Sep 032016
 
Will Johnson, New York Giants (June 6, 2016)

Will Johnson – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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GIANTS CUT ROSTER TO 53 PLAYERS…
The New York Giants made 22 roster moves on Saturday in order reduce the roster to 53 players as required by the NFL.

The Giants waived or terminated the contracts of the following players:

  • QB Logan Thomas
  • RB Andre Williams
  • WR Geremy Davis
  • WR Darius Powe
  • WR Anthony Dablé
  • OL Adam Gettis
  • OL Dillon Farrell
  • OL Ryan Seymour
  • DE Stansly Maponga
  • DT Jermelle Cudjo
  • DT Louis Nix
  • LB Brad Bars
  • LB Ishaq Williams
  • CB Donte Deayon
  • CB Michael Hunter
  • CB Leon McFadden
  • S Justin Currie
  • S Andrew Adams

The Giants placed the following player on Injured Reserve:

  • FB/TE Will Johnson (burner)

The Giants waived/injured the following players:

  • OL Emmett Clearly (finger)
  • OL Jake Rodgers (ankle)

As expected, place kicker Josh Brown was placed on the NFL’s Reserve/Suspended list for a 2015 domestic violence incident. He will be eligible to return to the team on September 12th, a day after the first regular-season game.

“Football is a people business,” said Head Coach Ben McAdoo. “Building relationships, developing chemistry and improving in our game. When you approach it that way, it makes this time of year even harder because you develop those relationships with these players, and you’re all working together toward the same goal. That’s the way it goes in this business. You can’t take everybody with you, especially at the beginning. But they’re fine young men, they handled themselves well, and we wish them the best moving forward.

“It was a challenge. We let a lot of good players go, some who will be playing for other teams. And at some point you may see some of them back here. It was tough. It wasn’t just one position. You wanted to make sure you did what was best and took the best 53 and rounded out the roster the best way you can. But there were some good players we had to let go.

“I’m very comfortable with two quarterbacks on the roster. Eli (Manning) has played a lot of football. Ryan (Nassib) is a guy who had some ups and downs of late, but he’s a guy we have confidence in. He can put the players around him in a position to be successful and take advantage of it.” 

The most surprising cut was running back Andre Williams. “Andre is a guy that played some good football for us,” coach Ben McAdoo said. “We’re going to miss him. It was another one of those really tough (roster) decisions to make. We feel that with Rashad (Jennings), Shane (Vereen), Orleans (Darkwa), Paul Perkins, and Bobby Rainey, we have some versatility there to play all three downs, and on special teams as well.”

With Will Johnson placed on Injured Reserve, the Giants currently have no fullbacks on the roster. “It’s unfortunate that it’s come to this,” McAdoo said. “(Johnson) came in and played some good ball for us. He’s a guy that we think highly of… We’ll do (fullback) by committee.”

Wide receivers Tavarres King and Roger Lewis both made the 53-man roster over wide receiver Geremy Davis.

“Roger and T.K. are two guys that really took a big jump,” McAdoo said. “They hit the ground running in the offseason, made tremendous strides and got better and improved. They pushed each other along with the rest of that group. There was great competition in that group. Geremy was a guy we drafted here that we think very highly of. Sometimes, you have to make those tough decisions.”

Offensive center/guard Brett Jones, the former Canadian Football League player who spend the entire 2015 season on Injured Reserve with a knee injury, also made the team.

“Brett has made some big jumps, some big gains,” McAdoo said. “It’s a shame what happened to him last season. He’s been able to rebound. He’s a great student of the game. He’s a guy that has improved tremendously and will add some versatility inside for us… We look forward to getting (recently re-signed) Will (Beatty) out there on the practice field and getting his legs underneath him. He’ll be working hard to get in football shape and playing multiple positions for us.”

Rookie undrafted defensive end Romeo Okwara also man the 53-man roster. “He really came on in camp,” McAdoo said. “He really didn’t do a lot in the offseason because he had a hamstring injury. But he bounced back. He takes his coaching well and he really plays with a great amount of energy and passion… I think we have a nice group of defensive ends. (Olivier Vernon, Jason Pierre-Paul, Owamagbe Odighizuwa, Kerry Wynn, and Okwara) all have some value inside, and they can play inside and outside for us. They can play the run and play the pass. It’s a good group.”

Others to make the squad were safety Mykkele Thompson and cornerback Trevin Wade.  “Mykkele is a guy who showed up and made some plays for us on special teams,” McAdoo said. “Wade really played tremendously the other night and took advantage of his opportunity vs. a great quarterback and a great offense, and showed very well.

“The roster is a living, breathing organism. It never stops changing. There’s always movement in the roster. Things are always moving.”

RYAN MALLECK WAIVED OFF OF INJURED RESERVE…
The New York Giants have waived tight end Ryan Malleck off of Injured Reserve. The Giants waived/injured Malleck and then placed him on Injured Reserve with a burner earlier this week. The Giants signed Malleck as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2016 NFL Draft.

UNIFORM NUMBER CHANGES…
The following New York Giants players have changed their uniform jersey numbers:

  • CB Eli Apple: from #28 to #24
  • RB Paul Perkins: from #39 to #28
  • OT Will Beatty: from #64 to #65
  • DT Montori Hughes: from #79 to #99
Nov 162015
 
Odell Beckham and Victor Cruz, New York Giants (October 11, 2015)

Odell Beckham and Victor Cruz – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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VICTOR CRUZ DONE FOR SEASON…
New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz announced on BleacherReport.com on Monday that he will have season-ending surgery on his left calf. It will be the third leg surgery for Cruz since 2012. Cruz underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in 2013 and major patellar tendon surgery on his right knee in 2014. It is believed the calf injury – which first appeared in mid-August – is related to his comeback from the patellar tendon injury.

Cruz returned to practice on September 30, but suffered a setback with the calf injury. Since then, he had two platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections to help the healing process. Cruz had said that both were helping to improve his calf and he had started to run again. It was expected that he would attempt to return to practice after the upcoming bye week. However, he apparently suffered another setback on Saturday.

“Saturday he was on the side with the trainers and they were doing some three-quarter speed, then all of a sudden it happened again,” said General Manager Jerry Reese.

“We thought coming off the big patella injury that he had that he was going to be ready to go,” said Reese. “And then all of a sudden, he gets the calf, which has become more bizarre for me—it’s the ‘Year of the Calf’ for us, I guess. Every time we’ve gotten him out there, we babied him through, babied him through, babied him through, then we start to do some things with him and he just can’t do it. Even after the first time we thought he was ready, we thought about putting him on the reserve/return. Our doctors said, ‘That’s too far.’ They said it was too far, so we kept him on the 53 instead of putting him on it. And now if we had known, obviously, we would have gotten a roster player.”

Cruz signed a 6-year, $45.9 million contract in July 2013. Since then, he has only played in 20 games. The annual salaries and cap hits for the 29-year old Cruz in the final four years of his contract are as follows:

  • 2015: $6.15 million salary; $8.125 million cap hit
  • 2016: $7.9 million salary; $9.9 million cap hit
  • 2017: $7.4 million salary; $9.4 million cap hit
  • 2018: $8.4 million salary; $8.5 million cap hit

Reese was asked how much of a challenge it will be for Cruz to return after missing most of the past two seasons. “Yeah, who knows? When you’re gone for a couple of years like that, you just can’t jump back in and play, I don’t think,” said Reese. “I think you have to build your way back up and get your feet under you and get your confidence back and have the quarterback get his confidence back and get that chemistry back. I don’t think it’s an easy road back, but I know how hard he works and how hard he worked in getting back from the patella injury. We’ll see where that goes…If he has the same kind of progress that (safety) Nat (Berhe has) had, maybe this thing will get behind him and he can start on the road back.”

EMMETT CLEARY PROMOTED TO 53-MAN ROSTER, TRAMAIN JACOBS WAIVED…
The New York Giants have signed offensive tackle Emmett Cleary to the 53-man roster from the team’s Practice Squad. To make room for Cleary, the Giants waived cornerback Tramain Jacobs. The Giants have also terminated the Practice Squad contract of cornerback Dax Swanson.

The Giants signed Cleary to the Practice Squad in September 2015. Cleary was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Indianapolis Colts after the 2013 NFL Draft. He has since also spent time with the Buccaneers, Raiders, and Bengals. The Giants signed Cleary to a Reserve/Future contract in January 2015. He is a decent athlete who has played both right and left tackle.

The Giants signed Jacobs to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad on November 7th. Jacobs was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Baltimore Ravens after the 2014 NFL Draft. The Ravens waived Jacobs in August 2015 and the Giants signed him to their Practice Squad in September.

The Giants signed Dax Swanson to the Practice Squad on November 5th. Swanson was originally signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2013 NFL Draft. Since then he has spent time on the Practice Squads of the San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY UPDATE…
According to ESPN, center Weston Richburg has been diagnosed with a “mild” high ankle sprain. “Ankle sprain,” said Head Coach Tom Coughlin. “However long it takes, hopefully he’ll come back next week, he’ll look pretty good after the break.”

Cornerback Prince Amukamara, who has missed the last five games with a pectoral injury says he is ready to return. “I will be ready after the bye,” Amukamara said. “That was kind of the plan all along. We were looking at the fourth week, Buccaneers, seeing if I was going to be ready then. This game came and I still wasn’t ready, so it’s according to the original prognosis, which was three to six weeks and this was the fifth week. If we had a game next week, I would 100 percent be playing…I’m 100 percent playing, according to me, in the Redskins game, unless something not so smart happens.”

GENERAL MANAGER JERRY REESE…
The transcript of Jerry Reese’s press conference on Monday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available at Giants.com.

HEAD COACH TOM COUGHLIN…
The transcript of Tom Coughlin’s press conference on Monday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available at Giants.com.

POSITION COACHES…
Transcripts and video clips of Monday’s media sessions with the following coaches are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
The following transcripts and video of player media sessions on Monday are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

ARTICLES…

Sep 062015
 


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New York Giants Claim DT Louis Nix and CB Asa Jackson: The New York Giants have claimed defensive tackle Louis Nix (Houston Texans) and cornerback Asa Jackson (Baltimore Ravens) off of waivers. To make room for these two players, the Giants released defensive tackle Kenrick Ellis and waived cornerback Mike Harris.

Louis Nix, Houston Texans (August 21, 2014)

Louis Nix – © USA TODAY Sports Images

Nix was originally drafted in the 3rd round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Texans. He has been plagued with injuries, having knee surgery in 2013 at Notre Dame, knee surgery in Summer 2014 with the Texans, and then a wrist issue that landed him on Injured Reserve in September 2014 with the Texans. He never played in a regular-season game with Houston. Nix is a strong, mammoth nose tackle-type lineman who can take on the double-team and hold the point-of-attack when healthy. Although Nix is a good athlete for his size, he is more of a run defender than pass rusher. Nix’s professionalism and work ethic were questioned in Houston.

Jackson was originally drafted in the 5th round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Ravens. In three seasons, Jackson has played in 14 regular-season games. All six of his starts came in 2014 when he accrued 28 tackles and three pass defenses. Jackson has been suspended twice by the NFL (in 2012 and 2013) for a total of 12 games for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs), in this case Adderall. Jackson lacks ideal size but he is a smooth athlete with very good quickness. He struggled at times at corner in Baltimore. Jackson is a dangerous punt and kickoff returner, but he has had fumbling issues.

The Giants signed Ellis as an unrestricted free agent from the Jets in March 2015. The Giants signed Harris off of the Practice Squad of the Detroit Lions in October 2014. He ended up playing in five games with one start for the Giants last season.

New York Giants Practice Squad Signings: The Giants have signed the following six players to their 10-man Practice Squad:

  • WR Julian Talley
  • OG Adam Gettis
  • OT Emmett Cleary
  • DE Brad Bears
  • LB Cole Farrand
  • S C.J. Conway

All six of these players were with the Giants this summer in training camp and the preseason. They were all waived on Saturday.

Because of these moves, we have updated the Transactions and Roster sections of the website.

Sep 052015
 
Henry Hynoski, New York Giants (December 30, 2012)

Henry Hynoski – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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The New York Giants made 22 roster moves on Saturday in order reduce the roster to 53 players as required by the NFL.

The Giants waived or terminated the contracts of the following players:

  • QB Ricky Stanzi
  • RB Kenneth Harper
  • FB Henry Hynoski
  • WR James Jones
  • WR Corey Washington (waived/injured)
  • WR Julian Talley
  • TE Adrien Robinson
  • OT Emmett Cleary
  • OT Sean Donnelly
  • OG Adam Gettis
  • DE Brad Bars
  • DT Dominique Hamilton
  • LB Jameel McClain
  • LB Ashlee Palmer
  • LB Cole Farrand
  • CB Chykie Brown
  • CB Chandler Fenner
  • S Jeromy Miles
  • S C.J. Conway
  • PK Chris Boswell

The Giants placed the following players on season-ending Injured Reserve:

  • S Nat Berhe (calf)
  • OC Brett Jones (knee)

“(Cut down days are) all the same, because inevitably there are guys, I don’t give a damn who you are, you become attached to them,” said Head Coach Tom Coughlin. “They’re part of your landscape. To have some of these guys that have been here, and been through some of the really good times, to have them go, it’s not easy. Because you have something you shared. You shared it, and it was great. And it’ll be there for a lifetime. Especially as gracious as some of these young men are and the things that they say. I mean they’re in here almost in tears, and you’re sitting there thinking that this is just going to be one of those hard days. All of a sudden, they start touching the emotional part of it, and it’s not easy.”

The Giants have 16 players on their 53-man roster (30.2 percent) who were not here or did not play a game for the team in 2014.

“It’s what you see throughout the league,” Coughlin said. “I think that sometimes, to be honest with you, that number and that percentage is a good thing. Because you do need the constant (roster turnover). It happens naturally, but it’s a constant as you try and improve. You wouldn’t think that a team who won six games would stay where they are. Well, they’re not. You have to try another direction.”

Three lesser-known players who surprised included tight end Jerome Cunningham, linebacker Unai’ Unga, and fullback Nikita Whitlock.

“Without a doubt, they flashed,” Coughlin said. “They flashed and they followed through. It’s not all the finished product by any means, but they are young and they do play hard. There hasn’t been many big plays the whole (preseason), but Cunningham has made a couple of them, outstanding catches. Geremy Davis has made plays. He’s a special teamer. He’s out there on the practice field every day. He’s out there. Be out there on the practice field. Maybe we can make some progress if you’re out there. It’s hard to make progress when you’re not.”

“What’d (Whitlock) make, two or three tackles on special teams the other night,” said Coughlin. “That’s the thing. He’s a four-core special teamer (playing on the punt and punt return, kickoff and kickoff return teams). He’s had them all, and knows full well why he’s here.”

“You definitely do see the potential (in Unga),” Coughlin said. “He can run, he’s physical, he’s got some skill. He’s got a deep skill level. He’s got a lot to learn about the position.”

Hynoski has been the starting fullback for the Giants for the last four seasons. McClain started 14 games for the Giants at middle linebacker in 2014. Robinson was was a former draft pick (2012 4th round).

“Everybody loves Henry,” Coughlin said. “Henry is a very positive young man. He’s upbeat. He always has and always will do whatever you want him to do. He’s had a couple of years where he’s had some injury issues. But by in large, he’s out there every day. You get to appreciate those kind of guys.”

“Another one that was tough (was McClain),” Coughlin said. “He’s obviously a recent addition here. But he’s always been a very upbeat and positive guy, and always looking for the bright side of everything. He is verbal, and is loud. But you come to realize that he’s doing it for a reason. He is positive about the impression he makes on people. He’ll take charge of the huddle for you, there’s no doubt about that.”

Because of these moves, we have updated the Transactions, Roster, and Depth Chart sections of the website.

Notes and Quotes: With the release of punter Steve Weatherford and and fullback Henry Hynoski, the Giants have just seven players remaining from the 2011 Super Bowl XLVI championship team: QB Eli Manning, WR Victor Cruz, OT Will Beatty, DE Jason Pierre-Paul, LB Mark Herzlich, CB Prince Amukamara, and LS Zak DeOssie.

Coughlin on new punter Brad Wing: “Left-footed, hang, distance, and location. Impressive grades coming out (of LSU). Punted for a season and had the kind of things that we would like to be able to do in terms of directional punting and all that stuff.”

The Giants say Wing will also be the holder for Josh Brown’s field goal and extra point attempts.

Jul 092015
 
Brad Harrah and Bobby Hart, New York Giants (June 16, 2015)

Brad Harrah and Bobby Hart – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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With New York Giants training camp beginning in late July, BigBlueInteractive.com breaks down each of the team’s positional groups until the players report at Quest Diagnostics Training Center.

FIND A COMPLETE LIST OF ALL BREAKDOWNS HERE

POSITIONAL BREAKDOWN: Offensive Line

2014 YEAR IN REVIEW: The overall play of the New York Giants offensive line improved in 2014 from its dreadful performance in 2013 but the unit was still sub par. The Giants were tied for 28th in the NFL with only 3.6 yards per rushing attempt. Pass protection was better as the Giants gave up 30 sacks on the season, which was 9th-best in the NFL. But that figure is a bit misleading given the offense’s new emphasis on getting rid of the ball quickly (West Coast Offense) and quarterback Eli Manning’s long-established tendency to get rid of the ball quickly and not take the sack (which he probably actually should do more often when under duress).

The improvement that did take place not only had to do with the individual components playing better, but the Giants had greater cohesion up front due to far fewer injuries. In 2013, the Giants used seven different starting offensive line combinations, the second-highest total in the NFL that season. In 2014, the same players started all 16 games at left tackle (Will Beatty), center (J.D. Walton), and right guard (John Jerry). Weston Richburg started 15 games at left guard and Justin Pugh started 14 games at right tackle.

That all said, it is widely-recognized that the offensive line was once again a sore spot in 2014. Chris Snee retired before training camp. The Giants counted on high-priced free agent acquisition Geoff Schwartz to be a major building block, but Schwartz only played in two games due to injuries. Beatty had a decent year, but Walton and Jerry really struggled at times. Pugh regressed after a strong rookie season and Richburg experienced the expected growing pains, especially since he was playing out of position. Overall, the line was more finesse than power, which usually is not good for any offense, but especially so for one predicated on balance and the ability to run the football.

Another issue was the overall poor depth situation. James Brewer, Brandon Mosley, Eric Herman, Dallas Reynolds, and Adam Snyder were complete non factors and did not push the weaker links on the line. Adam Gettis was signed late in the season from the Steelers practice squad and ex-Eagle Michael Bamiro was signed to the Giants practice squad.

ADDITIONS/SUBTRACTIONS: The Giants released center J.D. Walton in March. Tackle James Brewer signed with the Jets in free agency and the Giants have made no effort to re-sign guard Adam Snyder. The Giants signed CFL All-Star center Brett Jones and street free agent tackle Emmett Cleary early in the offseason and then signed unrestricted free agent tackle Marshall Newhouse from the Bengals.The Giants drafted tackle Ereck Flowers in the first round and guard Bobby Hart in the seventh round. The team also signed rookie free agent tackle Sean Donnelly.

TRAINING CAMP STORY LINES: The Giants will enter training camp with no 2014 starter remaining at the same position. Will Beatty tore his pectoral muscle in an offseason weight-lifting accident and will probably miss at least half of the regular season. Because of that, the Giants are starting Ereck Flowers at left tackle at least one year sooner than they anticipated (post-draft comments by Giants officials made it clear that they saw Flowers as Beatty’s eventual replacement). Flowers had been penciled in at right tackle but now Marshall Newhouse – a player benched by the Packers and Bengals – gets first crack at the position. Weston Richburg moves to his more natural position of center. Justin Pugh has shifted from right tackle to left guard. Geoff Schwartz moves from left guard to his more natural right guard position.

The Giants have now invested two first-round draft picks (Pugh and Flowers), two second-round draft picks (Beatty and Richburg), and a high-priced free agent (Schwartz) on the offensive line. Even though Beatty is out, much improvement is expected. On paper, the Giants look strong inside (Pugh-Richburg-Schwartz) with significant question marks at tackle (Flowers and Newhouse). Flowers should eventually excel, but growing pains should be expected. Newhouse’s track record during the last few years has not been good and he appears to be the obvious weak link. The Giants may be forced to move Schwartz to right tackle and start John Jerry at right guard if Newhouse can’t handle the position. The situation should improve when Beatty returns mid-season, but long-term, Beatty may have sealed his fate with the team, especially if Flowers shows steady improvement at left tackle.

Another area of focus is the depth situation and if one of the younger players could possibly surprise and push for a starting job. Brandon Mosley apparently had a good spring as he received some first-team reps during OTAs. The Giants have some very big, young tackles including Michael Bamiro (6’8”, 340lbs), Emmett Cleary (6’7”, 324lbs), and Sean Donnelly (6’7”, 333lbs). The team drafted guard Bobby Hart (6’4”, 334lbs). Brett Jones was a CFL All-Star who is now adjusting to the NFL game.

Overall, the Giants need the line to become a much more physical and intimidating presence. Flowers has a reputation as a bad ass and should help. Pugh and Richburg worked hard in the offseason to get bigger and stronger. The Giants need Schwartz to rebound from a serious ankle injury and be a tough veteran inside.

ON THE BUBBLE: The Giants will probably carry nine offensive linemen. Beatty will probably start the season on the Physically-Unable-to-Perform (PUP) List and not count against the 53-man roster limit. Flowers, Pugh, Richburg, and Schwartz are the locks. Newhouse and Jerry are on shaky ground, but one will likely start and the other will likely provide veteran depth. The other nine offensive linemen will probably be fighting for three spots. Those linemen include Mosley, Bamiro, Cleary, Donnelly, Hart, Jones, Dallas Reynolds, Eric Herman, and Adam Gettis. Troy Kropog is also currently on a PUP List.

FROM THE POSITIONAL COACH: Pat Flaherty on Weston Richburg: “Right now the progress is good, it really is. He learned an awful lot last year but I knew that he was going to be a player for a very long time and I know I’m using that, but I believe it because he likes the game of football. He really has embraced the center position because you are the voice of everybody to start out and the quarterback may change things, but you are telling everyone what to do. I think that Weston has a little bit of bossman in him and he likes that.”

Flaherty on Michael Bamiro: “I’ll tell you he is the Kevin Garnett of the football players, that guy is huge. He is a good worker, he really is. He has some position versatility from being a tackle to a guard and we worked out with him. We have to really find out a little more about him when we get on pads, but I like his attitude.”

Flaherty on Justin Pugh: “I think that he likes playing and I love guys who like playing. I think any position that you put him at, he would play it. He would like to be a guy that is settled in one position. Most guys are that way. I think you probably get that feeling from him more than anything. He would only get better at the tackle position for us. Is he a better guard than tackle? He is going to be a good football player…Justin has very good feet, he is a very good athlete, has tremendous lower body strength and when you get closer to the ball at the guard position, you are going to be blocking bigger people, so I think that is going to be an advantage for us. He will be able to block those people.”

Flaherty on Geoff Schwartz: “Geoff wants to do it and he has worked awful hard to get back from his injury and he just needs to have the good luck charm on his side for once. Once he is able to do that, here is a guy that can be in the next half dozen years and have a tremendous finish to his career.”

PREDICTIONS: While there will be growing pains with Ereck Flowers, 4/5ths of the Giants offensive line could be set for a few years provided there are no more injuries and Schwartz recovers well from his ankle injury. Flowers will bring much-needed toughness and physicality to the line. Richburg seems primed to develop into a good one at center and the Giants seem to think Pugh will excel at left guard. In fact, these three players could not only be solid, but very good.

“We like (Flowers) as a future left tackle of the New York Giants. I am very comfortable with him being out there right now,” said Offensive Coordinator Ben McAdoo during the mini-camp.

“(Pugh) is a football-smart guy,” said McAdoo. “He is a hard worker. He brings a nice level of physicality that we like. Some grit to the position right there. It is probably a position that doesn’t get as much glamor as a tackle, but when you are on the left side, it is important position to protect the backside of the quarterback away from his vision. The left guard position is especially important because a lot goes on there on the inside. When one becomes two and two becomes three and when zero becomes one and all the movement happens, you have to make quick decisions and we feel Justin can do that.”

“Weston is a natural center,” said McAdoo. “I am excited for him. I am excited for the offense. I think he brings some energy to the position and to the offense. He’s a guy who likes to have control of things and likes to have his hand on the football. He works very hard at it. I like Weston.”

The obvious question mark is Newhouse at right tackle. He could be the Achilles’ heel for the entire line. Given his struggles in the league the last few years, it’s hard to imagine him being the answer. If he has problems early, the Giants may have to pull the plug and scramble to fill the position. While fans knock John Jerry, he may be an important piece of the short-term puzzle. The pie-in-the-sky hope is that someone like Mosley or Bamiro presses for starting time.

“Marshall has played a little bit of everywhere,” said McAdoo. “I was with him in the past when he first got into the league. He has played just about every position. I believe he even snapped the ball at one point. He is a smart guy. He gets the game. He is very nimble-footed. We need to get some pads on and get out there and get a look at him with the defense moving and be physical. He has done it before and he has done it at a high level before and he will have an opportunity to be a major contributor this year.”

FINAL DEPTH CHART: Flowers, Pugh, Richburg, Schwartz, Newhouse, Jerry, Mosley, Hart, and Jones.

Jan 132015
 
Emmett Cleary, Indianapolis Colts (July 31, 2013)

Emmett Cleary – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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The New York Giants have signed offensive tackle Emmett Cleary to a Reserve/Future contract. Cleary was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Indianapolis Colts after the 2013 NFL Draft. He has since also spent time with the Buccaneers, Raiders, and Bengals. Cleary has good size but he needs to get stronger. He is a decent athlete who has played both right and left tackle.

Cleary is the fifteenth player signed by the Giants to a Reserve/Future contract since the 2014 NFL season ended. The other players are:

  • QB Ricky Stanzi
  • FB Nikita Whitlock
  • WR Julian Talley
  • WR Juron Criner
  • WR Chris Harper
  • OT Michael Bamiro
  • DE Jordan Stanton
  • LB Victor Butler
  • LB Unai Unga
  • CB Bennett Jackson
  • CB Josh Victorian
  • S Thomas Gordon
  • PK Chris Boswell
  • P Robert Malone

Write-ups on all of these players are available in the New York Giants Scouting Reports section of the website.