ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) – Ron Dayne is no longer fighting for playing time with the New York Giants.

Whether the Heisman Trophy winner realizes it or not, it is his job that is on the line after three unproductive seasons.

The big change for Dayne this season is the added presence of veterans Brian Mitchell and Dorsey Levens in a backfield where Tiki Barber is already the acknowledged starter.

“We have a nice corps of running backs and everyone is looking good,” Dayne said Saturday between practices at the University at Albany. “I am just knocking the rust off and getting out there ready to play.”

Dayne, who was the Giants’ first-round draft pick in 2000 after a Heisman Trophy-winning season at Wisconsin, has a lot to prove.

His statistics have declined in each of his three seasons. His carries dropped from 228 as a rookie to 125 last season. His rushing yardage has dipped each season, from 770 to 690 to 428. Only three of his 15 career rushing touchdowns were recorded last season.

The big question this season is where he can fit in.

Barber had a spectacular season in 2002, rushing for 1,387 yards on 304 carries and catching 69 passes for 597 yards.

Dayne did most of the short yardage work, but he had mixed success.

That led the Giants to sign Levens, a former Super Bowl winner with Green Bay and a trusty short yardage man. He gained 411 yards on 75 carries with Philadelphia last season.

While Mitchell was signed as a return man, he’s also very good as a third-down back. That could take more time away from Dayne, who didn’t endear himself to Giants coach Jim Fassel by skipping offseason workouts.

The situation doesn’t seem to worry Dayne, who worked out with a personal trainer in the offseason. He said the signings of Levens and Mitchell never made him feel the Giants didn’t want him

“I know I have a five-year contract,” said Dayne, who caused some groans on Friday by dropping the first pass thrown to him.

“No matter what the papers were saying, I knew I was going to be here for two more years,” Dayne added. “Whatever they decide after my fifth year is what they decide. I can’t change that.”

Fassel said the Giants are going to change the way they use their running backs this season. In recent years, they had one set of plays for Barber and another for Dayne.

It was a so-called “Lightning and Thunder” combination.

“This year he (Dayne) is going to stay in there and do everything,” Fassel said. “When I put him in the game I am going to leave him in. It could happen that I’ll put him in and pull him out, but when I put him in that series, he is going to stay in and work. I’m not going to call the game differently.”

Dayne said he hasn’t spoken with Fassel much, but he said he is getting along with all the running backs.

“It’s not like we have harpoons at one another,” Dayne said. “We’re all pretty cool, tight, hanging out, so we’ll just see how the dice roll.”

For the next month, Dayne said his focus will be on working hard.

“Things haven’t changed from before,” said Dayne, who rushed for an NCAA-best 6,397 yards at Wisconsin. “I am still behind Tiki in the practice, but something can happen where I can be the third back or the fourth back. Whatever happens, happens.”

However, one has to wonder whether the Giants will keep Dayne if he slips that low.