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One of the very first additions made by the New York Giants this offseason was running back Devontae Booker, who spent last season as a member of the Las Vegas Raiders.
Some argued (present company included) that the Giants overpaid unnecessarily for Booker when they inked him to a two-year, $5.5 million deal. However, the Giants and general manager Dave Gettleman see it very differently.
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“One of the reasons we prioritized Devontae is: You can never have too many good players, at any position. I don’t care what anybody says,” Gettleman told reporters in April. “One of the things that made Devontae so attractive was the fact that we felt he was a legitimate three-down running back. So it’s always a group decision here. Everything is in the best interest of the Giants. So we feel he can be a good part of our solution at running back.”
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report shares in Gettleman’s optimism, recently naming Booker the Giants’ “best-kept secret.”
The New York Giants’ signing of running back Devontae Booker might be one of the most underrated moves of the offseason. While star back Saquon Barkley is expected to be healthy following 2020’s torn ACL, Booker can be a fantastic complement.
A bruising 219-pound inside runner, Booker possesses the physicality needed to wear down defenses late in games and provide a change of pace. He served as a complement to Pro Bowler Josh Jacobs with the Raiders last season and should do the same with Barkley.
The benefit of adding Booker will be twofold. First, he’ll help keep Barkley fresh as the star works his way back toward 100 percent. Second, he’ll force opposing defenses to adjust between running styles. While Barkley is plenty powerful, he moves well in space and will utilize lateral movement to his advantage. Booker takes more of a head-on approach. If defenses spread out to contain Barkley on the edge, Booker can pound them up the middle.
If you ignore the financial factors that went into the criticism of Booker’s signing and focus solely on the X’s and O’s, then Knox hits the nail directly on the head. Booker is a solid compliment to Barkley, especially when it comes to his running style.
But is Booker really the Giants’ best-kept secret? He’s certainly in the conversation, but other players like safety Xavier McKinney, defensive tackle B.J. Hill, tight end Kaden Smith and fullback Eli Penny are some well-kept secrets, too. At least for now.