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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - When the New York Giants drafted Andre Williams in the fourth round in May, the move was seen as an insurance policy at running back.David Wilson was coming off neck surgery and the veteran Rashad Jennings had been signed as a free agent in the off-season.Heading into Philadelphia on Sunday night for a crucial NFL East game against the Eagles (4-1), the insurance policy has been the Giants (3-2) main running threat.Wilson retired with a neck injury and Jennings is probably not going to play this weekend after spraining his left knee in the win over Atlanta on Sunday.That leaves Williams as the starter and veteran Peyton Hillis as his backup. Michael Cox is now No. 3 after being signed off the practice squad.He is ready, Jennings said of Williams. Its his time and I am excited to watch him play.The Giants have run the ball exceptionally well this season, averaging 121 yards. Jennings has been the workhorse, gaining 396 on 91 carries. Williams has 171 yards on 54 attempts, a 3.1 yard average.Williams did everything right in college, yet somehow didnt get drafted until the fourth round. He broke Boston Colleges career rushing record with 3,754 yards and he became the first NCAA FBS player for rush for more than 2,000 since 2007 when he gained 2,177 yards last season on 355 carries, a 6.1 yard average.Ive had a couple games with success now, said Williams, who had a team-high 65 yards on 20 carries against the Falcons. The guys are rallying behind me, the O-line is making me feel comfortable. Were just getting better and gelling better as a group, so Im confident going into next week.Offensive co-ordinator Ben McAdoo has no hesitation using Williams, especially after watching him pick up tough yards at the end of recent games.He is an aggressive guy, McAdoo said Thursday after practice. He is the same guy we saw on college tape. He runs like he is going to tackle you. Thats what we like about him the most. He is a big, physical guy. He is a cerebral guy, but he runs very aggressively.Williams ignited the Giants second-half comeback last week with a 3-yard run on which he ran over an Atlanta defender.Quarterback Eli Manning said Williams showed another dimension, catching two passes for 18 yards. He had only 10 catches in his college career, including none as a senior.The big test for Williams will be playing in Philadelphia, which is loud, against the Eagles in a game that is always intense.You cant worry about the environment and the atmosphere, Manning said. Youve got to enjoy going into a place where they dont like you, so I think hes played in hostile environments before in college. I think hes just going to be worried about his assignment and going out there and playing good football.Since the Giants tend to alternate running backs, Hillis should provide a solid backup. The seven-year veteran who missed most of training camp with an ankle injury, had two rushes for 7 yards against Atlanta and showed his experience, picking up a blitz and knocking the opponent off his feet.It seems to me that a lot of what I do goes unnoticed, Hillis said. I think I am a lot better than what people give me credit for, and hopefully on Sunday night I can prove that.NOTES: DE Jason Pierre-Paul became the latest Giant to take a shot at the Eagles, the defending division champion. He noted in a roundabout way that the Eagles have won some close games, Yeah theyre 4-1, he said. But they could have easily been 0-4. But at the end of the day, they won four games. ... MLB Jon Beason is making progress with his injured foot and there is a chance he will play against the Eagles. ...P Steve Weatherford is still bothered by the left ankle he injured in the season opened. Special teams coach Tom Quinn said Weatherford has had to cut down on his normal workload. Air Max 720 Clearance . During the furious first few hours of free agency Tuesday, the team agreed to terms with strong safety Donte Whitner, a Cleveland native who cant wait to play in his hometown. Cheap Air Max 1 . While hell be dialed in to that tournament on a course he loves, you can forgive him if his eyes glance down the calendar just a bit, towards April. http://www.wholesalenikeshoesclearance.c...-shoes.html.com) - The St. Kobe Bryant Shoes Outlet . - A retired Indiana school principal who was NASCAR star Jeff Gordons drivers education teacher was killed with his wife in a Tennessee crash while returning from watching Gordon race. Air Max 97 Clearance Cheap .com) - Virginia is for loving Latrell Scott.With the NHL Draft coming up on June 27 and free agency opening on July 1, discussions between NHL general managers are heating up towards a busy off-season. Each day, TSN.ca provides the latest rumours, reports and speculation from around the NHL beat. Defensive Depth TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun is reporting the Toronto Maple Leafs have considerable interest in unrestricted free-agent defenceman Dan Boyle. LeBrun says one source believes Torontos interest is "serious." The Detroit Red Wings and New York Rangers are also interested in the services of the 37-year-old. LeBrun says the New York Islanders still remain an option with the Montreal Canadiens likely out of the running after re-signing Andrei Markov. TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reported on the following issues: Patience is a Virtue Minnesota Wild forward Dany Heatley and former Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ryan Malone may have to be patient in free agency according to Dreger. Dreger says their willingness to take one-year contracts will draw attention from more teams. The Lightning used their second compliance buyout on Malone on Wednesday while Heatley will become an unrestricted free-agent on July 1. Draft Talk Conversation regarding the Florida Panthers first overall pick should heat up Thursday ahead of Fridays NHL Entry Draft. If offers for the top pick dont improve, Florida intends to hold on to it. Canucks Complex Dealings The Vancouver Canucks are still trying to trade Ryan Kesler but this is a complicated negotiation. Its believed Kesler has identified just two teams in the Chicago Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks. That puts rookie general manager Jim Benning and the management of the Canucks in a tough spot because theyre just negiotioation with the two teams. Maybe its possible that the Canucks try to pull in their horns in an effort to encourage Kelser to expand his list. Blackhawks Hope to Keep the Band Together GM Stan Bowman and the Chicago Blackhawks are very eager to make sure the star component remains intact for a lengthy period of time. Were talking about how the new CBA is going to impact the superstar model of player and certainly Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toewws qualify as such.dddddddddddd No longer is it allowed to frontload and go with that 10, 12 or 15-year mega-deal. Now we know its a maximum of eight years so its not inconceivable that, as long as the salary cap climbs to around $75 million in 2016 that Kane and Toews could come in around $11-12 million each. Iginla and Alfredsson Drawn Together Jarome Iginla and Daniel Alfredsson could have an impact on each others future, depending on whether they both get what they want, which is to sign where they played last year. Iginla wants to stay with the Boston Bruins and theres talk theyre negotiating on both a two-year deal and perhaps a one-year deal maybe very similar to the contract he signed with the Bruins last year with a cap hit of $1.8 million with a bonus structure that deeply impacted the Bruins. If they cant get a deal done in Boston, then the Detroit Red Wings are among the teams that are keenly interested in Iginla as well. The Red Wings also have interest in Alfredsson, who is believed to be coming back but he hasnt made it 100 per cent certain yet. He works on his own timeframe, similar to Teemu Selanne but Im also told hes willing to be flexible. ----------------------------------------- Shopping Around Despite a good conversation between the team and his agent, Paul Stastny plans to test the free-agent market before making a decision on his future. Adrian Dater of the Denver Post spoke with Avalanche executive vice president of hockey operations Joe Sakic, who said Stastny wants to field offers before seeing if his current team will match the amounts. Dater also reports Sakic saying that he isnt put off by Stastnys plan to field offers because hes earned the right to be in that position. Vinny On The Move? Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Flyers general manager Ron Hextall might be willing to move veteran forward Vincent Lecavalier if he agrees to waive his no-trade clause. In the report, Hextall is quoted as saying hes spoken to Lecavaliers agent but would not elaborate further. Carchidis story also talks about Flyers draft prospects and the players they are looking at selecting in the upcoming NHL Draft. ' ' '