Giants' Eric Gray: Works far behind Tracy again Week 6
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Gray gained 13 yards on three carries in a loss to the Bengals on Sunday.
Devin Singletary was inactive for the second straight week due to a groin injury, but that didn't result in more work for Gray. In fact, the second-year back played half as many offensive snaps (13) as he did last week against Seattle and got four fewer touches. Meanwhile, rookie Tyrone Tracy continued to impress with 107 yards from scrimmage and a rushing touchdown while logging a workhorse-like 84 percent of New York's offensive snaps. Gray's modest 13 rushing yards more than doubled his previous season-high mark, which only indicates what a minor part of the Giants' ground game he's been this season. It remains to be seen if Singletary will be back Week 7 against the Eagles -- and whether Tracy has done enough to take over the team's lead-back role upon Singletary's return -- but either way, it doesn't appear that Gray is going to have a significant enough workload moving forward to be a factor in the vast majority of fantasy formats.
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Giants' Eric Gray: Gets limited looks in season opener
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Gray rushed twice for six yards and caught his only target for nine yards in a 28-6 Week 1 loss to Minnesota on Sunday. He added a 22-yard kickoff return.
With Saquon Barkley off to Philadelphia, there was reason to believe that Gray could see a bigger share of the backfield workload in his second NFL campaign. That didn't come to pass against the Vikings, as Devin Singletary dominated New York's rushing attack with 14 touches and 50 snaps, while both Gray (seven snaps) and fellow backup tailback Tyrone Tracy (15 snaps) got three touches apiece. The Giants falling behind early and trailing 28-6 by the end of the third quarter probably impacted the team's overall game plan, though New York could be playing from behind often this season given the state of its roster. With that in mind, both Singletary (five targets) and Tracy (three targets) also saw more work in the passing game than Gray.
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Giants' Eric Gray: May be behind rookie on depth chart
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Tyrone Tracy is leading the training-camp battle to be the Giants' No. 2 running back behind Devin Singletary, per Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post, which would push Gray to third on the depth chart.
Roles are far from set in stone at this point in camp, especially among a Giants running-back corps that will have an entirely different look without the presence of Saquon Barkley. Singletary was brought in during the offseason to take over the lead-back role, but he may not be used as a workhorse to the same extent that Barkley was and hasn't yet demonstrated Barkley's pass-catching acumen. As such, the team's No. 2 back could get considerably more opportunities this season than Matt Breida (who has since moved on) did in the role last year. Gray was a fifth-round pick by New York in 2023 and got his feet wet last year but struggled with 17 carries for just 48 yards. He's listed as second at the running-back position on the team's initial depth chart, per Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site, but according to Dunleavy, Tracy has developed the upper hand for the spot in training camp. Tracy's experience as a wide receiver (he was a wideout during most of his time in college) could be particularly useful in a Brian Daboll offense that could look to use the short pass as an extension of the running game.
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Giants' Eric Gray: Gets increased workload in Week 18
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Gray rushed three times for 19 yards and hauled in his only target for nine yards in Sunday's 27-10 win against the Eagles.
Though the Giants had nothing to play for in the contest, they nonetheless gave Saquon Barkley a near typical workload, as the workhorse back logged 70 percent of the team's offensive snaps and notched 20 touches. However, for the second straight week, it was Gray rather than veteran Matt Breida who picked up the scraps behind Barkley, with the rookie logging his second-most rush attempts and yards of the campaign. The late-season uptick in opportunity was likely a result of the Giants wanting to get a look at Gray once they were eliminated from playoff contention. It's unclear how the team's running-back room will look next season, as both Barkley and Breida are set to be free agents. New York has many holes to address in the offseason, so if Barkley doesn't return in 2024, the team may opt to give Gray a major role next year rather than prioritize adding a starting running back in the draft or through free agency.
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Giants' Eric Gray: Barely plays Monday
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Gray played one of the Giants' 56 snaps on offense in Monday's 24-22 win over the Packers.
Since being reinstated from injured reserve Nov. 25 after missing four games with a calf issue, Gray has suited up for the Giants' subsequent two contests, but he's logged just three snaps on offense. He'll likely struggle to find playing time at running back while both Saquon Barkley and Matt Breida are healthy.
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Giants' Eric Gray: Ready for return
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Gray (calf) is active Sunday against the Patriots, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.
Gray was able to log back-to-back full practices after being designated to return from IR on Wednesday and he was added to the 53-man roster Saturday. The rookie running back should operate as the team's No. 3 option at the position, behind starter Saquon Barkley and backup Matt Breida.
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Giants' Eric Gray: Returning to practice
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The Giants will designate Gray (calf) for return from their injured reserve list Wednesday, Dan Salomone of the Giants' official site reports.
The transaction will open a 21-day window during which the Giants can officially activate Gray before they'd have to shut him down for the rest of the year. Their injury reports this week will give an indication of whether he could suit up for Week 12.
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Giants' Eric Gray: Carries once in Barkley's return
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Gray played one snap on offense and gained two yards on his lone carry in Sunday's 14-9 loss to the Bills.
After gaining 26 yards on 13 touches (12 carries, one reception) in the Giants' loss to the Dolphins in Week 5, Gray unsurprisingly saw his playing time take a drastic hit while New York welcomed lead back Saquon Barkley (ankle) back from a three-game absence. The Giants didn't attempt to ease Barkley back in, as he took on a 79 percent snap share and 28 touches. With Barkley seemingly having come out of Sunday's game without any setbacks, he should serve as the Giants' bell cow moving forward, leaving few snaps available for the likes of Gray, Matt Breida and Gary Brightwell.
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Giants' Eric Gray: Gets first touches of NFL career
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Gray rushed 12 times for 25 yards, caught his only target for one yard and returned a kickoff for 20 yards in Sunday's Week 5 loss to Miami.
Gray was busy Sunday, though he was far from efficient. Coming into the contest, all of his NFL action had been on special teams, but the rookie saw a prominent role on offense against the Dolphins and led New York in carries, logging three more than starter Matt Breida. Neither ball carrier was able to make much of an impact, though -- Breida gained 21 yards on his nine totes. The Giants' offensive line has struggled mightily this season, and the result has been a 1-4 start behind the league's lowest-scoring offense. While it was a positive for Gray that he finally got involved in the backfield Sunday, he'll likely return to a special-teams role when Saquon Barkley (ankle) gets healthy, which could happen as soon as next Sunday against Buffalo.
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Giants' Eric Gray: Could have role in Week 3
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Gray could pick up his first snaps on offense during Thursday's game in San Francisco with top running back Saquon Barkley dealing with a right ankle sprain that is expected to keep him sidelined at least through Week 3, Art Stapleton of The Bergen Record reports.
The 2023 fifth-round pick out of Oklahoma has dressed for both of the Giants' first two games, but all 20 of his snaps have come on special teams while he's served as New York's punt returner in addition to holding a role on the coverage units. Matt Breida and Gary Brightwell have both taken snaps at running back ahead of Gray when Barkley has been off the field and are presumably first in line for work Thursday, but the rookie's shiftiness in the open field could at least prompt the Giants to give him a look in a change-of-pace role this week. As Stapleton notes, however, Gray is viewed as a liability in pass protection at this stage of his career, which may hinder his chances of seeing a more extended opportunity even if Barkley is out longer than anticipated.
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Giants' Eric Gray: Listed as No. 1 kick, punt returner
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Gray is listed as both the primary punt returner and primary kickoff returner on the Giants' unofficial depth chart for Week 1.
It is a slight surprise that Gray is listed as New York's lead kickoff returner ahead of Gary Brightwell, who served in the role last season. However, Brightwell is dealing with an undisclosed injury that has impacted his practice schedule for the past several weeks, so the Week 1 depth chart may be a reflection of the fact that he isn't fully healthy. Gray was already assumed to be taking over punt-return duties from Richie James, who is now with the Chiefs. The rookie running back is also listed as fourth in the Giants' running-back pecking order behind Saquon Barkley, Matt Breida and Brightwell.
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Giants' Eric Gray: Totals 59 yards Saturday
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Gray rushed seven times for 11 yards and caught all four of his targets for 48 yards in Saturday's preseason finale against the Jets.
Gray's struggles as a rusher continued this preseason, with him contributing more as a receiver while also handling kick returns. The fifth-round pick was the third back to enter Saturday's contest behind Jashaun Corbin and James Robinson (Saquon Barkley and Matt Breida did not play). Based on his usage this preseason, Gray will have to make the Giants' roster as a contributor on special teams this year.
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Giants' Eric Gray: Nice landing spot in New York
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The Giants selected Gray in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, 172nd overall.
Gray isn't particularly fast (4.62 40-yard dash at Pro Day), but the 5-foot-10, 207-pounder is a shifty runner and plays behind his pads well. The redshirt senior didn't start until his final season at Oklahoma, but even if he doesn't prove to be an explosive runner at the NFL level, he was a capable receiver whenever he got the opportunity. Given the Giants' current depth behind clear-cut top back Saquon Barkley, Gray could carve out a role as a pass-catching specialist or pass blocker when New York opts to spell its franchise tailback.
