Brad Penner-US PRESSWIRE
Some interesting NFL rumors are coming from the New York Giants these days in relation to first-round pick David Wilson and his role in the offense. Yesterday, the Giants turned to Andre Brown to fill in for Ahmad Bradshaw after Bradshaw went down with a neck injury and Brown responded by gaining 71 yards on 13 carries and added the go-ahead touchdown.
Wilson saw just six total plays on offense and didn’t get on the field with the offense again after dropping a pass that he should have caught. It is quite clear that Tom Coughlin will give Wilson chances, but that the leash is extremely short. In his first NFL game, Wilson was benched after fumbling his second career carry.
However, Wilson did continue to field kickoff returns and looked pretty good. He consistently gave the Giants very good starting field position. It was obvious that Coughlin didn’t trust Wilson to contribute on offense. Wilson carried the ball three times for only six yards, four of which came on one run.
Given Brown’s performance on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it seems likely that he has solidified his role as, at the very least, Bradshaw’s backup. If Bradshaw is unable to suit up on Thursday when the Giants play the Carolina Panthers, then I expect Brown to see the lion’s share of carries.
Brown ran the ball with authority, torching a Buccaneers defense that held the Panthers running attack to 10 total yards in Week 1. Brown’s success will only push Wilson further down the depth chart. However, don’t think the Giants won’t give Wilson opportunities. He will still get at least a couple of touches per game as the coaching staff basically gives him the shovel to dig himself out of the early hole.
Wilson’s running style is undisciplined. The talent is there, but he seems too anxious to try and break the big run instead of following his blocks. He needs to learn to hit the hole hard and take what is given to him. He has the speed to become a very dynamic back in the NFL, but he needs to learn how to be a running back instead of just a runner.
Once that happens, Wilson will assume the role of number one back in this offense. He just has some learning to do. That will take time. In the meantime, expect the Giants to see just what they have in Brown.
