Giants' Shane Vereen: Will shoulder pass-catching duties
Vereen is expected to handle most of the Giants' snaps at running back during passing downs this season, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.
Vereen is listed behind Paul Perkins on the depth chart at running back, but the veteran is rightfully considered the team's top pass-catching option out of the backfield given the success he's enjoyed in that capacity throughout his career. With the Giants sporting the same underwhelming offensive line as last season, coach Ben McAdoo has deployed a quicker-release passing scheme in training camp, emphasizing screens and plays that get the ball out of quarterback Eli Manning's hands as soon as possible. Those designs figure to greatly benefit Vereen, who has topped 50 receptions in his last two full seasons. During his first season with the Giants, Vereen made just five appearances due to injury and has already been sidelined with a lower-leg issue earlier in training camp this summer, but all seems to be sound on the health front at this time. If Vereen can avoid further setbacks during training camp, he should play a significant role in the team's offense in 2017.