Getty Former New York Giants running back Matt Breida is still available in free agency.
The New York Giants have done a decent job filling out their 90-man roster with enough depth for good competition during training camp.
Having said that, one or two areas could still use a late-offseason addition, and The Athletic’s Dan Duggan sees running back as one of those positions. “Five running backs aren’t enough to get through training camp, so a veteran addition is likely in the coming weeks,” Duggan relayed during a 53-man roster prediction on June 17.
“Re-signing Matt Breida seems like an obvious move to provide depth and experience to a young group,” the NYG beat reporter went on. Hinting that Breida might then make the 53-man roster as the fourth ball carrier behind starter Devin Singletary, 2023 draft pick Eric Gray and rookie fifth rounder Tyrone Tracy Jr.
Of course, the reunion could also simply serve as an extra camp body as well, with little financial guarantees needed to secure the seven-year NFL pro.
What Does Matt Breida Still Bring to the Table?
Breida has been with Daboll since 2021, following the NYG head coach over from the Buffalo Bills. Needless to say, the two main traits he brings to the table are familiarity and a veteran presence.
As a runner, Breida regressed mightily in 2023. His yards per carry clip plummeted from 4.1 YPC in 2022 to just 2.7 YPC a season ago. And in Buffalo, the veteran averaged 4.8 YPC, so this drop-off spans back further than one year.
Where Breida could help the Giants is as a third-down back and mentor to Tracy.
The 29-year-old knows how to pass protect and find space as a pass-catcher out of the backfield — two areas Tracy will likely be working on this summer. Sure, Singletary could also assist the rookie RB who converted from wide receiver in college, but why not add Breida if the cost is insignificant?
As stated above, a place on the 53-man roster is no guarantee, even if the Giants make a move to reunite with the staff favorite ball carrier.
Feel Good Story Dante ‘Turbo’ Miller Up Against Challenging Roster Crunch With Giants
With or without Breida, Duggan predicted that the Giants would cut running backs Jashaun Corbin and unique rookie signing Dante “Turbo” Miller.
“Miller is a great story who has generated buzz, but he has six collegiate carries since the 2021 season,” Duggan reasoned. Continuing: “The Giants should be able to get the 5-foot-9, 200-pounder safely to the practice squad barring a breakout preseason.”
Finally, he added that “the ticket to a roster spot for Miller would be as a returner, but the Giants have more experienced options for that role” — referencing wide receivers Isaiah McKenzie and Gunner Olszewski. That feels like a fair assessment at this stage of the offseason.
Miller profiles as a bubble candidate that fans will be pulling for this summer.
The former local Columbia University starter averaged over 81 yards per game on the ground in 2021 but was forced to transfer to South Carolina in order to play out one final campaign on the football field. To explain, the pandemic cost Miller his fourth season in 2020 and Ivy League rules didn’t allow him to don the Columbia jersey as a fifth-year senior.
His initial plan was to spend two years with South Carolina — buried on the depth chart — and make one final NFL push as an impact contributor with the Gamecocks in 2023. Only, a “miscalculation by South Carolina’s compliance department” robbed Miller of that 2023 season according to On 3 reporter Andy Staples.
“As far as Miller and the people in South Carolina’s football office understood, he had two years,” Staples explained. “That was how his eligibility was communicated between the compliance office and the football staff.”
“It wasn’t until Miller had played sparingly in six games in 2022 that South Carolina officials realized they’d made a mistake,” the reporter went on. “Miller didn’t have two years to play. He had two years to play one. If he wanted to spend two seasons at South Carolina, he would need to redshirt the first. And the NCAA only allows players to play in four games before redshirting a season.”
In short, Miller wasted his opportunity with the Gamecocks, and then was later deemed eligible for the 2024 draft after spending 2023 getting his master’s degree in sports management. So, the Giants took a flyer on the speedy free agent “rookie” who got a raw deal the past two seasons.
Fans tend to root for a quality backstory like this one.