Giants free agency 2023: Boston Scott ... if you can beat them, join them

Historically, images of former Philadelphia Eagles’ running Boston Scott spawn individual Freddie Crugers in the minds of many New York Giants fans. Scott has become synonymous with scoring touchdowns against our beloved New York Giants.

The former Louisiana Tech Bulldog has scored ten total rushing touchdowns with a receiving touchdown in his history against the Giants. Scott has 446 rushing yards against the Giants. He did all that in nine games.

It’s not our fault that Scott summons all six Infinity Stones when he plays the Giants, but the trend has to end at some point. Since 2019, Scott has had six rushing touchdowns at MetLife stadium. Maybe he can find a way to unleash that dynamic energy for the Giants in the future.

Of course, I’m being puckish. Still, the Giants could do worse than adding a player like Scott. Matt Breida and Saquon Barkley are both free agents; Scott would not fill the void of the latter, but he could operate as a change of pace back if Breida is not retained. It also removes him from the bounds of Philadelphia, which is certainly a plus for the Giants.

The basics

Age: 28 in the 2023 season
Height: 5-foot-6 | Weight: 203
Position: Running Back
Experience: 5 seasons
2022 stats: Games: 18 (including playoffs) | Rushing Attempts: (69) | Rushing Yards: (278) | Yards Per Carry: (4.0) | Rushing Touchdowns: (5) | Rushing Touchdowns vs the Giants: (3) | Targets: (7) | Receptions: (6) | Yards: (24) | Yards per catch (4.0) |

The skinny

Scott was in a three-headed running back committee that was mostly led by Miles Sanders, who is also a free agent. He was an effective asset for the Eagles in the red zone, and his low profile allowed him to find access points at the line of scrimmage while using his leverage to bounce off tackle attempts.

Scott is a quick accelerator with good burst and speed. He combines contact balance, vision, and explosiveness to be a change of pace option, plus he has receiving upside. Scott has caught 72 of 83 targets for 547 yards with one touchdown in 2020 (a game-deciding touchdown against Jabrill Peppers in Week 7).

Another aspect of Scott’s game that is undervalued is his return ability. He’s played on 379 total special teams snaps with 69 total kick returns and six total punt returns. He hasn’t returned any for a touchdown, but he also hasn’t muffed any returns. His longest return was in Week 14, 2022, against - you guessed it - the Giants.

The Giants have an important franchise deciding decision in regard to Saquon Barkley. Do they sign him long-term? How much money do they allocate toward him? There are plenty of questions surrounding that situation, but adding Scott to the Giants is irrespective of that decision.

Scott would coexist on the roster with Barkley or whoever is the running back in 2023. His presence would be as a backup to spell the starter, for special teams' help, and - of course - to harness that super saiyan energy for the Giants, and not against the Giants.