Devin Singletary may have looked like the odd man out in the Giants’ backfield picture not long ago, but the way this preseason has unfolded has given him a fresh lane to matter.
A lot of the early conversation centered on Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Cam Skattebo, with the expectation that those two would handle most of the work. That left Singletary in a strange spot, even after he reworked his contract to stay on the veteran minimum.
Then the preseason opener complicated everything. Singletary logged just four snaps, though he did turn a screen into a 40-yard gain.
The bigger flashpoint, though, came when Tracy missed a key block and quarterback Jaxson Dart got knocked down and sent to the blue medical tent.
Now add the Najee Harris signing into the mix, and the only thing that feels close to certain is that Skattebo will still have a major role. But Singletary may not be as far down the pecking order as it first seemed.
ESPN’s Jordan Raanan added to that idea on Friday, writing that Singletary “shouldn’t be counted out” and noting that he has been one of Dart’s preferred options in the passing game.
That kind of usage fits Singletary’s resume. The Bills and Texans both leaned on him as a receiver, and through his first five seasons he averaged 35 catches and 239 receiving yards. He’s not Christian McCaffrey or Le’Veon Bell, but he can handle himself as a pass-catching back.
That’s why the four-snap showing last week stood out so much. It made it easy to wonder whether the Giants were already moving on and whether Singletary was simply hanging on to a 53-man roster spot. There’s also the coaching change to consider, since Singletary had previously played for Brian Daboll in Buffalo, while both John Harbaugh and Matt Nagy are new to him.
Skattebo looks set for Week 1 barring injury. Beyond that, the picture is murkier.
Tracy’s standing feels less secure than it did before, especially with the new staff and the block that led to Dart being evaluated for a concussion. Harris, meanwhile, is working back from a torn Achilles tendon, and Harbaugh hasn’t said whether the former Steelers starter will take part in the final preseason game next weekend.
That puts Saturday night in Miami in a meaningful spot for Singletary. It’s a chance to show he belongs not just on the 53-man roster, but in the rotation itself. And for him, the setting fits: he’s from South Florida, and he played both high school and college football less than an hour north of Hard Rock Stadium.
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Some spots look fairly clear, but plenty of players are still living on the edge of the bubble as the front office weighs who fits best and who has done enough to stick. Harbaugh has already pointed to several strong individual showings, yet the final calls are still pending, which leaves the Giants with more good problems than bad ones and a handful of tough decisions still ahead. [Read more 🡒]