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Can Tim Hightower give the Giants anything at running back?
Can Tim Hightower give the Giants anything at running back?

With OTA’s kicking off this week, the Giants are still trying to put the finishing touches on the composition of their roster for the 2013 season.

A player the Giants are perhaps targeting to fill a roster spot is free-agent running back Tim Hightower. The veteran running back, who missed all of the 2012 season, last played for the Redskins in the 2011 season.

Prior to the that, Hightower spent the first three seasons of his career in Arizona. In four seasons in the NFL, Hightower has rushed for 2,054 yards and 24 touchdowns on 523 carries.

Hightower, who tore his ACL in the 2011 season, is rounding back into shape and could be good to go by the start of the 2013 season. He tried to come back last year, but the Redskins deemed him not ready and Hightower sat on the sidelines the entire year.

Hightower refused to start the season on the PUP and that is something he says he regrets now.

So, is Hightower someone the Giants should look at? After all, the low-risk/high-reward tag attached to Hightower’s name makes signing him not much of a gamble.

However, this begs the question: if the Giants are entertaining the idea of bringing in a veteran running back, then why not extend the olive branch and ask Ahmad Bradshaw if he wants to come back?

At this point, it would not likely cost the Giants all that much to bring back Bradshaw.

Another point to consider: do the Giants really need to bring in another running back in the first place?

With David Wilson showing promise down the stretch last season, it’s time the Giants take off the training wheels and run him loose. When you draft a running back in the first round, eventually you want to see what you got and the gifted playmaker should be given a fair chance this year to get the lion’s share of the carries.

Then there is Andre Brown. Brown will likely serve as the Giants short-yardage and goal-line back who’ll likely receive around 10-15 carries a game. Brown will be the thunder to Wilson’s lightning.

So when you combine what Wilson and Brown can do, there is no huge pressing need for an additional running back. After all, the Giants still have Da’Rel Scott and the recently drafted Michael Cox on the roster as well.

It’s not a bad idea for the Giants to do some window shopping in anticipation of the upcoming season, but the Giants should probably pass on Hightower.

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