The New York Giants may have moved too quickly when they brought in Najee Harris, especially with roster cuts right around the corner and the market about to flood with options.
That’s the basic problem with the timing. The Giants already appeared set at running back with Cam Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Devin Singletary lined up as the top three, which makes the early move for Harris look even more questionable now that teams are preparing to cut down to 53 players by Sunday.
The latest reminder came with former Arizona Cardinals back Trey Benson hitting the waiver wire with an injury designation after a left knee flare-up in camp. Benson is still working back from a meniscus tear that ended his 2025 season in Week 4, and although he returned to practice briefly this summer, the knee never fully held up over the past few weeks. Arizona’s crowded backfield left the Cardinals without much choice.
That’s exactly the kind of player the Giants may have priced themselves out of by acting early. Instead of waiting to see who became available, they essentially committed to Harris before the real market opened.
And Harris is hardly a clean solution. He’s 28, coming off a season-ending Achilles injury, and his game has never been built around big explosiveness. He has four 1,000-yard rushing seasons on his résumé, but his career average sits at 3.9 yards per carry.
At 6-foot-1 and 240 pounds, Harris is built to be a bruiser, yet there are still times when he looks more comfortable bouncing runs sideways than powering ahead. That’s not exactly ideal for a back whose body type suggests a straight-ahead, punishing style.
The Giants signed him to a one-year minimum deal after waiving Dante "Turbo" Miller with an injury designation. Their urgency to add help got a little sharper when Tracy Jr. left franchise quarterback Jaxson Dart headed for the medical tent for a concussion check in the preseason opener.
Even so, the move had the feel of an overreaction.
Benson doesn’t bring Harris’s track record, but he does offer upside. In 17 games over two seasons, he has fewer than 100 career carries, yet he’s averaged 4.9 yards per attempt and shown some value as a receiver with 19 catches for 123 yards. At 6-foot and 225 pounds, he also fits a downhill approach well enough for Harbaugh’s running style.
Maybe Benson’s knee never cooperates and Harris turns out to be the safer bet. That’s possible. But with roster cuts days away, and 31 other teams about to push hundreds of players onto the market, the Giants may have jumped too soon.
Benson could be the first higher-upside back available. He probably won’t be the last. Sunday should bring more movement.
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