Ben McAdoo noncommittal on Giants’ running back situation
INDIANAPOLIS — Ben McAdoo defended his much-criticized use of a running back rotation for the majority of the 2015 season when he was Giants offensive coordinator while suggesting that it is too early to know if it will continue in 2016 when he is head coach.
“The way I feel is if everyone is about even, then it’s someone’s job to step up and take the job,” McAdoo said on Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine. “When that was done, we gave him the reins, we gave Rashad [Jennings] the reins. It’s tough to stay healthy in this league and do it for 16 weeks getting 25 carries a game, so the more guys you have who can handle the ball the better.”
Jennings emerged at the end of the season, but by then it may have been too late. He ran for a career-high 863 yards with 432 of them coming in the final four games. For most of the season Jennings split carries and reps with Andre Williams and Shane Vereen, and even Orleans Darkwa for a few weeks.
“It’s a challenge to get into a rhythm when a bunch of guys are getting the ball, but when you have a third-down back [Vereen] who is going to play in mixed downs, first and second downs, it’s going to be a challenge when you have three other guys in the mix,” McAdoo said. “But at the same time you want to give everyone an opportunity to be successful if they deserve it.”
Looking ahead, McAdoo would not commit to a more traditional rotation at the position.
“It’s early to say,” he said. “We’re still in the process of evaluating the scheme . . . What you want to do is see what your roster looks like coming out of camp, and that’s really how you decide how the carries fall, how you get those touches.”
McAdoo did say that the one player who seemed to fall out of favor late in the year and struggled the most in 2015 could be ready for a rebound in 2016. Williams, who led the team in rushing yards as a rookie in 2014, had only 257 rushing yards in his sophomore campaign and almost a third as many carries as the previous season.
“Andre and I have had some conversations,” McAdoo said. “I think a lot of people may be willing to give up on Andre. I think it may be early for that. I look forward to Andre bouncing back this year, having a bounce-back year. He’s a tough, hard runner. He’s a smart guy. He’s conscientious, he’s working at it, and I look forward to getting him back.”
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
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