New York Giants: It’s now or never for Wayne Gallman

New York Giants running back Wayne Gallman needs to take advantage of every opportunity for additional reps in August practices and preseason games.

Wayne Gallman was not supposed to be the New York Giants running back attracting attention and headlines this month. Rather, all eyes were to be on rookie Saquon Barkley, the second overall pick who delighted fans with his first run of preseason action versus the Cleveland Browns: a 39-yard journey that conjured dreams of what could be to come when Barkley faces NFC East opponents in future regular season games.

The situation changed earlier this week when Barkley suffered what’s been reported as a left hamstring strain. In the grand scheme of things, there shouldn’t be much to worry about moving forward. Players experience tweaks in July and August. It happens to All-Pros, rookies and guys competing to make rosters. The Giants will be lucky if Barkley’s setback is the worst thing that happens on the injury front ahead of Week 1 of the campaign.

Obviously, head coach Pat Shurmur has no reason to rush Barkley back for another down of preseason football. While every first-year pro requires work and reps, Barkley is not being asked to quarterback an offense or learn complicated routes. Truth be told, Shurmur and company could sit the 21-year-old until September if they wanted to be extra cautious.

Signal-callers Eli Manning, Davis Webb and Kyle Lauletta need somebody in the backfield as Barkley watches from the sidelines. Gallman should immediately become the busiest back in camp before, during and after the upcoming preseason game against the Detroit Lions. The Giants know what 11-year veteran Jonathan Stewart is and isn’t at this point. Seeing what Gallman can add to the offense if he’s catapulted to the top of the depth chart will be an interesting experiment.

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Per Art Stapleton of the North Jersey Record, Gallman produced one of New York’s best offensive plays during a joint practice with the Lions when he burst through a hole up front and then sped into open field. As Stapleton explained, Gallman claimed more first-team touches and carries in place of the injured Barkley.

As with everybody else who remains on the Giants roster from a year ago, Gallman began training camp with a clean slate underneath Shurmur. That means the 476 yards and 4.3 yards per carry that he posted during his rookie campaign don’t factor into his future as part of the current regime. Shurmur probably enjoys the idea of using Gallman, who caught 34 passes in 2017, as a weapon in the passing attack in situations when Barkley isn’t available, but the coach needs to see Gallman make plays in-person and not just on film.

The Giants featured a shell of a legitimate NFL rushing attack a year ago, and it showed when the games mattered. Things only got worse after wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall fell to injuries. The team’s response was to part ways with Orleans Darkwa, Shane Vereen and Paul Perkins (Perkins is on the reserve/non-football injury list). Gallman is the last-man standing.

Youngsters Robert Martin and Jalen Simmons are battling for looks and a roster spot that may or may not be available, but something will have gone horribly wrong if either man leapfrogs Gallman. A fourth-round pick, Gallman is on an inexpensive contract, via Spotrac. In short, a front office and coaching staff that didn’t pick him won’t lose a second of sleep cutting him if he drops the ball; figuratively or literally.

In August 2017, Gallman was the rookie seen as a project on a roster meant to win or lose via a pass-first offense starring a trio of talented receivers and a first-year tight end, Evan Engram, scheduled to take advantage of positive match-ups. Things change quickly in the NFL, and Gallman’s learning-curve period ended the second Barkley limped for the first time wearing Giants Big Blue.

None of this means Gallman is expected to perform like Barkley, a prospect picked by some experts as the top fantasy football back of the upcoming campaign. Gallman averaging 5.9 yards per carry against a Washington Redskins side that may have phoned that game in on the final day of 2017 needs to be a launching point rather than a career highlight for the 23-year old fighting for an offensive role.