Getty Former Saints running back Latavius Murray.
The New York Giants kept the health status of Saquon Barkley mostly under wraps throughout the summer. However, they were far from shy in boasting their quest to add depth behind the hobbled-Pro Bowler.
They signed Devontae Booker early in the offseason to serve as Barkley’s primary backup and a potential injury replacement for the first few weeks of the season. Back in June, head coach Joe Judge noted that the Giants were “looking for a lot of depth” at the position (via The New York Post) — he wasn’t lying.
During training camp, the team siphoned through the likes of Corey Clement, Ryquell Armstead, Mike Weber and Sandro Platzgummer to ultimately land on rookie Gary Brightwell and running back/fullback Eli Penny as their choices to join Barkley and Booker on the opening day roster. Yet, while Big Blue might be content with their current group, they’re evidently not complacent.
Giants Inquired About Latavius Murray
Peter King of Football Morning in America has reported that the Giants were among teams to show interest in adding running back Latavius Murray before he ultimately signed with the Baltimore Ravens.
The Giants and Raiders called about Murray too, and the Saints wanted to re-sign him after week one. Agent Ryan Tollner went back and forth with the cap-strangled Ravens and with Murray, and player and agent agreed that they wanted to join the team right now, thus guaranteeing his contract for the season—rather than waiting to sign after Week 1, when base salaries for veterans don’t have to be guaranteed.
Murray, 31, was a Pro Bowler with the then-Oakland Raiders back in 2015 — the lone 1,000-yard rushing campaign of his career. A 6-foot-3-inch, 230-pound bruiser with 4.38-speed, Murray has proven to have a nose for the endzone, amassing 46 total touchdowns in 109 games (63 starts). In fact, his 44 rushing touchdowns are the fifth-most among active players currently on an NFL roster. Despite joining Baltimore just three days before the team’s opener, Murray scored a touchdown and handled 10 rushing attempts against the Raiders — a team-high amongst running backs.
Saquon Barkley ‘Limited’ Ahead of TNF
Dan Salomone of the Giants.com has reported that Barkley (knee) was listed as a limited participant on Monday’s practice “estimation,” as the team did not practice. On Tuesday, the team held a walkthrough, where Barkley was once again limited.
Barkley noted to reporters following the walkthrough that he feels “pretty good,” but admitted that having two games over a four-day span while coming off a serious knee injury isn’t ideal, via ESPN’s Jordan Raanan.
Still, head coach Joe Judge confirmed that “unless the medical team tells us something else” the plan is to play Barkley on Thursday night against NFC East rivals, the Washington Football Team per New York Post’s Paul Schwartz.
The former NFL Rookie of the Year left much to be desired in his return to the gridiron, averaging 2.6 yards per carry against Denver in the opener — marking the eighth time he’s averaged less than 3.89 yards per tout over his last 14 games.
While the production wasn’t there, taking regular-season snaps for the first time since tearing his ACL last September was a moral victory for the 24-year-old. Now he’s focused on helping guide his Giants to an actual victory.
“I know I put a lot of hard work — blood, sweat and tears — just to get to this moment and come out healthy out of this game. It happened. Hit that milestone. I was happy I was able to play in Week 1. That was a goal of mine, to get out there and help my team win. Now it’s actually getting out there and helping my team win.”