Giants RB David Wilson may go from the doghouse to being the "lead dog" next season. General manager Jerry Reese and head coach Tom Coughlin discussed the state of the Giants heading into the offseason on WFAN on Thursday, and the GM believes Wilson has what it takes to start next year.
"I don’t think there’s any question that he can be that," Reese said, when asked if Wilson can be a lead back. "It’s a two- and three-back league nowadays, but do I think he can be a lead dog? I do think that."
"Because he’s not a little guy, and he has incredible balance," Reese continued. "You see guys have some big hits on him and he stays up -- he’s not an easy guy to take down. So he’s much stronger than you might think just from how he looks on the field. But he’s a sleek, well-chiseled athlete. I do believe he can be the lead back."
Perhaps that is why Ahmad Bradshaw was so uncertain about his status next year. Bradshaw is coming off a 1,000-yard season, and is under contract for the next two seasons at $3.75 and $4 million in base salary. But he Giants may ask some of their veterans to restructure their deals, including him.
This is not major news at this point, but it is a snapshot of the team's current opinion of Wilson and it also could impact Ahmad Bradshaw, who is under contract for two more seasons. If Bradshaw is with the team in 2013, expect a RBBC approach with Wilson possibly in the lead role. If Bradshaw is not back, look for Wilson to start with Andre Brown as his backup.