Andre Williams was the nation's leading rusher in college football last year, amassing 2,177 yards on 355 attempts (6.1 average) and 18 touchdowns. He showed off his potential during Sunday night's Hall of Fame Game against the Buffalo Bills, rushing for 48 yards and a touchdown.
But the Giants are losing running backs fast. David Wilson announced his retirement on Wednesday after team doctors advised him to no longer play football two days earlier because of the severity of his neck injury. The team also thinks they'll be without backup running back Peyton Hillis after he suffered a sprained ankle in Wednesday's training camp practice. Coach Tom Coughlin said it looks worse than previously thought.
This leaves (for the time being), Rashad Jennings as the starter with Andre Williams, Michael Cox and Kendall Gaskins behind him. Jennings was acquired via free agency after a lone season with the Oakland Raiders in 2013, and the six-year veteran is ready to start anew with New York. His previously served as the backup for Maurice Jones-Drew in Jacksonville from 2009-2012 (he missed all of 2011 with a knee injury) before assuming a full-time role in Oakland (when Darren McFadden went down with an injury) where he rushed for 733 yards (4.5 ypc) and six touchdowns. Despite his experience and success, Jennings' durability remains in question.
Jennings has only rushed the ball 387 times for 1,677 in his six year career. He also has 97 receptions for 746 yards. Even taking over as the No. 1 in Oakland while Darren McFadden suffered from injuries, Jennings still only carried the ball 163 times in 2013, which ranked 30th in the league. Backups Joique Bell (Detroit), Fred Jackson (Buffalo), Giovani Bernard (Cincinnati), and Bilal Powell (New York Jets) all had more carries than Jennings. LeSean McCoy and Marshawn Lynch led the league with over 300 attempts each. Jennings has fresh legs, but can he carry the ball 250-plus times?
One thing we know for sure is that Andre Williams proved he can handle a hefty workload during his senior year at Boston College. The Heisman Finalist also scored 18 touchdowns in his final collegiate season. We also know Tom Coughlin's coaching philosophy handles rookies differently, but it's typically the coach's obligation to play the individual who gives them the best chance to win. The Giants are in the process of revamping their offense, so the entire team is in the same boat in terms of learning a new scheme and developing as a unit. The offensive line has three new starters as well, which will be a factor in the performance of the running backs.
The Giants have three preseason games remaining, including one on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. against the Pittsburgh Steelers at MetLife Stadium. The coaching staff will surely be evaluating the remaining healthy running backs and determine their plan of action for Week 1.
You can check out Giants writer Dan Graziano's assessment of Andre Williams on ESPN.com.
