This off season has handed the fans base a series of high’s and lows; however, one move that seems to be flying below the radar is the signing of running back, Rashad Jennings.
Jennings is a humble, hard-working individual that will fit in perfectly with the New York Giants offensive game plan. The first thing that you will notice about Jennings is his height. At 6’1″ 231 pounds he is taller than Wilson, Brown, Bradshaw, Ward, Barber and Hampton, only Jacobs was taller over the last 24 years.
In college,Jennings started as true freshman for Pitt until transferring to Liberty for family reasons. At Liberty he made the most of his opportunity as he set a Big South Conference record with 3,633 yards with 42 TDs and a 5.7 yards per carry average.
The second thing you will instantly like about Jennings carrying the ball for “Big Blue” is that he runs hard, all the time. Pro Football Focus also highlighted that Jennings is great after contact posting a healthy 2.8 average.
More great qualities that Jennings possesses is his “team” approach. He is well liked in the locker room and will be a great counterpart with Wilson, but one of the most impressive things Jennings does is catch the ball out of the backfield. Outside of quick burst Peyton Hillis supplied last year, the Giants have struggled in this area since Tiki Barber.
Jennings was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 7th round after the Jags actually spent a week coaching him in the 2009 senior bowl. His four years in Florida were less than stellar as he sat behind star running back Maurice Jones-Drew.
In 2012 Jennings signed with the Oakland Raiders and he finally had a chance to show his talent, stepping in for an injured Darren McFadden. He finished the season with 733 yards for 4.5 yards per carry and six touchdowns(1025 All Purpose Yards).
Fans should be excited for a new era in Giants Football. Ben McAdoo has some great new tools to help Eli Manning get back to the playoffs.
Craig J. Santucci | Managing Editor
@CraigSantucci