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Giants Trade WR Tim Carter to Browns for RB Reuben Droughns
veteran has twice rushed for more than 1,200 yards.
By Michael Eisen, Giants.com

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March 9, 2007

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - The Giants today added talent and experience to their offensive backfield by acquiring running back Reuben Droughns from the Cleveland Browns in exchange for wide receiver Tim Carter, pending physical exams by both players with their new teams.

"Reuben rushed for 1,200 yards in '04 and '05 (1,240 and 1,232, respectively) and 750 (758 to be exact) last year," general manager Jerry Reese said. "We think he gives us a nice veteran presence and complements Brandon Jacobs and the rest of our running back group nicely."

Carter was the Giants' second-round draft choice in 2002. Often plagued by injuries, Carter caught 72 passes and scored three touchdowns in 53 games. In 2006, the first season in which he played all 16 games, Carter had 22 receptions and two scores, including one on a fumble recovery.

"We wish Tim the best," Reese said. "I think it will be good for him to have a fresh start. We have some young receivers that we are ready to throw in the mix."

This is the Giants' first straight-up, veteran-for veteran player trade since July 12, 1984, when linebacker Brad Van Pelt was dealt to Minnesota for running back Tony Galbreath.

Droughns, 28, is the first player acquired by the Giants since the trading and free agency signing period began last Friday.

"I realize the perception is that we haven't done anything through the first week of free agency because we haven't signed any unrestricted free agents," Reese said. "The opposite is true. We have been working very hard to do what's best for this franchise. The fact is we had a few guys we had targeted that would have made sense for us under the right circumstances. A couple of those simply didn't work out, but there is a whole lot of the free agency period left and the draft and the rest of the off-season for us to continue to build this roster, and we're going to work smartly in doing that."

Droughns is a proven producer at a position where the Giants needed a player. He has played in 86 career games with 50 starts and rushed for 3,327 yards on 844 carries (a 3.9-yard average) and 13 touchdowns. Droughns rushed for a career-best 193 yards for the Denver Broncos on Oct. 10, 2004 against Carolina. He also has 116 career receptions for 940 yards and six scores. Droughns has played in two postseason games with one start.

Last season with the Browns, he played in 14 games with 12 starts (missing one game with a shoulder injury and another with a foot problem). Droughns ran for 758 yards on 220 carries and scored four touchdowns. He had season-high totals of 33 attempts for 125 yards against the Jets on Oct. 29. Droughns also ran for 100 yards at Oakland on Oct. 1. He also caught 27 passes for 169 yards.

Droughns, a 5-11, 220-pounder who played at the University of Oregon, entered the NFL as a third-round draft choice by the Detroit Lions in 2000, when he was the 81st overall selection. He missed his entire rookie season with a shoulder injury. The following year, he was cut by Detroit, signed to the Miami Dolphins practice squad, then re-signed by the Lions. He ran for 72 yards in nine games.

On March 1, 2002, Droughns was granted free agency. A month later he was signed by the Broncos. In his first two seasons in Denver, Droughns saw action primarily on special teams (he returned 20 kickoffs in 2002 and had 14 tackles in 2003) and at fullback. In two years, he rushed for a total of 25 yards.

Droughns had a breakout season in 2005, playing in all 16 games with 15 starts and rushing for a career-high 1,240 yards, averaging 4.5 yards a carry and scoring six touchdowns on the ground. He also caught 32 passes and added two more scores.

The following season he was in Cleveland, having been acquired by the Browns for defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban and defensive tackle Michael Myers on March 30, 2005. That year, Droughns set a Cleveland franchise record with 309 carries while rushing for 1,232 yards (including a career-long 75-yarder vs. Miami on Nov. 20). He became the first Browns back to rush for more than 1,000 yards since 1985, when Kevin Mack (1,104) and Earnest Byner (1,002) both did it.

Droughns was a two-year starter at Oregon after an outstanding career at Merced Junior College in California. A first-team All-Pac 10 choice as a senior, he is sixth on the Ducks' career rushing list with 2,058 yards. Droughns was inducted into the California Junior College Hall of Fame.

Droughns rushed for 4,915 yards and 49 touchdowns at Anaheim High School in Southern California. He was born on Aug. 21, 1978.

Carter brought great speed and athleticism to the Giants, but his production was curtailed largely because of injuries. As a rookie in 2002, he was limited to five games because of a rib injury suffered in training camp and a torn Achilles tendon. The following season, Carter caught a career-high 26 passes despite missing four games with concussions.

In 2004, Carter was again limited to five games because of a hip injury suffered at Dallas. A year later, he missed the regular season finale and the NFC Wild Card Game with a hip injury. Carter played in all 16 games with eight starts in 2006. He had season-high totals of four catches against Washington on Oct. 8 and Philadelphia on Dec. 17.