are made.
Another speedster who's already on the street is Chris Rainey. I could imagine the Giants giving him a tryout, though he doesn't exactly fit the team's current Character Initiative.
Cox and Gaskins need to start moving up the depth chart this preseason.
Hillis was available last October, and imo he will be available again if we need him again this season. So in the meanwhile go with the younger, albeit unproven, talent.
And that's why it will work, because no one will expect it!!!
If Williams is right that Cox "has the best feet" of them all then the roster battle is between Hillis and Gaskins. Gaskins may be the better athlete at this point but doed he have enough sense of the game to supplant Hillis?
Can't see a 2nd FB retained over a 4th RB.
Think they keep 4 RB's: Jennings, Williams, Cox, Hillis. Hillis may serve as a nice alternative at fullback, especially in McAdoo's system where he already demonstrated last season that he has great hands receiving out of the backfield.
If Williams is right that Cox "has the best feet" of them all then the roster battle is between Hillis and Gaskins. Gaskins may be the better athlete at this point but doed he have enough sense of the game to supplant Hillis?
Lou - wouldn't it make sense to keep the better athlete, albeit inexperienced, since he would only be the #4 RB anyway?
2) An experienced player who can step in and start if the #1 guy goes down;
3) A significant contributor on special teams.
Of the three, only the third option is likely to dress regularly if the other RBs are all healthy.
Hillis would fit option #2, though I personally think he needs to be at least third on the depth chart to make the team. I'm not sure where Gaskins fits: not option 1, really, because he would probably clear waivers and reach the practice squad; maybe option 3, if Quinn likes him.
However, if all the other guys we have at RB are healthy at end of preseason AND Gaskins has shown to be a decent ST player (i don't think Hillis plays ST but could be wrong), then I still would go Gaskins.
Do you think that another team jumps on Hillis if we cut him?
In that respect, Hillis is hardly unique. A lot of other vets will be in the same boat if they lose roster battles here: Manningham, Davis, Fells, Bowman, McBride, Demps, Conner, Jerry, Painter and both Browns are examples (Patterson too, though he seems very likely to make the team); not to mention non-vested players like Herzlich, Adkins, Cox, Kuhn and Hosley who are subject to waivers but ineligible for the practice squad.
Look what it took for the Giants to even give him a tryout in late October...we had to lose Brown, Wilson, Scott and Jacobs all to injuries. The only RB we had left was rookie Michael Cox.
Now every year in the NFL is different, and maybe Hillis' career got somewhat resurrected by the Giants but that doesn't make him a better player this year.
We know that Jennings, Williams and Cox can run. So, Gaskins doesn't add anything to the roster as a running back.
IMO unless Gaskins can show that he's as good as, or better than, Hillis as a pass receiver, then Hillis stays and Gaskins goes.