In a contract year, one would think Evan Engram would play a bigger role for the Giants' offense. Instead, his name hasn't been mentioned on broadcasts a lot, and when it has, fans have been heard booing because of a drop or fumble.
But injuries have now destroyed the Giants' offensive weapon pool, creating the likelihood that Engram and Sterling Shepard will be Daniel Jones' top options when the Carolina Panthers come to town on Sunday afternoon.
Now is the time Engram needs to step up.
Looking at Engram's season thus far through four of the six games (he had a calf injury for the first two), he's hauled in just 14 receptions for 127 yards on 19 targets. He has a fumble that came in Week 3 and a drop as well.
Going back to last season, Jones targeted Engram 102 times, but it was expected that Engram would see a decrease in touches with Saquon Barkley returning as well as Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney joining the group of receivers already on the roster, too. But not to this degree with Engram's play-making abilities still a threat at tight end.
But injuries present more opportunity again, and if the Giants' offense wants to move the ball and not target Shepard 14 times again, Engram is the man who OC Jason Garrett needs to scheme around.
Honestly, if Engram does produce, it could be a win-win for the Giants. Going back to this being a contract year, Engram will be a free agent at the end of the season and the Giants may not keep him. With the NFL trade deadline in two weeks, Engram could be someone the team moves on from to get something in return. Performing well up to that point would only help the return.
Or this could be an opportunity for the Giants to realize Engram, only 27 years old, has a crucial spot at tight end on this squad and is part of the offensive system they want to desperately establish as a force in this league. They've teetered on that line for years now, as the former first-round pick has looked phenomenal on some plays and flat-out bad on others.
To this point in the season, he's been going through the motions, not making an impact -- and it's not entirely on him. Toney has become a breakout player, Barkley looked like his old self before he got injured, and Golladay and Shepard were receiving the lion's share of targets before Toney exploded for 189 yards in Dallas.
But, whether Engram wants to stay in New York or prove his worth to another team, this is a prime time to do so. It will take Garrett's scheming to make it happen. But, as he's done in the past, Engram can stretch the field and make good things happen for the offense.
