D.J.

Ware

Ware was the primary backup in place of Brandon Jacobs (knee) and struggled. He got tackled for a safety and didn’t then appeared to lose the trust of the staff. Even if Jacobs sits again, Ware is off the radar.

GM Jerry Reese has already singled out Jernigan as an in-house candidate to replace Mario Manningham as the team’s No. 3 wide receiver. Playing a part-time role on offense would still allow the 2011 third-round pick to help out on returns. Jernigan will compete with Domenik Hixon for punt return duties. Da’Rel Scott and D.J. Ware will be in the mix on kick returns. Jernigan should be on all 2012 sleeper lists, especially in leagues that award points for return yardage.

Ware is really just a third-down back as he’s strong in pass protection and catches the ball the well out of the backfield. He’ll also serve as Brandon Jacobs primary backup, but it’s possible rookie Da’Rel Scott gets a chance there as well. Ware is worth a desperation pickup only as the dust settles in this backfield. We’d be surprised if Ware saw more than 10 touches against the Patriots Sunday.

Thomas will likely now be a game-day scratch because he doesn’t contribute on offense. The Giants are expected to turn to Da’Rel Scott and D.J. Ware on kickoff returns. Thomas was averaging a mediocre 23.7 yards per return and mishandled one in two of the last three games. Assuming he doesn’t fumble, Scott would be the Giants’ best option with 4.34 speed in the 40-yard dash.

It’s unclear when the concussion occurred. Ware had two touches for 17 yards prior to the injury. He’s a third-down back and special teams player.

Ross has been symptom-free and has already passed baseline tests after exiting last Sunday’s game with a concussion. Backup RB D.J. Ware’s condition is more of a concern, as he’s had several concussions in the past few years.

Ware finishes 2011 with just 46 carries for 163 yards, 27 catches for 170 yards and zero touchdowns. He touched the ball only 14 times after Ahmad Bradshaw’s Week 13 return. Under contract for $650,000 in 2012, it’s doubtful Ware will be anything other than a third-stringer.

Ware declared himself “normal, normal, normal” after being cleared for football activities. He has sustained at least four concussions in the past three years, including two within the past three months. Ware has been working as the Giants’ third-down back.

We know that surgery is not an option right now, but Bradshaw’s long-term status will be touchy until reports start to clear up. Brandon Jacobs is in line for 15-18 touches with D.J. Ware and Da’Rel Scott in change-of-pace roles. Center David Baas (knee) has also been ruled out, and the interior run game will suffer a bit with backup Kevin Boothe at the helm.

Ware didn’t play much in the first half, but came on strong when the Giants fell behind. Serving as the passing back, Ware showed good burst on delays and nice hands on catches out of the backfield. We can’t count on the Giants falling behind against the Eagles next week, however. So Ware isn’t a great waiver add even if Ahmad Bradshaw (foot) sits again.