The Giants have been coy about the plan for the other running backs, declining to discuss even the possibility of roles such as third-down back or short-yardage back. If Barkley is going to join the ranks of workhorses LeVeon Bell, Melvin Gordon, Todd Gurley and LeSean McCoy, it won't leave much opportunity for anyone else.
But Jonathan Stewart has been the clear No. 2 running back all training camp, not just filling in for short-yardage but spelling Barkley as needed. Shurmur didn't care much about resumes last year, when he played rookie Dalvin Cook and Jerick McKinnon over Latavius Murray with the Vikings.
Related players: Wayne Gallman, Jalen Simmons, Robert Martin
A few weeks ago, a beat reporter noted that Stewart hasn't looked great in the offseason, while Gallman has improved and seems like the better choice for the team's No. 2 RB. Looks like Simmons could also be battling for playing time, as the story said. However, this beat writer feels like Stewart may be able to negate some of Barkley's negative runs, a knock on the rookie to this point, especially around the end zone. Obviously, taking the ball out of Barkley's hands near the goal line will hurt his fantasy value if things do pan out that way.
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