Ron Dayne wants to play but knows he won’t. And now, Dayne’s agent, Terry Lavenstein, sends this message about the forgotten running back and the final four games of a lost Giants season:
Maybe it’s better if Ron continues to sit and watch.
“Quite frankly, at this point, the team the way it is, do I really want my client to get behind an offensive line that’s makeshift at best?” Lavenstein said to The Post. “Regardless of what they’re planning on doing with him next year, is there an upside to him playing?”
Indeed, the Giants’ offensive line is a mess heading into tomorrow’s game against the Redskins, but unless something happens to Tiki Barber or Dorsey Levens, Dayne risking his welfare running behind the suspect line is a moot point. Dayne, incredibly, hasn’t donned a uniform on gameday all season, as what started as a strange situation deteriorated into a truly ridiculous one. Dayne made $616,000 this season for wearing a green jersey and working with the scout team during practice. Undrafted rookies, scrubs, everyone usually finds their way onto the field at least once, but not Dayne, the former Heisman Trophy winner, who calls himself “probably one of the freshest backs in the league now, period.”
If ever a player needed a change of scenery, it’s Dayne, but he may get the desired effect by staying put.
“A new coach may come in and say ‘You’re going to play a big part on this team,’ ” Lavenstein said.
Whoever replaces Jim Fassel might have use for a workhorse back who is only 25 years old and certainly not over-worked. He carried the ball 228 times as a rookie in 2000 and ever since has been de-emphasized, from 180 carries to 125 to this year’s complete washout. Dayne has one year left on his contract for $704,000, so he could come back and audition for the new coach at a relatively low price tag.
That’s what will happen. Giants sources say they won’t make a move with Dayne until the new coach weighs in on him.
When the Giants signed Levens last offseason, Lavenstein immediately conferred with Dayne and then requested a trade. The Giants dismissed the request and remained adamant about keeping Dayne as an insurance policy. Lavenstein instructed Dayne to stay away from the offseason workout program, which enraged Fassel.
To this day, Dayne and Lavenstein believe the punishment for what Fassel viewed as insubordination was the refusal to ever play Dayne.
“I definitely say it is [punishment],” Dayne said. “They might not say it is. I guess once you’re in the doghouse you’re in the doghouse. They can use that as making a point to other players: You don’t come, this is what’s going to happen.”
Added Lavenstein: “In my discussions with Fassel after we told him Ron wasn’t coming, it was very apparent coach Fassel, while he acknowledged the voluntary nature of the workout program, made it very clear his players have to attend.”
Dayne says “It doesn’t matter if it’s here or there or wherever, I just want to play.” But if he stays, he knows his path to the field is blocked by Barber.
“I never really got a fair chance coming in,” Dayne said. “Tiki was the man so I was just coming to play backup to him.”
Lavenstein feels the Giants hurt Dayne’s market value by sitting him all season and he’s not sure if another trade request will be made. “With a new coach coming in,” Lavenstein said, “we’ll have to wait and see.”
