With nine days left until New York Giants players report for training camp, we continue our position-by-position roster breakdown with a look at the running backs.

Likely to make the team: Rashad Jennings, Shane Vereen, Andre Williams, Henry Hynoski (fullback)

On the bubble: Orleans Darkwa, Kenneth Harper, Akeem Hunt, Nikita Whitlock (fullback)

Jennings still the 'starter': The Giants signed Jennings last year to be their every-down back, believing he could handle a starter's workload on first and second downs and also catch the ball well enough to be their third-down back. Early on, it went well. Jennings averaged 108.3 total yards per game in September, rushing for 176 in the Week 3 victory over Houston, and was looking like the back the Giants hoped they'd signed. But a series of foot and ankle injuries forced him to miss five games the rest of the way, and even when he was on the field he wasn't as big a factor as he'd been earlier in the year. He had 52 rushing yards and 68 receiving yards in the "Odell Beckham Catch Game" in November, but he wasn't able to maintain his health. This year, Vereen is likely to take away third-down work, and the Giants will look for ways to limit Jennings' workload to try to keep him healthy, but he's still first in line for the first-down and second-down work as long as his body can handle it. As positive and optimistic a player as there is in the league, Jennings has said he believes he'll have a big year.

Vereen in the passing game: Nothing against Jennings' ability in the passing game, but the Giants signed Vereen this year due to his prowess as a receiver and a pass-blocker. He'll be a factor on third down and in games/situations that call for the Giants to throw more often. We discussed him in Sunday's mailbag.

Williams still developing: Williams, who actually led the team in rushing as a rookie in 2014 with 721 yards due to Jennings' injuries, is still a young player about whom the Giants feel good. He spent much of last season and this offseason working on his receiving skills, which were a problem for him coming out of Boston College, and he's improved in that area. If he continues to show improvement, he could earn a larger role in the offense -- possibly some goal-line work -- even if Jennings and Vereen are healthy. And the Giants believe he's a guy they can plug in as a starter if need be.

Competing for (maybe) one spot? The Giants could carry just three halfbacks, since they believe Hynoski could play the position for them if they got into a one-game injury pinch. But if they do keep a fourth, Darkwa is the leading candidate because the Giants like his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. He flashed a bit in that messy game in St. Louis in December after impressing the coaches in practice in the weeks leading up to that game. It's also possible the Giants could change their opinion on whether they need a fullback at all, which would definitely open up a spot for a fourth halfback. But I find that unlikely, given everything we've heard from offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo on the subject of a fullback's role in his offense. He doesn't use the fullback much, but he doesn't seem to want to be without one either.