The New York Giants are swapping out one veteran for another. The Giants plan on releasing wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster in order to make room for recently signed running back Najee Harris, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Harris, 28, was signed to a one-year deal on Tuesday, giving head coach John Harbaugh another experienced option in a running back room that already includes Cam Skattebo, Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Devin Singletary.
Harris reportedly has made a full recovery from the Achilles injury that cost him an opportunity to show what he could do last season with the Los Angeles Chargers. Smith-Schuster, 29, would have been hard pressed to carve out a role surrounding the likes of Darnell Mooney, Calvin Austin III, Braxton Berrios, and Odell Beckham Jr. -- all of whom are battling to be secondary options behind Malik Nabers and Darius Slayton. The Giants will not lose out after making the move, as they committed no guaranteed money to the Super Bowl LVII champion back in June.
It's an interesting example of adding competition to a room full of young players, with the former first-round pick arriving with more of a pedigree than any of the incumbents. Harris rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of his first four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Skattebo, Tracy, and Singletary, respectively, have never done that, though the former was on pace before a season-ending right ankle fracture and dislocation during his rookie season.
It'll remain to be seen whether he continues to track as the likely starting option, especially if the new guy is fully cleared for a return to the field. New York will now spend the remainder of training camp weighing depth options at both wide receiver and running back.
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