It’s probably a little late for this move, but the New York Giants have waived running back Jon Hilliman and signed running back Javorius “Buck” Allen on Friday. The transaction comes less than a day after the Giants lost to the New England Patriots 35-14, in a game in which they rushed for only 44 yards on 14 carries.
This is the Giants’ second transaction of the day. The first was the re-signing of quarterback Alex Tanney and the release of running back Austin Walter.
Hilliman was elevated from the practice squad two weeks ago after the ankle injury to Saquon Barkley and was thrust into a starting role after Wayne Gallman suffered a concussion. Hilliman gained 91 yards on 30 attempts but fumbled twice in three games.
A fourth-round draft pick in 2015 by the Baltimore Ravens out of USC, Allen rushed for 1,249 yards and had 129 receptions in four seasons as a change-up back for the Ravens. He scored eight touchdowns on the ground and six more as a receiver.
The Giants are expecting to have Barkley back soon, perhaps for their next game Oct. 20 at home against the Arizona Cardinals.
“We’ll see, we’ll see,” said head coach Pat Shurmur about Barkley’s status. “He’s made good progress. He was out there running around today, so we’ll just have to see what the week brings.”
