A day after he lost a fumble and failed to get any traction as a starter, rookie running back Jon Hilliman was waived Friday by the Giants.
To take his place on the roster, running back Javorius “Buck’’ Allen was signed.
It was an exceedingly tough situation for Hilliman, undrafted out of Rutgers. The 23-year old was thrust into playing time after Saquon Barkley (high ankle sprain) and Wayne Gallman (concussion) were lost to injury. Hilliman was forced to play two weeks ago against the Redskins and lost the ball on a fumble. Thursday night, in his first NFL start, Hilliman gained 38 yards on 11 rushing attempts and again lost a fumble, this time after making a catch in the fourth quarter. The loose ball was recovered by Patriots linebacker Kyle Van Noy and returned 22 yards for a crushing touchdown.
Afterward, Hilliman lamented his failure, saying “That just can’t happen’’ and “Got to hold onto the ball, period.’’
Allen, 28, was a 2015 fourth-round pick of the Ravens out of USC. He started six of the 54 games he has appeared in and has shown himself to be a capable pass-catcher out of the backfield, with 129 career receptions. He also has 340 rushing attempts for 1,249 yards.