Mar 292022
 
Brian Daboll, New York Giants (March 1, 2022)

Brian Daboll – © USA TODAY Sports

BRIAN DABOLL ADDRESSES THE MEDIA…
New York Giants Head Coach Brian Daboll spoke to the media on Tuesday at the NFL Annual Meeting in Palm Beach, Florida.

Daboll has been trying to connect with as many of his players as he can via FaceTime or those who are individually working out or rehabbing from injuries at the team’s facility. However, with the start of the team’s voluntary offseason strength training and conditioning program on Monday, April 4th, Daboll will be presented with his first opportunity to address much of the team in person. The coaches will then also be able to begin to teach the players the new schemes on offense, defense, and special teams.

“I probably haven’t hit everybody, to be honest with you,” said Daboll. “I’ve talked to a few people just to introduce myself. Again, there’s a long time to learn football and things like that and we’ll get to that. Even this first week, one of the things I talked to the coaches about was let’s get to know these players. We haven’t really been around them. Let’s ask them about their families, what they like. It’s important to get to know one another.

“You’re going to be in a competitive situation and you’re going to face a lot of tough times in this league and you can lean on people when you have relationships with them, because you’re building trust because there’s going to be tough times. I’ve said it a million times and I’ve gone through them in my career I’d say quite a bit where I’ve lost or had some really good times. You’re sharing them with the guys that you’re in the building with each day and you’re working hard to achieve a goal and fighting through some things that don’t go your way. I think that’s what brings people closer together.”

Like General Manager Joe Schoen did yesterday, Daboll talked about the misleading media reports that the Giants were actively trying to trade running back Saquon Barkley. Daboll used this as an example of how he tries to communicate with his players.

“When things come out, I try to stay on top of it,” Daboll said. “Look, I have kids that are 22 and 21 years old and I’m sure you all have kids that are whatever ages. They’re people first. You can say whatever you want. You can say, ‘Hey, people are just writing stuff or reporting stuff.’ I think it’s important to show a little empathy, too, to the guys in the situations that they’re in. I know it’s a tough business, but I think it’s a people business, too. I think the more upfront and the more transparent you can be and even when things are being said, which look, at this time of year there’s a million things being said. Some are probably true. Some are probably not true. I understand that. I like being transparent with these guys and letting them know where I stand and if I do hear something that comes across the wave, I’ll say yeah, this isn’t the case or just hang tight. I think showing empathy goes a long way. Probably something 15, 10 years ago I wasn’t good at either.

“I’ve had some good running backs in my career and after 22 years you have some decent ones. Saquon is a lead guy. I’ve watched all his tape all the way back to his rookie year where he had (91) catches. He’s a versatile player. He seems like a good young man. I’m excited to work with him. I think he’s excited to be here. I can’t wait to get to Monday here.”

Daboll on coaching the entire team, not just the offense: “I’ll spend time with the defense. I’ll spend time with the offense, kicking game, special teams guys, evaluating a lot of draft prospects. I’d say the last week has been spent a lot on draft work, because most of the coaches have been out on the road. I’ve learned that when you’re in this position, there are a lot of people that want to come in the room and talk about whatever and that’s really important. But there’s times where I can just hunker down and start watching players, that’s been a valuable week and a half for me just grinding out on college guys.”

Daboll on the new offense and who will be calling the plays: “We’ve been working through just installing our playbook and our plays and I think there’s been a lot of really good opinions. The big thing is the players come back on the 4th, this Monday. We’ve been hiring a staff, evaluating our players, evaluating free agents, evaluating college players. A lot of the coaches have been out on the road with pro days, workouts and that’s really what we’ve done. There’s been some players rehabbing in the building. We’ve spent a lot of time on those things. We’re kind of integrating our offense along with (Offensive Coordinator) Mike (Kafka’s) offense that he used in Kansas City and putting things together, but until guys get back and we can actually start doing things, so we’re a little ways from that stuff. When I know (who will call the plays), I’ll let you guys know.”

Daboll on quarterback Daniel Jones, who suffered a season-ending neck injury last year: (He) “should be ready to go” (on Monday)… I think Daniel – I’ve said this before – he’s got good athleticism. He’s made some really good throws. I’m sure there’s plays that he wants back, just like everybody. I think going into it right now with Monday, we’ve kind of got it set the way we want it set. We’re forging ahead and teaching it accordingly and we have confidence in the players that we have.

“I don’t make excuses with everybody, starting with me, and I think you’ve got to really go back and dive into the cause of the turnovers. Some are decision-making turnovers where we can fix or try to fix. Some are receivers fell down, there’s a tipped ball and some are really great plays by the defense. In terms of the interceptions and then in terms of the fumbles of why we’re fumbling and how we’re fumbling it, you do drill work to try to improve that. Again, to me, the most important thing come Monday is a fresh start for everybody.

“I’ve coached a lot of players at a lot of different positions. For a lot of different players that I’ve coached, some can’t play in this league because he’s too inaccurate. Some can’t play because he turns the ball over. I think that the most important thing is put him in your system, coach him, develop a relationship with him, try to get the best out of him. You learn from the past just like we all learn from our past, but you have your focus on the future and what you’re doing that day to improve and that’s all I’m asking those guys to do.

“We’ll see (if we want him to run the ball). He’s athletic. He’s big. He’s strong. I know he’s had some injuries. I think there’s always a balancing act but at the end of the day, you’ve got to try to use your players the best way you can use them to try to win a game. Sometimes it might not start early in the season like that, but as you figure out what you are and what you need to do, you can evolve to that, it’s kind of like Josh (Allen). How many quarterback runs did we really design? Probably more a little bit later in the year when it was crunch time. But again, that’s knowing the player too where the guy wants the ball in his hands in the most critical moments to do that. Again, we’ll find out with Daniel. I think he’s got a really good skillset in that regard. How much of it we’ll do? You never know.”

Daboll on wide receiver Sterling Shepard: “I know Sterling restructured (his contract). The short time that I got to spend with him, he’s just a class act. He’s the longest-tenured Giant, but I think he’s got a good skillset for some of the things that I can envision him doing. He’s in there working in the weight room with the rehab guys. He’s been a really good person and Joe (Schoen) worked out a deal with him to bring him back and restructured his contract and we’re happy to have him.”

Daboll on the Giants’ free agent signings: “Time will tell. The guys that we signed, I like those guys. We were afforded what we were afforded with in terms of the salary cap, but guys like (Jon) Feliciano and (Mark) Glowinski, I think we’ve added some pieces that’ll compete on the offensive line. Obviously, we’ve added a backup quarterback, a couple guys on defense we think will give us some depth. I think the big thing is we’re still about five months out from playing a game. Nobody panics, everybody takes it one day at a time and try to add as many pieces to make this as competitive as you can make it and keep building your team really through the season. Team-building and adding players, there’s still a long way to go on that.”

Daboll on the low expectations for this team: “I think that the biggest thing we all can do, starting with me and trickling down to the rest of the people in the organization – obviously, Joe’s got to focus on the future and we all do, but really focus on the day and try to win each day. Things are always going to be said in our league. It’s the most popular sport. It’s a great fan base with great support. All you guys have your job to do, and I understand that, but what we can do is just to focus on what we have to do to get better each day. I learned a long time ago, when things are going good, try not to listen. When things are going bad, try not to listen. I respect the people that are on the outside that love our game and report on our game and all we can control is what we can do that day and that’s kind of the mentality that I’m going to take with myself, with the staff and with the rest of the players.”

Daboll on quarterback Tyrod Taylor: “I think that’s important. At Buffalo, they did that last year when we acquired Mitch (Trubisky). Again, you try to develop a scheme and a system for your starter, and you hope that the backup quarterback isn’t too far off that in terms of skillset or ability or things like that. We’ve done it before, but I think it’s probably a little bit better if you can mirror it a little bit.”

Daboll on cutting safety Logan Ryan: “There are decisions that are made every offseason that are tough decisions. I’ve known Logan for a little bit of time and at the end of the day we thought it was the right thing for us to do and I wish Logan great success at Tampa. He’s a good player, but I think that there are some tough decisions that are made every year. There are tough decisions that will need to be made next week, a month from now, three months from now. I’ve learned in this league that that happens every year with good players or players that you go into a new system or a new coach, that’s the nature of our business.”

Daboll on wide receiver Kenny Golladay: “He’s a big-bodied guy that makes contested catches, so he’s like all the other guys. I went back and watched the Detroit seasons and he had some good seasons, just like when I went back and watched KT (Kadarius Toney) at Florida. You try to do as much work as you can on these guys before they get there to see what have they been successful at and figure out a way to use them in things they’ve excelled at. You’ve got to see them do the things that you’re going to ask them to do in the offense. There’s plays that we’re going through right now, heck, if those guys want to turn inside on this route, let’s figure it out when they get here and ask them. Stef (Stefon Diggs), we had different routes that I’ve run before and it didn’t quite look like the ones that I ran 15 years ago, but I let him be him and do the things that he can do to be successful and use his talents.”

Daboll on whether it would be difficult to pass over offensive players for defense in the upcoming Draft: “It’s a fair question. I’m trying my best. I’m new to this, right? I’m two months on the job. I certainly don’t have the answers. Again, you’ve said it. I started five years in my career of coaching defensive football. I’ve coached offense but it’s always cool to look at a defensive player and evaluate him as, ‘OK, I’m not really worried about – if we play against this guy that gets drafted, we’re going to go at his ass,’ or ‘this guy is pretty tough, he’s a good player,’ whether he’s setting the edge. That’s been a cool thing. I’ve really enjoyed that. In terms of would I rather draft an offensive guy or a defensive guy, I’d rather draft the best player wherever that fits. We have a lot of needs, so we’re going to pick the best guy we can pick in either of those spots or one of those spots or wherever it works out.”

PATRIOTS SIGN JABRILL PEPPERS…
New York Giants unrestricted free agent safety Jabrill Peppers has signed a 1-year contract with the New England Patriots.

The Giants placed Jabrill Peppers on Injured Reserve in late October 2021 after he suffered a ruptured ACL and high ankle sprain on his right leg in Week 7. In 2021, Peppers played in six games with five starts (58 percent of all defensive snaps in those games), missing another game with a hamstring injury. He finished with 30 tackles, one sack, and one pass defense. Overall, Peppers’ play declined in 2021 and he saw his playing time decrease as a result.

In 2020, Peppers played in 15 games with 14 starts (88 percent of all defensive snaps), missing one game with an ankle injury. He finished the season with 91 tackles, 19 tackles for losses, 2.5 sacks, nine quarterback hits, 11 pass defenses, one interception, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.

Peppers was originally drafted in the 1st round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. He was traded to the Giants as part of the Odell Beckham deal in March 2019. He started 11 games for the Giants in 2019 before being placed on Injured Reserve with a transverse process fracture in his back.

For an overview of all Giants’ free agent signings, see the 2022 New York Giants Free Agent Losses and New York Giants 2022 Free Agency Scorecard sections of the website.

Oct 262021
 
Jabrill Peppers, New York Giants (October 24, 2021)

Jabrill Peppers – © USA TODAY Sports

The New York Giants announced on Tuesday that safety Jabrill Peppers has been placed on Injured Reserve with two significant right-leg injuries, including a ruptured ACL and a high ankle sprain. His season is over. Peppers suffered the injuries in the 3rd quarter of Sunday’s 25-3 win over the Carolina Panthers. This season, Peppers played in six games, with five starts, and 58 percent of all defensive snaps. He finished with 30 tackles, one sack, and one pass defense.

To fill that roster vacancy, the team signed safety J.R. Reed off of the Practice Squad of the Los Angeles Rams. The 25-year old, 6’1”, 194-pound Reed was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Jacksonville Jaguars after the 2020 NFL Draft. The Jaguars waived him in September 2020. Reed was then signed by the Rams, where he spent time on both their Practice Squad and 53-man roster. Reed has played in eight regular-season games, including one this year.

In other moves, the Giants have waived wide receiver David Sills and cornerback Josh Jackson from the 53-man roster, and terminated the Practice Squad contract of defensive lineman Woodrow Hamilton.

Sills was signed to the Practice Squad in early September 2021 and then the 53-man roster in October. The 6’3”, 211-pound Sills was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Buffalo Bills after the 2019 NFL Draft. The Giants signed Sills to the Practice Squad in September 2019 after he was cut by the Bills. The Giants then signed him to the 53-man roster in mid-December 2019. He did not play in a game however. Sills was placed on season-ending Injured Reserve in early September 2020 with a broken right foot.

The Giants acquired Jackson by trade from the Green Bay Packers in exchange for cornerback Isaac Yiadom. The 6’0”, 196-pound Jackson was drafted in the 2nd-round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Packers. In three seasons with the Packers, Jackson played in 42 regular-season games with 15 starts, including five in 2020.

Hamilton was signed to the Practice Squad in October 2021. The 6’3”, 315-pound Hamilton was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the New England Patriots after the 2016 NFL Draft. He has spent time with the Patriots (2016), New Orleans Saints (2017-2018), Giants (2018), Carolina Panthers (2019-2020), and Tennessee Titans (2021). The Titans waived him in October 2021. Hamilton has played in nine regular-season games with one start.

Oct 202021
 
Andrew Thomas, New York Giants (August 22, 2021)

Andrew Thomas – © USA TODAY Sports

GIANTS PLACE ANDREW THOMAS ON INJURED RESERVE…
On Tuesday, the New York Giants placed left tackle Andrew Thomas (foot/ankle) and wide receiver C.J. Board (broken forearm) on Injured Reserve. Players placed on Injured Reserve during the season can return to the 53-man roster in three weeks if healthy enough to do so.

To fill these roster vacancies, the Giants signed wide receiver Dante Pettis and offensive tackle Korey Cunningham from the Practice Squad to the 53-man roster.

The team also signed wide receiver Travis Toivonen, offensive tackle Derrick Kelly, and defensive tackle Woodrow Hamilton to the Practice Squad and terminated the Practice Squad contracts of tight end Jake Hausmann and offensive guard Cole Banwart.

The 23-year old, 6’4”, 212-pound Toivonen went undrafted in 2020. The Seattle Seahawks signed him in June 2021 and waived him in late August.

The 26-year old, 6’5”, 320-pound Kelly was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the New Orleans Saints after the 2019 NFL Draft. He spent his rookie season on the Saints’ Practice Squad, did play in six games (with no starts) in 2020. The Saints terminated his Practice Squad contract last week.

The 28-year old, 6’3”, 315-pound Hamilton was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the New England Patriots after the 2016 NFL Draft. He has spent time with the Patriots (2016), New Orleans Saints (2017-2018), Giants (2018), Carolina Panthers (2019-2020), and Tennessee Titans (2021). The Titans waived him last week. Hamilton has played in nine regular-season games with one start.

OCTOBER 20, 2021 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
The New York Giants practiced on Wednesday at Quest Diagnostics Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Not practicing were RB Saquon Barkley (ankle), WR Kenny Golladay (knee), WR Kadarius Toney (ankle), WR John Ross (hamstring), TE Kaden Smith (knee), and LB Azeez Ojulari (not injury-related).

Limited in practice were WR Darius Slayton (hamstring), OG Ben Bredeson (hand), and NT Danny Shelton (pectoral).

LB Elerson Smith (hamstring) and CB Aaron Robinson (core muscle), both of whom missed all of training camp and the preseason with injuries, have been designated for return and returned to practice. “To be completely transparent with you, for both guys who haven’t gone through really training camp, preseason games and all that stuff, I find it hard to believe for any rookie to come back that fast and just go ahead and jump right back in,” said Head Coach Joe Judge.

HEAD COACH JOE JUDGE…
The transcript of Joe Judge’s press conference on Wednesday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available at Giants.com.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The Giants practice again on Thursday. The coordinators and select players will also address the media.

Oct 032021
 
Jabrill Peppers, New York Giants (October 3, 2021)

Jabrill Peppers celebrates OT coin toss – © USA TODAY Sports

NEW YORK GIANTS 27 – NEW ORLEANS SAINTS 21 (OT)…
It took overtime to do it, but the New York Giants won their first game of the 2021 season on Sunday afternoon by upsetting the New Orleans Saints 27-21. The Giants scored 17 unanswered points late in the contest. With the win, the Giants are now 1-3 on the season.

While New Orleans dominated the Giants in the running game (170 to 83 yards) and time of possession (37:31 to 27:35), New York held the advantage in total yards (485 to 405) and net yards passing (402 to 235). The turnover battle (one apiece) and first downs gained (21 each) were equal.

Offensively, the game did not start off well for the Giants, who only picked up one first down on their first two drives of the game, both resulting in quick punts. New York managed to gain three first downs and 57 yards on their third possession, but that drive ended with place kicker Graham Gano missing a 35-yard field goal (his first miss in 37 attempts).

Meanwhile, the Saints were having their own issues on offense. Their first drive picked up 13 yards before being forced to punt. New Orleans gained 44 yards and reached the New York 29-yard line on their second possession, but on 4th-and-3, running back Alvin Kamara was held short of the 1st-down marker by defensive end Leonard Williams and linebacker Lorenzo Carter, turning the football over on downs. The Saints reached the New York 40-yard line on their third possession, but missed a 58-yard field goal.

The scoreless game broke open midway through the second quarter. On the first play of the Giants’ fourth drive, quarterback Daniel Jones threw a deep strike to wide receiver John Ross for what was originally ruled a 51-yard touchdown. Officials later ruled that Ross fumbled as he was reaching the end zone; however, since Ross recovered the loose ball within the end zone, the touchdown was upheld. The Giants led 7-0.

However, as has been a constant occurrence this year, the Giants’ defense weakened at the end of the first half and surrendered the lead. The Saints drove 75 yards in 13 plays, with quarterback Jameis Winston throwing a 15-yard touchdown on 3rd-and-6 with less than 30 seconds to play before halftime. The first half ended with an intercepted pass on a Hail Mary from Jones.

The game was tied 7-7 at the break.

Momentum kept shifting the way of the Saints at the beginning of the 3rd quarterback. New Orleans received the ball to start the second half, and it only took them three plays to gain 75 yards and score an 8-yard touchdown on run by quarterback Taysom Hill. The Saints were now up 14-7.

The Giants responded with a 10-play, 70-yard drive, setting up a 1st-and-goal from the 3-yard line. But New York couldn’t push it in and the Giants settled for a 23-yard field goal to cut the score to 14-10. It appeared matters would get worse for the Giants on New Orleans’ second drive of the half when Winston threw a 46-yard touchdown pass. However, the play was nullified by an offensive holding penalty. On the very next snap, cornerback James Bradberry intercepted a deep pass from Hill at the New York 12-yard line.

The Giants picked up one first down and punted. The Saints appeared to take control of the game on the ensuing drive as they drove 63 yards in 11 plays, with the possession ending with another 8-yard run by Hill for the touchdown, this one on 3rd-and-2. The Saints were now up 21-10 with just over 12 minutes left in the contest.

Both teams exchanged punts. New York got the ball back with seven minutes on the clock. Wide receiver C.J. Board first returned the punt 28 yards. Then, on the first offensive play, Jones found running back Saquon Barkley wide open down the left sideline. Barkley caught the ball, cut back inside, and scored from 54 yards out. Jones then scrambled for the 2-point conversion and the score was 21-18 with less than seven minutes still left to play.

The Saints gained two first downs and ran almost four minutes off of the clock. The Giants started their final drive of regulation at their own 24-yard line with 3:01 to play. New York was able to gain 59 yards in 11 plays to set up a clutch, 48-yard field goal by Gano to tie the game with about half a minute left to play. The big play on the drive was a 28-yard catch-and-run by wide receiver Kenny Golladay on 3rd-and-7. The Saints could do nothing on their final two plays and the game went to overtime.

The Giants won the toss and never looked back. New York drove 75 yards in nine plays, including a 17-yard pass from Jones to Ross, an 18-yard pass to Barkley, and a 23-yard pass to  Golladay on 3rd-and-5. On 1st-and-goal from the 6-yard line, Barkley scored to win the game. (Barkley did fumble on this drive and tight end Kyle Rudolph saved the day by recovering the fumble).

Offensively, Jones finished the game 28-of-40 for 402 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. He also rushed four times for 27 yards. His leading receivers were Golladay (6 catches for 116 yards), wide receiver Kadarius Toney (6 catches for 78 yards), Barkley (5 catches for 74 yards and a touchdown), and tight end Evan Engram (5 catches for 27 yards). Barkley was the leading rusher with 13 carries for 52 yards and a touchdown.

Defensively, the Giants allowed 170 yards rushing, including 120 yards by Kamara and two touchdowns by Hill. New York defenders did not sack the quarterback and were not credited with a quarterback hit. They forced no fumbles but did pick off one pass.

Video highlights are available at Giants.com.

ROSTER MOVES, PRACTICE SQUAD ACTIVATIONS, INACTIVES, AND INJURY REPORT…
On Saturday, activated WR John Ross (hamstring) from Injured Reserve to the 53-man roster. The team also elevated OC Jonotthan Harrison to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad.

Inactive for the game were WR Sterling Shepard (hamstring), WR Darius Slayton (hamstring), OG Ben Bredeson (hand), DE Raymond Johnson, CB Sam Beal, and CB Josh Jackson.

S Jabril Peppers (hamstring) left the game in the 4th quarter and did not return. He did make the correct call on the overtime coin toss.

POST-GAME REACTION…
Transcripts and video clips of post-game media sessions with Head Coach Joe Judge and the following players are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

POST-GAME NOTES…
This was the Giants’ first victory in New Orleans since 1993. They had lost their five previous games in New Orleans.

This was the Giants’ first victory after overcoming a fourth-quarter deficit of at least 11 points since 2012.

The Giants had lost their previous 16 games in which they trailed after three quarters.

The Giants are 13-6-2 in overtime road games.

The Giants’ 402 net passing yards is the ninth-highest total in franchise history. The 402 yards is a career high for QB Daniel Jones. The 400-yard game was the first by a Giants quarterback since Eli Manning in 2017.

The interception of Daniel Jones’ pass on the Hail Mary at the end of the first half ended his streak of consecutive passes without throwing a pick at 124.

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
Head Coach Joe Judge and select players will address the media by conference call on Monday.

Sep 252021
 
Kenny Golladay, New York Giants (September 12, 2021)

Kenny Golladay – © USA TODAY Sports

SEPTEMBER 24, 2021 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
The New York Giants practiced on Friday at Quest Diagnostics Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

LB Cam Brown (hamstring) did not practice on Friday. He has officially been ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons.

RB Saquon Barkley (knee), WR Kenny Golladay (hip), WR Kadarius Toney (ankle), TE Evan Engram (calf), TE Kaden Smith (knee), NT Austin Johnson (illness), S Logan Ryan (hamstring), and S Nate Ebner (quad) were limited in practice. 

Golladay, Engram, and Ebner are officially “questionable” for the game. The other players are unofficially “probable.”

I had a great week, a really good recovery,” said Engram after practice. “Been doing really well with our trainers, they always do a good job. This week has been really fun back out there with the guys, so it’s going to come down to the rest of today, tomorrow and then it’s up to (Head Coach) Joe (Judge). I feel good about it.”

HEAD COACH JOE JUDGE…
The transcript of Joe Judge’s press conference on Friday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available at Giants.com.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
There is no media availability to the Giants on Saturday. The team plays the Atlanta Falcons at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.

Sep 142021
 
Sterling Shepard, New York Giants (September 12, 2021)

Sterling Shepard – © USA TODAY Sports

SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
The New York Giants held a walk-thru practice on Tuesday at Quest Diagnostics Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The following injury report is an estimation provided by the team.

TE Evan Engram (calf), OG Shane Lemieux (knee), and LB Cam Brown (hamstring) did not practice.

RB Saquon Barkley (knee) was limited in practice.

HEAD COACH JOE JUDGE…
The transcript of Joe Judge’s press conference on Tuesday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available at Giants.com.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
There is no media availability to the Giants on Wednesday as the team travels to Maryland.

Sep 082021
 
Nick Gates, New York Giants (August 29, 2021)

Nick Gates – © USA TODAY Sports

SEPTEMBER 8, 2021 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
The New York Giants practiced on Wednesday at Quest Diagnostics Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Today was the first time the Giants were mandated by the NFL to issue an official injury report.

TE Evan Engram (calf) is the only player who did not practice.

RB Saquon Barkley (knee), WR Kenny Golladay (hamstring), WR Kadarius Toney (hamstring), TE Kyle Rudolph (foot), TE Kaden Smith (knee), LT Andrew Thomas (ankle), NT Danny Shelton (neck), LB Justin Hilliard (foot), CB Adoree’ Jackson (ankle), and CB Josh Jackson (calf) were limited in practice.

GIANTS RE-SIGN NATE EBNER, OTHER ROSTER MOVES…
The New York Giants have re-signed special teams player/safety Nate Ebner. To make room for Ebner, the team terminated the contract of wide receiver C.J. Board.

The Giants then re-signed Board to the Practice Squad, as well as signing offensive tackle Korey Cunningham to the Practice Squad. To make room for Board and Cunningham, the team terminated the Practice Squad contracts of guard Kenny Wiggins and safety Jordyn Peters.

The 6’0”, 215-pound Ebner was originally drafted in the 6th round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. In eight seasons in New England, Ebner played in 111 regular-season games with no starts. The Giants signed Ebner as an unrestricted free agent from the Patriots in March 2020. Almost exclusively a special teams player, Ebner only saw limited snaps on defense in five games, finishing with eight tackles and one pass defense.

The 26-year old, 6’6”, 311-pound Cunningham was originally drafted in the 7th round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals. He was traded to the New England Patriots in August 2019. The Patriots cut Cunningham in late August 2021. In three NFL seasons, Cunningham has played in 18 regular-season games, with six starts, all with the Cardinals in 2018. He has experience at both tackle positions.

The Giants also waived wide receiver Austin Mack from Injured Reserve with an injury settlement.

HEAD COACH JOE JUDGE…
The transcript of Joe Judge’s press conference on Wednesday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available at Giants.com.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The Giants practice again on Thursday afternoon (12:30-2:30PM). The coordinators and select players will also address the media.

Aug 192021
 
Gary Brightwell, New York Giants (August 19, 2021)

Gary Brightwell – © USA TODAY Sports

AUGUST 19, 2021 NEW YORK GIANTS TRAINING CAMP REPORT…
Thursday was the first of two days of joint training camp practices between the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns in Berea, Ohio. The Giants play the Browns on Sunday in the team’s second preseason game.

We’re just getting here, getting started,” said Head Coach Joe Judge before practice. “Looking forward to a couple good days of work against the Browns. Our emphasis will remain on our installs, our systems, our fundamentals. Obviously, we have a new opponent, so it’s an opportunity to see different levels of talent, new players, different schemes. A good opportunity for our team to go ahead and change it up a little bit come out here and compete.

You’re going to see a mix of a lot of things. We’re going to work some team blitz periods, a different mix of team run and play-action periods, some team two-minute periods, work a seven-on-seven. You’ll see a mix of the offensive line and defensive lines in one-on-one scenarios, see some receivers and DB’s in one-on-one type of drill periods. You’ll see the tight ends, safeties, running backs going one-on-one in pass drills. You’ll see punt and punt return emphasis today in the kicking game. Tomorrow will be kick and kick return emphasis in the kicking game, but these are all things that you can really go ahead and work with the other team and make sure you’re on the same page. You talk about the tempo of the drill, the reps of the drill. It’s something that goes all the way up to as late as last night, making sure that we’re both on the same page in terms of the health of the team, who we have available in practice, to make sure we manage the reps for everybody involved, and that we get the most out of practice, but that we’re smart with our players.”

INJURY REPORT…
TE Kyle Rudolph (foot) and CB Aaron Robinson (core muscle) remain on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) List.

RB Saquon Barkley (knee), WR Kenny Golladay (hamstring), WR Kadarius Toney (unknown), WR John Ross (hamstring?), LB Elerson Smith (hamstring), and S Montre Hartage (unknown) did not practice on Thursday. 

“(Golladay and Toney) are going to focus more on the rehab with the trainers,” said Head Coach Joe Judge. “We’re going to keep ramping up those guys as the week goes. They’re both on different levels in terms of their individual bodies, but while we’re here we’ll use the facilities that the Browns are allowing us to use. Our trainers will be here with them, Saquon as well will be in that boat. He won’t do anything competitive against the Browns, so we’re just going to focus on these guys getting in better shape, focus on getting healthy and getting back on the field and 100 percent.”

PRACTICE NOTES…
Some snippets from various media sources:

  • In 1-on-1 drills, TE Evan Engram badly beat LB Jacob Phillips. TE David Njoku beat S Jabrill Peppers and then S Xavier McKinney despite tight coverage.
  • QB Daniel Jones hit TE Evan Engram for a 15-20 yard gain during 11-on-11s.
  • Shane Lemieux returned to the starting line-up at left guard during team drills. He alternated series with Kenny Wiggins at the position.
  • WR Jarvis Landry beat S Logan Ryan and CB James Bradberry on a deep out.
  • QB Daniel Jones was under pressure twice from his left side. LT Andrew Thomas gave up a pressure and there was an overload to that side on another play, almost resulting in an interception.
  • TE Cole Hikutini was receiving reps with the second-team offense, but hobbled off of the field with an injury.
  • CB Rodarius Williams broke up a pass.
  • QB Mike Glennon threw a long pass to FB Eli Penny on a wheel route.
  • QB Mike Glennon’s pass intended for WR David Sills was badly overthrown and intercepted.
  • QB Daniel Jones threw three straight completions to WR Darius Slayton.
  • S Jabrill Peppers would have had one sack and two other QB hits if contact was allowed.
  • In 1-on-1 drills, OC Nick Gates, RT Matt Peart, and LT Andrew Thomas performed well.
  • CB Darnay Holmes had trouble covering WR Jarvis Landry out of the slot.
  • Outside linebackers Lorenzo Carter, Oshane Ximines, and Azeez Ojulari all flashed on the pass rush. In a real game situation, Carter may have ended up with multiple sacks.
  • On a play that would have resulted in a sack by OLB Trent Harris in normal conditions (Harris pulled up), WR Rashard Higgins caught a touchdown on a desperate pass from QB Baker Mayfield in the 2-minute drill.
  • CB Greg Newsome undercut WR Darius Slayton on a pass from QB Daniel Jones to end practice during the 2-minute drill on 3rd down. Jones was “sacked” on first down.

https://twitter.com/Giants/status/1428453968867364865

HEAD COACH JOE JUDGE…
The transcript of Joe Judge’s press conference on Thursday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available at Giants.com.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…

Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The Giants and Browns will practice together again on Friday in Berea, Ohio.

Aug 112021
 
Jabrill Peppers, Xavier McKinney, and Adoree' Jackson, New York Giants (July 29, 2021)

Jabrill Peppers, Xavier McKinney, and Adoree’ Jackson – © USA TODAY Sports

AUGUST 11, 2021 NEW YORK GIANTS TRAINING CAMP REPORT…
The New York Giants held their 13th full-team summer training camp practice on Wednesday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. This was the only practice of the summer open to the public.

GIANTS MAKE FIVE ROSTER MOVES…
The New York Giants have signed defensive linemen Willie Henry and Elijah Qualls. They have also waived defensive lineman R.J. McIntosh and linebacker Cale Garrett. The team also waived wide receiver Derrick Dillon off of Injured Reserve with an injury settlement.

The 27-year old, 6’3”, 300-pound Henry was originally drafted in the 4th round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens. He has spent time with the Ravens (2016-2019), San Francisco 49ers (2020), Houston Texans (2020-2021), and Philadelphia Eagles (2021). The Eagles cut him in late July 2021. Henry has played in 18 regular-season games (14 in 2017), with three starts (all in 2017).

The 26-year old, 6’1”, 321-pound Qualls was originally drafted in the 6th round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. He has spent time with the Eagles (2017-2018), Carolina Panthers (2018-2019), Baltimore Ravens (2019), and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2019). Qualls has only played in six regular-season games, all with the Eagles in 2017.

The Giants selected McIntosh in the 5th round of the 2018 NFL Draft. After missing most of his rookie season with unpublicized medical condition, McIntosh played in 12 games as a reserve in 2019, playing 10 percent of all defensive snaps, and finishing the year with 13 tackles and two sacks. In his third year with the Giants in 2020, McIntosh spent the entire season on the inactive list.

The Giants signed Garrett to a future/reserve contract in January 2021. The 6’3”, 230-pound Garrett was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Tennessee Titans after the 2020 NFL Draft. Garrett also spent time on the Practice Squad of the Minnesota Vikings.

The 5’11”, 185-pound Dillon was signed by the Giants as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2020 NFL Draft. He spent much of the season on the team’s Practice Squad, but was cut in early December. The Giants signed Dillon to a future/reserve contract in January 2021.

INJURY REPORT…
TE Kyle Rudolph (foot) and CB Aaron Robinson (core muscle) remain on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) List.

WR Kenny Golladay (hamstring), WR Kadarius Toney (“workload maintenance”), WR John Ross (hamstring?), WR Austin Mack (hamstring), RB Saquon Barkley (“workload maintenance”), RB Gary Brightwell (unknown), OC Jonotthan Harrison (unknown), LB Lorenzo Carter (calf), LB Ifeadi Odenigbo (unknown), LB Elerson Smith (hamstring), CB Sam Beal (unknown), CB Jarren Williams (unknown), and S Chris Milton (unknown) did not practice on Wednesday.

S Jabrill Peppers (dehydration) left practice early, but Head Coach Joe Judge said he was fine. OC Brett Heggie (unknown) also left early and did not return.

PRACTICE NOTES…
Some snippets from various media sources:

  • RB Devontae Booker fumbled on his first carry of team drills. He was booed and replaced by RB Corey Clement.
  • RB Alfred Morris was stuffed at the line twice behind the back-up offensive line.
  • When Kenny Wiggins came out briefly with an injury, he was replaced by Kyle Murphy at left guard.
  • TE Evan Engram dropped a pass over the middle in 7-on-7 drills and was booed.
  • QB Daniel Jones was 5-of-5 when directing passes at WR Sterling Shepard.
  • QB Daniel Jones hit TE Cole Hikutini for a touchdown in the red zone.
  • PK Ryan Santoso nailed two 50+ yard field goals, but missed one from about 58 yards.

HEAD COACH JOE JUDGE…
The transcript of Joe Judge’s press conference on Wednesday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available at Giants.com.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The New York Giants practice Thursday afternoon (1:00-2:15 PM). Head Coach Joe Judge and select players will also address the media.

Jul 282021
 
Jabrill Peppers, New York Giants (June 10, 2021)

Jabrill Peppers – © USA TODAY Sports

JULY 28, 2021 NEW YORK GIANTS TRAINING CAMP REPORT…
The New York Giants held their first full-team summer training camp practice on Wednesday at Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Practices are not open to the public this year.

“There’s a ramp-up period, so we really won’t be in pads until next Tuesday,” said Head Coach Joe Judge before the first practice. “So it’ll be helmets and shorts for the next couple of days, we’ll go into shells Friday and Saturday, shells the following Monday and then we’ll be in pads. We’ll be in pads as much as we can be, even when it’s not a live contact day. Just get used to wearing the equipment, moving around, getting our players used to being out there.”

GIANTS CUT KELVIN BENJAMIN…
The Giants have cut Kelvin Benjamin, who the team was converting from wide receiver to tight end. The Giants signed Benjamin as a tryout player during the team’s rookie mini-camp in May 2021. The 6’5”, 245-pound Benjamin was originally drafted in the 1st round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers. As a wide receiver, Benjamin has spent time with the Panthers (2014-2017), Buffalo Bills (2017-2018), and Kansas City Chiefs (2018).

INJURY REPORT…
The following players remain on various PUP and reserve lists:

  • Reserve/COVID-19 List: LB Blake Martinez, S Joshua Kalu, and TE Rysen John
  • Active/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) List: RB Saquon Barkley (knee), TE Kyle Rudolph (foot), RT Matt Peart (back), OC Jonotthan Harrison (hamstring), LB Oshane Ximines (hamstring), and CB Aaron Robinson (core muscle)
  • Reserve/Non-Football Injury (NFI) List: LB Reggie Ragland (hamstring) and LB Ryan Anderson (back)
  • Injured Reserve: RB Taquan Mizzell (hamstring)

RB Sandro Platzgummer, who was on the NFL List with a hamstring injury, passed his physical and practiced.

TE Rysen John was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 List today.

WR Kadarius Toney, who came off of the Reserve/COVID-19 List yesterday, worked with trainers on the sideline, but did not practice. “He’s going to ramp up with our trainers,” said Head Coach Joe Judge. “We’ll see where he is physically before we kind of bring him back completely.”

PRACTICE NOTES…
Some snippets from various media sources:

  • Devontae Booker and Corey Clement received the bulk of the work at running back.
  • QB Daniel Jones had some trouble connecting with his targets in red zone drills. He did connect with WR Darius Slayton on two red zone touchdowns as well as one each to WR Sterling Shepard and WR David Sills.
  • WRs Darius Slayton and Kenny Golladay made some nice catches.
  • QB Mike Glennon threw a touchdown pass to WR C.J. Board.
  • CB Adoree’ Jackson, DB Julian Love, and S Logan Ryan were active defending passes. CB Madre Harper picked off a pass. S Xavier McKinney also broke up an end zone pass intended for WR Kenny Golladay.
  • WR John Ross impressed on special teams with his speed (both returning and in coverage).
  • QB Daniel Jones and WR Kenny Golladay stayed after practice to work on end zone fade routes under the guidance of Offensive Coordinator Jason Garrett.

HEAD COACH JOE JUDGE…
The transcript of Joe Judge’s press conference on Wednesday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available at Giants.com.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and at Giants.com:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The New York Giants practice Thursday morning (9:30-11:30AM). Head Coach Joe Judge and select players will address the media.