Either the New York Giants are trying to send a message to second-year running back David Wilson, or they are legitimately nervous about his fumbling problem. Wilson, who was expected to be a major part of New York’s offensive attack in 2013, put the ball on the ground twice during a loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night. Because of that, the Giants may be looking to add a veteran to their backfield.
According to CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora, New York is planning to bring in Brandon Jacobs, Willis McGahee and Joe McKnight for a workout this week. Jacobs became irrelevant after leaving New York in 2011, McGahee was phased out by the Denver Broncos last year and McKnight was a failure with the New York Jets, but the trio could bring veteran stability to a backfield that is littered with question marks.
Prior to Andre Brown suffering a broken leg, he and Wilson were expected to share the workload in New York this season. Still, Wilson was seen as a far superior talent who would get the bulk of the carries. On Sunday night, he was benched after losing two fumbles in his first seven rushing attempts.
Third-year running back Da’Rel Scott replaced Wilson and rushed for 23 yards on five carries, but he also failed to handle an Eli Manning pass that was intercepted by Dallas and returned for a touchdown.
The Giants really have no option talent-wise aside from Wilson, so they need him to figure out a way to secure the ball. Last season, Wilson infamously cried on the sidelines after losing a fumble on his second career carry. You have to believe his fumbling issue is as much mental as it is physical at the moment. New York has dealt with this before with Tiki Barber, who lost six fumbles in 2002 and 2003. The Giants may need to take a similar approach with Wilson and tweak his ball carrying style.
