A sizable bonus will be owed to running back Shane Vereen if the New York Giants elect to keep him on their roster though the end of the day.
In terms of NFL money, $500,000 really isn’t all that big a chunk of change. However, for the New York Giants who are the midst of a league-wide arms race with only about $6 million in cap space, every penny counts.
This is why running back Shane Vereen’s upcoming roster bonus will receive such strong attention. Though the team benefits from his versatility as an excellent pass-catcher out of the backfield, Vereen tore his biceps twice last season which raises serious injury concerns.
Last season Vereen played in just five games, totaling 33 attempts for 158 yards and one touchdown on the ground, with 11 catches for 94 yards in the passing game. All of which were his lowest statical outputs since his rookie season back in 2011.
Vereen carries a cap hit just shy of $5 million for the 2017 season, but the Giants would have a dead cap number of only a little over $1 million by cutting him. New York could save about $4 million by dumping Vereen, and with his roster bonus due today, if the team is going to make a move the time is now.
Having just 28-years old a few weeks ago, Vereen still has plenty of time to rebound into the player he once was. The Giants released last year’s starting running back Rashad Jennings at the start of the offseason, leaving them with few in house options outside of now second-year player Paul Perkins.
The ideal outcome for Big Blue is obviously to negotiate a restructured contract with Vereen to clear some cap space while still retaining him on their roster. Yet, with the clock ticking on his impending bonus, the Giants may have to move on from Vereen altogether.
