Ever since John Harbaugh took over as head coach of the New York Giants and brought in noted run-game guru Greg Roman, most of the focus has been on what a ground-and-pound offense will mean for second-year running back Cam Skattebo, but one of his forgotten rivals for carries on the depth chart is surprisingly predicted to “get more touches” this season.
It’s veteran Devin Singletary, according to NorthJersey.com’s Art Stapleton. He named Singletary as a senior player set to contribute more than expected for one key reason that’s attributed to Roman’s history with Harbaugh for the Baltimore Ravens.
Stapleton pointed out how “Singletary took a pay cut to stay with the Giants, improving his chances of emerging as a contributor from jump. What will be interesting to see is how much Singletary gets to prove his worth behind Cam Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy, and whether his style in a Greg Roman-designed power run game creates a lane for ‘Motor’ to get more touches. I think it will, and Harbaugh has shown he is unafraid to go to different backs in a committee prior to Derrick Henry’s arrival in Baltimore.”
This is a strong argument for an unlikely resurgence for Singletary, and not just because of Roman’s significant influence on the running game.
New Scheme Creates Opportunity for Devin Singletary
Running back by committee proved highly successful for Roman for years in Baltimore. The Ravens led the NFL in rushing in both 2019 and ’20, while finishing second in 2022.
Those rushing attacks were built on sharing carries between whoever had the hot hand. In 2019, it was Mark Ingram II, Gus Edwards and Justice Hill splitting rushing attempts.
The backfield rotation expanded when J.K. Dobbins and Kenyan Drake were added to the mix, but no matter who was on the depth chart, Roman shared the wealth. It was easy to do when Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was also a core part of the ground game, and the Giants can craft a similar dynamic behind the dual-threat skills of second-year signal-caller Jaxson Dart.
Roman following the same formula would be good news for Singletary. The 28-year-old still has the low centre of gravity, natural acceleration and elusiveness to thrive in Roman’s elaborate mix of power-based and zone-style rushing concepts.
GettySingletary still has the attributes to be a factor in a more versatile rushing attack for the Giants.
Turning Singletary loose as an experienced chain-mover and natural change of pace will only make the Giants’ other backs better. Including the player widely expected to become the primary workhorse.
Giants Don’t Need to Rely on Skattebo
Relying on Skattebo seemingly makes sense because his smash-mouth running style and overt intensity fit the more physical team Harbaugh is building. The problem is the Giants are still waiting on Skattebo to fully recover from the dislocated ankle that cut his 2025 debut campaign short.
Skattebo’s exact injury status will be a theme during training camp, but the Giants won’t want to see him taking any more risks before then. What Harbaugh needs is for Skattebo to be full go at camp and able to begin proving a “complex” warning about his stats as a rookie is unfounded.
Even if Skattebo struggles to stay healthy and prove he’s more than just a short-yardage bruiser, Roman can still accommodate those talents within a rotation underpinned by Singletary and Tracy.
The latter’s natural quickness, slashing style and innate receiving skills will get him onto the field as part of what’s looking more and more like a backfield defined by sharing the load.
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