Giant fans got a pleasant surprise last Friday, as Derrick Ward was signed to a one year deal at a very reasonable $1 million dollars. I had pegged Ward as the least important free agent of the big three (Mitchell, Wilson, Ward) this offseason, considering the talent the Giants have in their offensive backfield. But getting him back, and at this price, can only be considered a plus. He knows the system, coaches, players, yada yada yada.
Coming back to G-Men tells me the interest in Ward, initially embellished by his agent, wasn’t very high. His history of being injured, plus the broken leg this year certainly decreased his value. But in this age of high spending for even marginal players, I am surprised he couldn’t get a better deal somewhere else in terms of money and playing time. I definitely thought some team would pick him up as a number two back. His return to the Giants puts him third on the depth chart, behind Jacobs and Bradshaw.
That, of course, can change. Jacobs must still prove he is durable enough to pound away for 16 games. Bradshaw, who I suspect may end up being the best of the bunch, still has a small sample size of games. Ward will get touches no doubt, but who knows how it all plays out. Remember, if Ward hadn’t gotten hurt last year, would we even know what we really had in Bradshaw? It’s a great problem to have, and when you throw in Reuben Droughns, the Giants easily have the deepest backfield in the NFL. Â
