The New York Giants have a few training camp battles, the most important ones being the right tackle position and the edge group. One position is flying under the radar: fullback. While fullbacks have been phased out of most offenses over the last few years, the Giants have kept Elijhaa Penny on the roster for the last three seasons. Entering his fourth year with the team, Penny has competition for his job, with the team signing Cullen Gillaspia earlier in the off-season. It should be interesting to see who will win the job to be Saquon Barkley’s lead blocker.
The New York Giants Fullback Competition
Elijhaa Penny Looking To Continue Giants Tenure
Penny was signed off of the Arizona Cardinals practice squad by the Giants in 2018. Since then, the 27 year-old fullback has appeared in 44 games for New York and has recorded 79 rushing yards and 79 receiving yards. Penny saw about six carries per game and three receptions per game in 2020, which is a good amount for a fullback.
The thing now with Jason Garrett’s offense is that everyone is going to get a chance to make plays. Penny is physical, he can run block and blocking is definitely something this Giants team needs more of. Now with more weapons, this offense is better equipped to get guys like Penny involved in the offense to a certain degree.
Penny’s signature Giants moment came against his former team in 2019, where teammate Michael Thomas blocked a punt and Penny recovered the fumble for a touchdown.
The Giants and Penny agreed to a two-year contract extension in March of 2020. He is entering the final year of his deal, and if all goes well again he could very well be back with the team for the foreseeable future.
Cullen Gillaspia Has Something To Prove
Gillaspia was a former seventh-round pick of the Houston Texans in 2019. Still just 26 years old, the young fullback was released by Houston in March and signed by the Giants one week later.
Unlike Penny, Gillaspia has no carries in his career yet, and only has one reception for six yards in 23 career games. For Gillaspia, it will likely come down to his special teams presence in order to make the roster and beat out the already established Penny.
Gillaspia still has a lot to prove in his young career and really has to make a mark in preseason to show coaches why he should be on the roster.
Special Teams Presence
This battle will likely come down to each player’s special teams involvement. While some would say Penny has the advantage due to already knowing the system and being with the team for four seasons now, Gillaspia is younger and could potentially intrigue the coaching staff due to special teams.
Head coach Joe Judge used to be the special teams coordinator for the New England Patriots, so there will definitely be an emphasis on what players can contribute to special teams.
In four seasons, Penny has played at least 50% of special teams snaps three times in each season. In 2020, he appeared in 60% of the team’s special teams plays, tying his career high which was set in 2017 with the Cardinals.
Gillaspia appeared in all 16 games as a rookie in 2019, and appeared in 64% of the Texans special teams snaps that season. His main job was primarily on special teams that year, but then saw his snaps take a dip in 2020 from 64% to 26%, appearing in only seven games in 2020.
The Giants Fullback Position Will Be Interesting in 2021
The Giants have a revamped offense, with a lot of the attention focused on top guys like Kenny Golladay and Saquon Barkley. Opposing defenses will be so focused on them, that it could open opportunities for other guys, even the fullbacks. Elijhaa Penny is the seasoned veteran who will be looking to stick around for another year. Gillaspia has quite a bit to prove if he wants to take Penny’s job, but it will be interesting to watch how this competition plays out over the next few weeks.
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