Giants Sign B.J. Daniels, Kadron Boone, & Donte Foster

 Posted by
May 092016
 
B.J. Daniels, Seattle Seahawks (September 3, 2015)

B.J. Daniels – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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GIANTS SIGN B.J. DANIELS, KARDON BOONE, AND DONTE FOSTER…
The New York Giants have signed quarterback B.J. Daniels, wide receiver Kadron Boone, and wide receiver Donte Foster after the veteran tryouts impressed at last week’s rookie mini-camp. The team also confirmed that it has signed rookie free agent defensive end Ishaq Williams. However, the team did not announce the signing of cornerback Matt Smalley, which had previously been unofficially reported.

Daniels was originally drafted in the 7th round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. He has spent time with the 49ers (2013), Seattle Seahawks (2013-15), and Houston Texans (2015). Daniels has been on the game-day roster for eight contests, completing just one pass for seven yards and rushing six times for six yards. Daniels is a short (5’11”), well-built, strong-armed quarterback with very good overall athleticism, speed, and elusiveness. He rushed for 2,068 yards and 25 touchdowns as a read-option quarterback in college at South Florida. The Seahawks actually moved him to wide receiver in 2015. He’s a good enough athlete to even play some running back, safety, and kick returner. Daniels’ lack of height hurts him as a quarterback. He also needs to improve his overall accuracy as a drop-back quarterback. Daniels is a hard worker and takes the game seriously.

Boone was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Philadelphia Eagles after the 2014 NFL Draft. The Eagles cut him in August and he then spent time on the Practice Squads of the St. Louis Rams and Indianapolis Colts. Boone is an average-sized receiver with good speed, agility, and hands. He runs good routes and is competitive.

Foster was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Minnesota Vikings after the 2014 NFL Draft. He spent time on the Practices Squads of the Vikings (2014 and 2015), San Diego Chargers (2015), and Dallas Cowboys (2015). The Cowboys waived him in March. Foster is an average-sized receiver with good speed, quickness, and leaping ability. He has excellent hands. Raw, Foster needs to improve his route running and physicality. Smart and hard working.

GIANTS WAIVE FOUR PLAYERS…
The New York Giants have waived/injured wide receiver Ben Edwards and waived linebacker James Morris, quarterback Josh Woodrum, and tight end Cedrick Lang.

The Giants originally signed Edwards after the 2015 NFL Draft, but waived/injured him in July after he pulled his hamstring during the June mini-camp. The Giants re-signed him to the Practice Squad in November and the 53-man roster in December. He played in the final two games and finished the season with one catch for nine yards.

Morris was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the New England Patriots after the 2014 NFL Draft. The Patriots waived him in September 2015. Morris spent two stints each on the Giants’ Practice Squad and 53-man roster in 2015. He played in six games, primarily on special teams, before being placed on Injured Reserve in December 2015 with a quad injury.

The Giants signed Woodrum and Lang as undrafted rookie free agents after the 2016 NFL Draft last week.

ARTICLES…

Giants Sign Matt LaCosse and Brad Bars to 53-Man Roster

 Posted by
Dec 252015
 
Markus Kuhn, New York Giants (December 28, 2014)

Markus Kuhn – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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GIANTS SIGN MATT LACOSSE AND BRAD BARS TO 53-MAN ROSTER…
The New York Giants have placed defensive tackle Markus Kuhn (knee) and linebacker James Morris (quad) on season-ending Injured Reserve. To fill those roster vacancies on the 53-man roster, the Giants have signed tight end Matt LaCosse and defensive end Brad Bars from the team’s Practice Squad. The Giants now have 17 players on season-ending Injured Reserve.

LaCosse was originally signed by the Giants as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2015 NFL Draft. The Giants waived/injured him in early August with a hamstring injury. He then spent some time with the Jets before being waived before the season started. The Giants signed him to the Practice Squad in November. LaCosse is a versatile player who has played tight end, H-Back, and fullback. LaCosse has a good frame, but needs to add bulk and get stronger. He does not get much movement as a blocker, but he works at it. LaCosse has good speed and catches the football well.

Bars was signed as a rookie free agent by the Giants in August 2015 and signed to the Practice Squad in September. Bars missed the entire 2013 season at Penn State after tearing his Achilles’ tendon. He played in all 13 games in 2014 but was only credited with 10 tackles. Bars lacks ideal size for the position, but he is a decent athlete who plays hard.

NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
LB Devon Kennard (foot) and S Cooper Taylor (concussion) have officially been ruled out of Sunday night’s game against the Minnesota Vikings.

WR Dwayne Harris (shoulder) is “questionable” for the game.

LT Ereck Flowers (illness), RB Orleans Darkwa (illness) and DE George Selvie (concussion) are “probable” for the game.

GIANTS.COM Q&A WITH TOM COUGHLIN…
The transcript of a Giants.com Q&A session with Head Coach Tom Coughlin is available at Giants.com.

ARTICLES…

New York Jets 23 – New York Giants 20 (Overtime)

 Posted by
Dec 062015
 
Josh Brown, New York Giants (December 6, 2015)

Josh Brown Misses Game-Tying Kick in OT – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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NEW YORK JETS 23 – NEW YORK GIANTS 20 (OT)…
In pattern far too commonplace this season, the New York Giants lost a heart-breaker, 23-20 in overtime, to the New York Jets on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium. Once again, there was a questionable late-game coaching decision and the team surrendered another double-digit 4th quarter lead. The Giants had a chance to tie the game in overtime but place kicker Josh Brown, who had been perfect all season on field goal attempts, missed from 48 yards out.

With the defeat, the Giants fell to 5-7 overall. It was the fifth time this season the Giants have lost a game in the final two minutes – tying a single-season NFL record.

Statistically, the Jets out-gained the Giants in first downs (28 to 14), total net yards (463 to 355), net yards rushing (90 to 74), net yards passing (373 to 281), and time of possession (38:31 to 29:56). The Giants were 0-for-3 in red zone opportunities  and 4-of-15 (27 percent) on third down opportunities.

Dwayne Harris, New York Giants (December 6, 2015)

Dwayne Harris – © USA TODAY Sports Images

After both teams went three-and-out and exchanged punts on their first possessions, the Jets went up 3-0 after an 11-play, 78-yard drive that set up a 24-yard field goal. Both teams then gained one first down before having to punt. The Giants went ahead 7-3 when wide receiver/returner Dwayne Harris returned a punt 80 yards for a touchdown.

The Jets and Giants exchanged punts again. The Giants got the ball back when linebacker Jasper Brinkley forced a fumble that defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul recovered. Despite beginning the possession at the Jets’ 10-yard line, the Giants were forced to settle for a 20-yard field goal by Brown to go up 10-3. Running back Andre Williams was stuffed for a 1-yard loss on 3rd-and-goal from the 1-yard line.

Odell Beckham, New York Giants (December 6, 2015)

Odell Beckham – © USA TODAY Sports Images

The Jets then proceeded to tie the game by driving 79 yards in nine plays, with quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick hitting running back Bilal Powell for a 25-yard catch-and-run touchdown on 3rd-and-15. However, the Giants regained the lead on the third snap of their ensuing possession when wide receiver Odell Beckham sprinted for a 72-yard touchdown pass on 3rd-and-2. Giants were now up 17-10.

The Giants’ defense forced three-and-out with 1:42 left in the half. The Giants were able gain 50 yards in six pays, primarily on tight end Will Tye’s 45-yard catch-and-run, to set up a successful 35-yard field goal with 30 seconds left.

At the half, the Giants led 20-10.

Neither team scored in the 3rd quarter. After both teams punted, the Giants began a marathon, 17-play drive that continued midway into the 4th quarter and took an astounding 11 minutes and 21 seconds off of the clock. The turning point in the game came at this moment. Facing a 4th-and-2 from the Jets’ 4-yard line with 8:50 left in the game, Head Coach Tom Coughlin decided to go for it instead of attempting a short field goal that would have put the Giants up by 13 points. Manning’s pass intended for wide receiver Rueben Randle was intercepted and returned to the Jets’ 14-yard line.

The Jets then proceeded to cut the score to 20-13 by driving 80 yards in 12 plays to set up a 24-yard field goal with 4:24 left to play. Needing to run some time off of the clock, the Giants could not and were forced to punt after a three-and-out.

The Jets started their final drive in regulation at their own 29-yard line with 2:40 left to play. Just like the other five late-game collapses, the defense could not hold. The Jets drove 71 yards in 10 plays to tie the game 20-20. On this drive, the Jets converted on 4th-and-6 when Fitzpatrick scrambled for 15 yards. The game-tying touchdown was a 9-yard pass from to wide receiver Brandon Marshall with 27 seconds left.

The Jets won the toss in overtime and drove 61 yards in 13 plays to set up what would be the game-winning 31-yard field goal. Per the new overtime rules, the Giants were given one opportunity to tie or win the game. After a 43-yard kickoff return by Harris, the Giants could only pick up one first down on a 4th-and-6 pass to Beckham that gave the Giants the ball at the Jets’ 34-yard line. But the Giants could only gain four more yards before Brown’s 48-yard game-tying field goal attempt. That kick went wide left.

Offensively, Manning finished the game 18-of-34 for 297 yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. Beckham caught 6 passes for 149 yards and 1 touchdown. No other receiver caught more than three passes and no running back rushed for more than 23 yards.

Defensively, while the Giants accrued 3 sacks and 9 quarterback hits, Fitzpatrick completed 36-of-50 passes for 390 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Both wide receiver Brandon Marshall (12 catches for 131 yards) and Eric Decker (8 catches for 101 yards) had over 100 yards receiving. Powell also caught 8 passes for 91 yards at running back for the Jets.

Video highlights/lowlights are available at Giants.com.

INJURY REPORT…
Left tackle Ereck Flowers was carted off of the field with a left ankle injury in the 3rd quarter and did not return. He was spotted in a boot and on crutches after the game.

Quarterback Eli Manning had x-rays after the game on an undisclosed body part but claimed he was OK. “Everything’s good,” said Manning. “Just to see if anything was broken, but all good. You can ask Coach about it.”

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

POST-GAME NOTES…
Inactive for the Giants were TE Larry Donnell (neck), RT Marshall Newhouse (back), LB Devon Kennard (hamstring/foot), S Brandon Meriweather (knee), DE George Selvie, WR Geremy Davis, and OT Emmett Cleary.

Rookie Bobby Hart started at right tackle.

Six of the New York Giants’ seven losses have been by a total of 18 points.

This was the third time this season the Giants led by at least 10 points in the fourth quarter and were unable to close out their opponent.

Quarterback Eli Manning increased his career yardage total to 43,073. That moved him past Hall of Famer Dan Fouts and into 11th place on the NFL’s career list.

Wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. had his fifth consecutive game with at least 100 receiving yards. He is the first Giants receiver in history to do that in a single season. Beckham has 169 career receptions, the highest total in history by an NFL player in his first two seasons. Beckham has scored 10 touchdowns for the second consecutive season.

Wide receiver/returner Dwayne Harris is the third player in Giants’ history with kickoff and punt return touchdowns in the same season, and the first to do it in 60 years.

JAMES MORRIS PROMOTED TO 53-MAN ROSTER, LEON McFADDEN CUT…
On Saturday, the New York Giants signed linebacker James Morris to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad. To make room for Morris, the team waived cornerback Leon McFadden.

ARTICLES…

James Morris Re-Signed to Practice Squad; Beckham on Radio

 Posted by
Nov 212015
 
Odell Beckham, New York Giants (October 11, 2015)

Odell Beckham – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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JAMES MORRIS RE-SIGNED TO PRACTICE SQUAD…
The New York Giants have signed linebacker James Morris to the Practice Squad. The Giants had previously signed Morris the Practice Squad in September, signed him to the 53-man roster in October, and waived him on November 17th. Morris was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the New England Patriots after the 2014 NFL Draft. The Patriots waived him in September.

GIANTS.COM INSIDER WITH CRAIG JOHNSON…
Video of a Giants.com “insider” interview with Running Backs Coach Craig Johnson is available at Giants.com.

ODELL BECKHAM ON ESPN RADIO…
The audio of wide receiver Odell Beckham’s ESPN Radio interview on Thursday is available at ESPN.com.

ARTICLES…

New York Giants Sign Hakeem Nicks, Place Victor Cruz on IR

 Posted by
Nov 172015
 
Eli Manning, Hakeem Nicks, New York Giants (November 17, 2013)

Eli Manning and Hakeem Nicks – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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GIANTS SIGN HAKEEM NICKS, PLACE VICTOR CRUZ ON IR…
The New York Giants have officially placed wide receiver Victor Cruz on season-ending Injured Reserve due to his calf injury that will require surgery. To fill that roster spot, the team has signed wide receiver Hakeem Nicks.

Nicks was originally drafted by the Giants in the 1st round of the 2009 NFL Draft. His two best pro seasons came in 2010 and 2011 when he compiled 155 catches for 2,244 yards and 18 touchdowns in 28 regular-season games. However, after two disappointing seasons in 2012 and 2013 where Nicks’ production fell to 109 passes for 1,588 yards and three touchdowns in 28 regular-season games, Nicks departed in free agency for the Indianapolis Colts. Nicks’ production in Indianapolis was disappointing as he caught 38 passes for 405 yards and four touchdowns. He tried to catch on with the Tennessee Titans in training camp this year but did not make the team.

Nicks’ demise has largely been attributed to injuries. Nicks has never fully completed a 16-game season with the Giants. He suffered from compartment syndrome in 2010. In 2012, he broke his right foot during non-contact OTA drills in May and then injured his knee (PCL) in Week 2 in September. Both injuries required surgery, the foot before the season and the knee after the season.

“This is home,” Nicks said. “You know what they say, ‘Let a dog roam, he’ll find his way home.’ They left the backdoor open for me. I’m happy to be here, happy to be back in the building. I feel great, I feel hungry. I’m ready to get on that field and make some plays.”

Nicks now has to learn a totally new offensive system under Offensive Coordinator Ben McAdoo. “It’s not a bye week for me,” said Nicks. “I’ve got to make sure I’m getting these plays down, so I can be ready to go come game time. It’s just going to take some studying, hard work and determination. I’ve got plenty of that.

“I told myself, ‘Just be patient, man, there’s a lot of football left. I knew I could help a lot of teams. I knew once November, December football came around I was going to be getting a phone call. I wanted it to be from here and it happened like this. I’m just ecstatic and happy that I’m back in the building.

“This is where I really wanted to be. I would have settled and played wherever, but my heart was here. My heart has always been here, ever since I left. That’s why I kept my place here. I feel like I’m just stepping right back into position.

“It can’t get any better, man. I’m looking forward to it, I’m fired up about it. When you do something since you were 10 years old and there comes a time when you’ve got to sit for a while, you’re not used it and that’s something you have to overcome. I think just taking it all into consideration, being back here where I was drafted in 2009, being back home, this is the way it was supposed to be.”

A Giants.com “Insider” video interview is available at Giants.com.

GIANTS CUT JAMES MORRIS AND JULIAN TALLEY…
The New York Giants have waived linebacker James Morris from the 53-man roster. The team also terminated the Practice Squad contract of wide receiver Julian Talley. The Giants now have one opening on the 53-man roster and three on the Practice Squad.

The Giants signed Morris to the Practice Squad in September 2015 and the 53-man roster in October 2015. Morris was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the New England Patriots after the 2014 NFL Draft.

The Giants signed Talley to the Practice Squad in September 2015, released him, and then re-signed him to the Practice Squad in October 2015. Talley was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Giants after the 2012 NFL Draft. Talley spent most of the 2013 and 2014 seasons on the team’s Practice Squad, although he did play in two games each season.

GIANTS-PATRIOTS: SIGHTS AND SOUNDS…
A sights and sounds video from the Giants’ 27-26 loss to the New England Patriots is now available at Giants.com.

ARTICLES…

Giants Sign Linebacker James Morris From Practice Squad

 Posted by
Oct 312015
 


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GIANTS SIGN LB JAMES MORRIS FROM PRACTICE SQUAD…
The New York Giants have signed linebacker James Morris to the 53-man roster from the team’s Practice Squad. To make room for Morris, the Giants waived cornerback Brandon McGee.

The Giants signed Morris to the Practice Squad on September 16. Morris was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the New England Patriots after the 2014 NFL Draft. The Patriots placed him on Injured Reserve in August 2014 after tearing an ACL in the final preseason game against the Giants.

The Giants signed McGee to the Practice Squad on October 15 and to the 53-man roster on October 18. McGee was originally drafted in the 5th round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams.

The Giants are short at linebacker this week with J.T. Thomas (ankle) out and Jon Beason (ankle/knee) questionable for the game against the Saints. Beason did make the trip to New Orleans.

ARTICLES…

Victor Cruz and Jon Beason Still Not Practicing; Giants $14 Million Under Cap

 Posted by
Sep 162015
 


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INJURY REPORT…
Not practicing on Wednesday due to injuries were WR Victor Cruz (calf), TE Daniel Fells (foot), LT Will Beatty (pectoral – on PUP), DE Owamagbe Odighizuwa (foot), DT Markus Kuhn (knee), and LB Jon Beason (knee).

LT Ereck Flowers (ankle) and LB Uani’ Unga (knee) practiced on a limited basis.

ELI MANNING CONTRACT DETAILS…
The New York Daily News provided the following summary on quarterback Eli Manning’s contract extension.

  • Total contract (last year plus 4-year extension): 5 years, $101.5 million
  • Signing Bonus: $31 million
  • Guaranteed Money: $65 million
  • 2015: $5.5 million salary, $500,000 workout bonus, total cap number $14.45 million
  • 2016: $17.5 million salary, $500,000 workout bonus, total cap number $24.2 million
  • 2017: $13 million salary, $500,000 workout bonus, total cap number $19.7 million
  • 2018: $10.5 million salary, $5 million roster bonus, $500,000 workout bonus, total cap number $22.2 million
  • 2019: $11.5 million salary, $5 million roster bonus, $500,000 workout bonus, total cap number $23.2 million

The new contract provides the Giants with $5.25 million in cap savings against the 2015 salary cap. Right now, including DE Jason Pierre-Paul’s Franchise tender, the Giants are $14,127,537 under the cap. They will gain an additional $871,352 for each week Pierre-Paul does not play. Any unspent money can be rolled over to next year’s cap.

PRACTICE SQUAD MOVES…
The New York Giants have signed guard Vinston Painter, linebacker James Morris, and cornerback Tramain Jacobs to the Practice Squad.

Painter was originally drafted in the 6th round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos. He spent the 2013 regular season on Denver’s Practice Squad and was added to the Practice Squad again in 2014. The Cleveland Browns signed Painter to their active roster in September 2014, but he was only active for three games. The Brown waived him in September 2015. Painter converted to offensive line from defensive tackle and only started one season in college. He has a nice combination of size and athletic ability, but he is still learning the game. Right now, he looks better than he plays.

Morris was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the New England Patriots after the 2014 NFL Draft. The Patriots placed him on Injured Reserve in August 2014 after tearing an ACL in the final preseason game against the Giants. Morris lacks ideal size and overall athleticism, but he is instinctive, tough, hard working, and competitive.

Jacobs was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Baltimore Ravens after the 2014 NFL Draft. He played in three games as rookie after spending nine weeks on Baltimore’s Practice Squad. Jacobs finished the season on Injured Reserve with a thigh injury. The Ravens waived him in August 2015. Jacobs is an average-sized corner with good speed and quickness. He is also instinctive and competitive.

The team has also terminated the Practice Squad contracts of quarterback G.J. Kinne, linebacker Gerald Rivers, and safety C.J.  Conway.

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

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

ARTICLES…

GIANTS-COWBOYS: SIGHTS AND SOUNDS…
A sights and sounds video from the Giants’ 27-26 loss to the Dallas Cowboys is now available at Giants.com.

NOTES…
QB Eli Manning started his 168th consecutive regular-season game in Dallas. DT Johnathan Hankins has the team’s second-longest starting streak at 17 games.

Manning’s 193 passing yards in Dallas increased his career total to 39,948. He needs 52 yards against Atlanta on Sunday to become the 15th quarterback in NFL history with at least 40,000 passing yards.

Manning threw neither a touchdown pass nor an interception vs. the Cowboys. That’s just the eighth time that’s happened in his 168 starts. The Giants are 4-4 in those games. It was the 29th time he didn’t throw a touchdown pass. The Giants are 9-20 when Manning does not throw for a score.

When Sam Bradford lined up under center for Philadelphia last night, he became the 29th different quarterback to start for the other three NFC East teams since Manning’s starting debut on Nov. 21, 2004. The Eagles lead the pack with 11 quarterbacks, followed by Washington (10) and Dallas (9). Donovan McNabb started for both Philadelphia and Washington. He counts in each team’s total, but just once in the division total.

Left tackle Ereck Flowers and safety Landon Collins, the Giants’ first two selections in this year’s NFL Draft, each started in Dallas. It was the first time the Giants’ first and second-round draft choices started the season opener as rookies since Aug. 31, 1997, when wide receiver Ike Hilliard (first round) and running back Tiki Barber (second) started in a victory over Philadelphia.

The Cowboys scored the game-winning points on an 11-yard pass from Tony Romo to Jason Witten with seven seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it is the first time a Giants opponent scored a go-ahead, game-winning touchdown with seven or fewer seconds remaining in the Super Bowl era (now in its 50th season).

The Giants had not lost a game with a turnover differential of plus-3 or better since Nov. 29, 1987 at Washington, where four takeaways and just one turnover couldn’t prevent a 23-19 defeat.

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The Giants practice on Thursday and hold physical recovery cycles on Friday in advance of Sunday’s home opener against the Atlanta Falcons.