GIANTS RELEASE HAMPTON, SIGN GARY BROWN
(AP) - Rodney Hampton, the leading rusher in New York Giants
history, was released Tuesday in a salary-cutting move. The team
signed free-agent running back Gary Brown to replace him. "It's a
numbers game," Hampton said. "They have younger guys. I've been
around. I know it's a business." The 29-year-old running back
played eight years for the Giants, including five straight
1,000-yard seasons from 1991-95. Just two years ago, the Giants
matched a six-year, $16.45 offer from San Francisco to keep him.
But last season, Hampton underwent arthroscopic knee surgery
during the exhibition season and didn't play until the next to
last game of the year against Washington. He got a standing
ovation after running 22 yards on one play and finished the
season with 22 carries for 81 yards.
Hampton said he had no regrets about leaving the team, but wished
he had been released after last season to have an opportunity to
catch on elsewhere. Like Hampton, Brown is 29, but has had 700
career carries to 1,823 for Hampton. "I have a lot of carries
left in me," he said. Brown's best year was in 1993 when he
gained 1,002 yards in eight games with Houston, averaging 5.1
yards per carry. But he was released after the 1995 season, sat
out and ballooned to 262 pounds, 24 pounds more than he weighs
now. Last year, he led the Chargers in rushing but was expendable
when the team signed Natrone Means. He will make a reported
$400,000 on a one-year contract. Hampton was to make $1.925
million next season although they also will be charged $1.8
million against the salary cap for his signing bonus. |
