When running back Devontae Booker was signed to a two-year, $5.5 million contract by the Giants, the move had a lot of people scratching their heads as to why the Giants would invest so much in a backup running back.
It turns out that Booker, who cost the Giants $2.5 mullion against their 2021 salary cap last year, gave them their money's worth. Booker was initially signed as insurance in case fellow running back Saquon Barkley hit a snag in his recovery from a torn ACL.
While Barkley's recovery did remain on track, Booker took on some of the early-season pass-blocking duties and was a valued backup who stepped in without missing a beat when Barkley had to miss time due to injury.
Booker did all that and more, and because of that, he was chosen by NFL.com's Nick Shook as the Giants' biggest unsung hero of 2021. Noted Shook of the six-year veteran's showing:
Here's a fun trivia question to run by your pals: Who led the Giants in rushing in 2021? No, it wasn't Saquon Barkley or Devontae Booker -- it was both. The two backs tied at 593 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns each, and Booker ended up being the more efficient of the two, averaging 4.1 yards per carry (Barkley finished with 3.7). Booker also broke off runs of 10-plus yards on 17 percent of his attempts against a neutral box, per NGS, the fifth-highest rate in the NFL (min. 40 rushes). There weren't a ton of positive results for the Giants offensively this season, but Booker can consider 2021 to be a personal success.
Booker started four games for the Giants when Barkley suffered a sprained ankle in a Week 5 loss at Dallas. With Booker as the starter, the Giants running game averaged 96 rushing yards per game--four yards less than they averaged with Barkley in the lineup.
Booker was also one of six NFC running backs to post consecutive games with at least 120 scrimmage yards in 2021, doing so in Weeks 8 and 9 of the season (247 yards total).
Individual Performances
Statistically speaking--and it does need to be noted that there were several times when Barkley didn't look like his old self--Booker had a better showing. He didn't fumble the ball, whereas Barkley had two fumbles. Booker averaged 4.1 rushing yards to Barkley's 3.7 and wasn't too far behind Barkley in average yards after contact (2.69 for Barkley and 2.58 for Booker).
In the receiving game, Booker had the better showing, catching 88.8 percent of his pass targets, while Barkley only caught 71.9 percent. (However, only five receiving yards separated the two despite the vast difference in reception percentage, Booker having that five-yard advantage.)
Barkley also had six drops to Booker's three. And in terms of pass blocking, Booker was the better of the two, finishing with a 96.2 pass-blocking efficiency rating to Barkley's 92.9 PBE.
What About the Future?
The 29-year-old Booker is set to count for $3.125 million against the Giants' 2022 cap, while the soon-to-be 25-year-old Barkley has a $7.217 million cap hit in 2022. either player is signed beyond this coming year, and for a Giants team that is currently squeezed so tightly against the cap, it might not make a world of sense to carry both running backs on the roster.
The question comes down to which one to move. Booker would yield a $2.125 million cap savings, Barkley a $7.217 million savings. But Barkley would have to be traded for the Giants to get that savings since Barkley is in his option year, and his salary is guaranteed.
Barkley came in as a special kind of talent, but it's been somewhat alarming that no coaching staff to date has figured out how to get the most out of him when he's been healthy. Might that change with the new duo of head coach Brian Daboll and offensive coordinator Mike Kafka? Perhaps, but then again, we've been hoping for that to be the case with the Pat Shurmur-Mike Shula and the joe Judge-Jason Garrett combinations only to be disappointed in Barkley's deployment when healthy.
And that's the other part of the discussion--Barkley's injury history, which began in his second season. If the Giants can get similar production without Barkley--and the last two years have shown that isn't a stretch--does it make sense for the Giants to try to move Barkley via trade in return for a couple of early Day-3 picks?
From a long-term perspective, it just might. Although the Giants should have a healthier cap picture in 2023, it's hard to fathom them handing blockbuster contracts to their starting quarterback and running back when other needs will be addressed. And as history has shown thus far, Barkley hasn't quite been the difference maker --the Giants are 10-34 in games he's played, though again, how much of that is on him versus the coaching is debatable.
If the Giants aren't going to make Barkley a central piece in their offense and instead will change things up every week based on the opponent, then it will be interesting to see if new general manager Joe Schoen decides if it makes more sense to devote financial resources around other, more critical positions than running back for the long-term.
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