Rueben Randle Is New York Giants' Best Option at Wide Receiver

The New York Giants have been extremely active in free agency so far. However, aside from a few flirtations with offensive tackles, they have focused primarily on defense. There are still holes on offense to fill, most notably at right tackle and at wide receiver. When it comes to wide receivers the options are limited. The best available receiver left on the market is their own free agent, Rueben Randle.

Randle is the Giants’ best option right now despite him being less than a fan favorite. The talent is there but the results haven’t translated into his emerging as the star receiver that many thought he could be. His best season came in 2014 when he caught 71 passes for 938 yards and three touchdowns. Last season he did catch 57 passes for 797 yards and a career-high eight touchdowns. However, he seemed to disappear for long stretches but would occasionally shows flashes that reminded people why the Giants drafted him in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft.

The Giants’ options are limited at this point. They weren’t great to begin with this offseason as there weren’t many receivers out there worth a big contract. There certainly weren’t many with Randle’s upside and production over the last three years. The Giants need to bring Randle back at this point, even if their plan is to draft a wide receiver in the first round and even if they are counting on Victor Cruz coming back at 100 percent, which isn’t likely.

Randle is familiar with Eli Manning and has shown flashes in Ben McAdoo’s offense. He is a known commodity with the Giants, and is by far their best option at this point. It also isn’t too late for Randle to finally put it all together. He will be just 25 years old and still has plenty of upside. The physical tools are there and there is certainly a need for a receiver like him in the Giants’ offense.

While many consider him a bit of a disappointment, Randle has had a fairly solid career with the Giants. He is better than Marques Colston, Anquan Boldin, Brandon LaFell, Andre Johnson and Roddy White who are all nearing the end of their careers. Randle and the Giants need each other more than ever right now. Randle can still be an outstanding compliment to Odell Beckham, Jr. and could even see more targets and put up bigger numbers if Cruz comes back and is close to the player he once was.