May 052016
 
Jerome Cunningham, New York Giants (November 15, 2015)

Jerome Cunningham – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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GIANTS CUT JEROME CUNNINGHAM AND G.J. KINNE…
The New York Giants have waived tight end Jerome Cunningham and quarterback/safety G.J. Kinne.

The Giants signed Kinne to the Practice Squad in September 2015. Kinne was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the New York Jets after the 2012 NFL Draft. Since then, he has spent time with the Jets (2012), UFL – Omaha Nighthawks (2012), AFL – Antonio Talons (2013), and Philadelphia Eagles (2013-15). After spending two years on Philadelphia’s Practice Squad in 2013-14, the Eagles converted him from quarterback to wide receiver and running back. The Giants used him at safety in practice at times in 2015.

Cunningham spent the first five weeks of the 2015 season on the 53-man roster, was waived and signed to the Practice Squad in October, and then re-signed to the 53-man roster in early November. In all, Cunningham played in nine games with three starts, catching eight passes for 59 yards. Cunningham played college football at Southern Connecticut State University from 2009-2012, but remained unsigned until the Giants signed him in August 2014.

ARTICLES…

Mar 042016
 
Will Tye, New York Giants (January 3, 2016)

Will Tye – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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GIANTS TENDER SEVEN EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS…
The New York Daily News is reporting that the New York Giants have tendered seven of the eight players on their roster who were eligible to be tendered as exclusive rights free agents. The players tendered cannot sign with any team other than the Giants, thus guaranteeing their return unless the tender is revoked. The seven players are:

  • RB Orleans Darkwa
  • WR Myles White
  • TE Will Tye
  • TE Jerome Cunningham
  • OG Adam Gettis
  • S Bennett Jackson
  • P Brad Wing

The player not tendered was wide receiver Marcus Harris. Scouting reports on these players are available in the Scouting Reports section of the website.

VICTOR CRUZ STARTS RUNNING…
New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz revealed on Thursday that he has begun running as part of his rehab process recovering from calf surgery. Cruz did not play in any preseason or regular-season games in 2015. Cruz was placed on Injured Reserve in November 2015 due to a left calf injury suffered in August that never healed and required surgery. It is the third leg injury that Cruz has suffered since signing his big 6-year contract in July 2013, including arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in 2013 and career-threatening patellar tendon surgery on his right knee in 2014.

“I’ve been making a lot of progress,” Cruz said in a BleacherReport.com video. “The calf is feeling really, really good. I’m excited about the progress, I’m excited for what’s to come… I have a long journey ahead of me. I’m pretty much starting from scratch, building my legs up from scratch, which is what I want to do. Making sure they’re stronger than they were and they stay that way. No more setbacks.”

Cruz is currently set to count $9.9 million against the team’s 2016 NFL cap, the second most by a player after quarterback Eli Manning. It has been speculated that if Cruz does not accept a pay cut, he may be released from the Giants. Cruz recently said that he believed there was an “80 percent” chance he would return to Giants.

“I really feel like it’s paying dividends. The strength in my calf is starting to come back,” said Cruz. “Everything’s starting to come around. I’m excited to go out there with my teammates again. I’m excited to see Odell and those guys, I’m excited to play again. But I know I have a long journey ahead of me. I have some significant gains to make in terms of where I’m at with my calf, and things like that. I’m excited.”

ARTICLES…

Nov 072015
 
Jason Pierre-Paul, New York Giants (February 5, 2012)

Jason Pierre-Paul – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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JASON PIERRE-PAUL TO 53-MAN ROSTER; JON BEASON TO IR…
As anticipated, the New York Giants have lifted the two-week roster exemption on defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul and added him to the 53-man roster. Pierre-Paul is now expected to play on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“My confidence is high and can’t nobody tell me different,” Pierre-Paul told ESPN. “Let me tell you, when guys say they know what pain is…I feel like nobody in here knows what real pain is like. I know what it feels like. Even if I get a nick here or there, my mindset is different about overcoming things because I’m just so happy to be playing…I’m going to be the same JPP that can run to the quarterback out there and make everybody around me better. I’m starting to do that already.”

To make room for Pierre-Paul, the Giants also unexpectedly placed linebacker Jon Beason on season-ending Injured Reserve. Beason had been dealing with ankle and knee injuries. Beason missed the first two games of the season with a knee issue, played in Weeks 3-7, before missing last week’s game against the Saints. Beason has been unable to play more than five games in four of his last five seasons with the Carolina Panthers and Giants due to various injuries.

The Giants traded a 2014 7th round draft pick to the Panthers for Beason in October 2013. New York re-signed him to a 3-year, $16.8 million contract in the 2014 offseason. He accepted a pay cut in March 2015. Beason currently has one year left ($2.8 million salary, $6.6 million cap hit) on his current contract, but his New York Giants career may be over. The Giants would save $5.1 million against the 2016 salary cap if they cut the injury-prone player after the season with $1,466,668 in dead money.

The Giants also signed cornerback Tramain Jacobs to the 53-man roster from the team’s Practice Squad. The move was necessary because cornerback Leon McFadden (groin) was downgraded from “questionable” to “out” for Sunday’s game. To make room for Jacobs, the Giants waived defensive tackle Louix Nix.

The Giants signed Jacobs to the Practice Squad in September 2015. 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.

Nix was signed by the Giants after he was waived by the Houston Texans in September 2015. Nix was originally drafted in the 3rd round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Texans.

ARTICLES…

Nov 052015
 

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JEROME CUNNINGHAM TO 53-MAN ROSTER…
The New York Giants have signed tight end Jerome Cunningham to the 53-man roster from the team’s Practice Squad. Tight end Larry Donnell suffered a neck injury in last Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints and has not practiced this week.

Cunningham spent the first five weeks of the 2015 on the 53-man roster, but only played in Week 2 against the Atlanta Falcons. He was waived and signed to the Practice Squad in October.

OWAMAGBE ODIGHIZUWA TO SHORT-TERM IR…
The New York Giants have placed rookie defensive end Owamagbe Odighizuwa on the Reserve/Designated-for-Return List (short-term IR) due to his hamstring injury. The earliest Odighizuwa can return to the 53-man is the regular-season finale against the Philadelphia Eagles on January 3rd. Odighizuwa missed the first three games of the season due to a foot injury, was on the active roster for four games, but missed Saints game with the hamstring injury.

“Disappointed in the fact that we didn’t get to consistently work with him,” said Head Coach Tom Coughlin. “The missed time definitely affects the young player, without a doubt, especially in that position. He needs more work…He’ll be with us, he’ll be right here, he’ll be in the meeting rooms, he’ll be on the field with the trainers trying to get himself to the position where he eventually can go again. But being around it is the thing that’s important right now.”

GIANTS SIGN CB DAX SWANSON TO THE PRACTICE SQUAD…
The New York Giants have signed cornerback Dax Swanson to the Practice Squad. 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. Swanson is an instinctive, average-sized corner with good overall athleticism.

NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
WR Victor Cruz (calf), TE Larry Donnell (neck), LB Jon Beason (ankle/knee), LB J.T. Thomas (ankle), and CB Leon McFadden (groin) did not practice on Thursday.

“Started running today, even if it was just a light jog picking up some speed,” said Cruz. “The calf feels good and it’s all about how it feels running and going full speed because I haven’t tested it in that regard yet. But as of right now, it feels good, there’s no adverse pain, there’s nothing after today. Everything feels great…The MRI’s are clean, the MRI’s look good.”

As for his potential return to the playing field, Cruz said, “If I had to pick a time, and after the bye (Week 11) obviously looks like a promising date, but obviously the doctors haven’t told me that, no one said that to me. We’re just, like I said, taking it one day at a time…I don’t want to come back unless I’m 100 percent.”

RB Orleans Darkwa (back), WR Rueben Randle (hamstring), RG Geoff Schwartz (ankle), LB Uani ‘Unga (neck), CB Prince Amukamara (pectoral), and S Craig Dahl (neck) practiced on a limited basis.

“Prince worked well (on Wednesday),” said Head Coach Tom Coughlin before Thursday’s practice. “The idea, of course, is to get him going and get him in position where he’s maneuvering as a defensive back will maneuver so when he does get the green light he can go.”

OT Will Beatty (pectoral – PUP) and DE Jason Pierre-Paul (hand – roster exemption) continued to work on an undisclosed basis.

“(Beatty is) getting a lot of work in, really on both sides, whether it’s our offense or the look team and making some progress there, making some progress in individuals,” said Offensive Coordinator Ben McAdoo. “Good to see him out there moving around a little bit and we’ll see what happens this week.”

“(Pierre-Paul) practiced well (on Wednesday),” said Coughlin before Thursday’s practice. “This will be nice to have two days in a row. He got a lot of work on both sides, he played at end for the defensive unit and he also played some scout team. So we’re looking forward to extending that today.”

TOM COUGHLIN AND THE COORDINATORS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following coaches are available in The Corner Forum and 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:

The audio of Thursday’s ESPN Radio interview with WR Odell Beckham is available at ESPN.com.

ARTICLES

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
Instead of practicing, the Giants will hold a “recovery day” on Friday. The players will select two of six recovery stations, based on seniority. Their choices are massage, yoga, FMS (Functional Movement Screen) exercises designed for the individual, air compression boots, contrast bath (between a hot and cold tub), and self-massage with stick rollers and elastic bands.

The Giants will also have a 45-minute, up-tempo “walk-thru” practice on Saturday that is not open to the media. The Giants play the Buccaneers in Tampa on Sunday.

Oct 212015
 


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GIANTS SIGN CB LEON McFADDEN…
The New York Giants have signed cornerback Leon McFadden off of the Practice Squad of the Arizona Cardinals. The roster moves fills the vacancy on the 53-man roster created when the team waived safety Cooper Taylor on Tuesday.

McFadden was originally drafted in the 3rd round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. He played in all 16 games as a rookie with two starts. The Browns waived him in August 2014. Since then, he has spent time with the Jets, 49ers, and Cardinals. McFadden played in seven games with no starts for the 49ers in 2014. The 49ers waived him in September 2015. McFadden is an average-sized corner (5’10”, 190 pounds) with good quickness.

PRACTICE SQUAD MOVES…
The New York Giants have re-signed tight end Jerome Cunningham and offensive guard Adam Gettis to the Practice Squad. The Giants also terminated the Practice Squad contract of offensive tackle Xavier Proctor. The other Practice Squad vacancy was created when the Giants signed cornerback Brandon McGee from the Practice Squad to the 53-man roster on Sunday.

The Giants waived Cunningham from the 53-man roster on Sunday in order to make room for McGhee. Gettis was released from the Practice Squad last Thursday to make room for Proctor.

INJURY REPORT – AMUKAMARA RULED OUT AGAIN…
WR Odell Beckham (hamstring), WR Victor Cruz (calf), CB Prince Amukamara (pectoral), CB Trumaine McBride (groin), and CB Trevin Wade (concussion) did not practice on Wednesday.

Amukamara has already been ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys.

WR Rueben Randle (hamstring), DE Robert Ayers (hamstring), LB Devon Kennard (hamstring), LB Uani ‘Unga (neck), and LB Jonathan Casillas (neck) practiced on a limited basis.

OT Will Beatty (pectoral) returned to practice on a limited basis, performing in individual drills, but remains on the Reserve/Physically-Unable-to-Perform (PUP) List. Since he has now returned to the practice field, the Giants can keep him on that list for only three more weeks.

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

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

Back where I'm supposed to be. Thanks for all the love and support everyone.

A video posted by Daniel Fells (@danielfells85) on

Oct 182015
 
Jerome Cunningham and Bennett Jackson, New York Giants (July 31, 2015)

Jerome Cunningham and Bennett Jackson – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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JEROME CUNNINGHAM WAIVED, BRANDON McGEE PROMOTED…
Because of injury issues at cornerback, the New York Giants have signed cornerback Brandon McGee to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad. To make room for McGee, the Giants waived tight end Jerome Cunningham.

The Giants are short-handed at cornerback due to injuries to Prince Amukamara (pectoral) and Trumane McBride (groin/illness). Amukamara has already been ruled out of the game on Monday night against the Philadelphia Eagles and McBride is questionable. The only other corners on the roster are Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Jayron Hosley, and Trevin Wade.

The Giants signed McGhee to the Practice Squad on October 15. McGee was originally drafted in the 5th round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams. He played in 15 games in 2013 and two games in 2014 with no starts, accruing 18 tackles. He missed most of 2014 with a foot injury. In 2015, the Rams waived him in September, signed him to the Practice Squad and then the 53-man roster, and then waived him in October. McGee combines decent size with very good speed and quickness.

Cunningham has been with the Giants since August 2014. Troubled by a knee injury, he only played in one game this year, against the Falcons in Week 2.

ODELL BECKHAM AND OTHER “QUESTIONABLE” GIANTS MAKE TRIP…
The only New York Giants to not make the trip to Philadelphia were the ones already ruled out of the game: wide receiver Victor Cruz (calf), linebacker Devon Kennard (hamstring), and cornerback Prince Amukamara (pectoral).

The five “questionable” Giants all made the trip, including wide receiver Odell Beckham (hamstring), defensive end Robert Ayers (hamstring), linebacker Jon Beason (concussion), linebacker Jonathan Casillas (calf), and cornerback Trumaine McBride (groin/illness).

Wide receiver Rueben Randle (hamstring), left guard Justin Pugh (ankle), and defensive George Selvie (calf) are “probable” for the game and also made the trip.

JASON PIERRE-PAUL TO VISIT GIANTS AGAIN…
According to multiple press reports, defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul will visit the Giants soon, possibly as early as Tuesday. This would be the second meeting between Pierre-Paul and the team since he maimed himself in a July 4th fireworks accident. Pierre-Paul met with the Giants in early September but the team determined he was not physically able to return to the football field at that time.

The New York Daily News is reporting that some within the Giants organization do not believe Pierre-Paul will be able to play football in 2015 given the extent of damage to his injured right hand.

Designated a $14.813 million Franchise Player by the Giants before free agency began, Pierre-Paul has lost approximately $871,000 for every week he has not played. If he does not re-sign with the Giants by 4:00PM on November 17, he cannot play football in 2015.

ARTICLES…

Sep 232015
 
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, New York Giants (August 14, 2015)

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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INJURY REPORT…
In addition to LT Will Beatty (pectoral – on PUP), the New York Giants have ruled the following players out of the game against the Washington Redskins on Thursday night:

  • WR Victor Cruz (calf)
  • TE Jerome Cunningham (knee)
  • DE Owamagbe Odighizuwa (foot)
  • DT Markus Kuhn (knee)
  • CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (concussion)

LT Ereck Flowers (ankle) is doubtful for the game while DE Robert Ayers (hamstring) is questionable.

TE Daniel Fells (foot), RG Geoff Schwartz (illness), DE/DT Cullen Jenkins (hamstring), DT Jay Bromley (knee), and LB Jon Beason (knee) are probable.

ARTICLES

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The 0-2 New York Giants will face the 1-1 Washington Redskins on Thursday night at MetLife Stadium.

Aug 022015
 
Geremy Davis and Jayron Hosley, New York Giants (July 31, 2015)

Geremy Davis and Jayron Hosley – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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AUGUST 1, 2015 NEW YORK GIANTS TRAINING CAMP REPORT…
The New York Giants held their second summer training camp practice on Saturday at Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The full training camp schedule is available at Giants.com.

JAMES JONES OFFICIALLY SIGNED, MATT LaCOSSE AND BRAD HARRAH WAIVED…
The Giants have officially announced the signing of unrestricted free agent wide receiver James Jones.  Jones will wear #89. The Giants have waived/injured tight end Matt LaCosse (hamstring) and defensive end Brad Harrah (quad).

INJURY REPORT AND ABSENTEES…
Offensive tackle Will Beatty (PUP – recovering from pectoral surgery) did not practice.

Wide receiver Odell Beckham (hamstring), wide receiver Victor Cruz (recovering from knee surgery), safety Nat Berhe (calf), and safety Mykkele Thompson (hamstring) were held to a limited number of snaps. The Giants want to work them back in slowly. Offensive guard John Jerry (sick) was limited.

Tight end Jerome Cunningham and wide receiver Preston Parker had to leave practice early with cramps.

Defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul (hand/arm) still has not signed his 1-year Franchise tender and has not reported to training camp.

PRACTICE NOTES…
Some snippets from various media sources:

  • Quarterback Eli Manning hit tight end Jerome Cunningham (now wearing #86) for a touchdown.
  • Owamagbe Odighizuwa saw some first-team reps at defensive end with Robert Ayers.
  • The defense performed well on Saturday with cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, safety Landon Collins, and safety Bennett Jackson each making a couple of pass break-ups.
  • Tight end Adrien Robinson made a nice catch.
  • Safety Nat Berhe saw some time with the second-team defense.
  • Cornerback Jayron Hosley had a good practice.
  • Wide receiver Geremy Davis made another nice reception and has looked good early.
  • Running back Andre Williams has looked quicker than last year and has received some first-team reps in practice.

HEAD COACH TOM COUGHLIN…
Tom Coughlin addressed the media after the afternoon practice (video is available at Giants.com):

Q: Did you get word on what happened to Preston Parker yet?

A: Cramp.

Q: I just saw Jerome Cunningham go off on a cart…

A: Cramp.

Q: Are you going to be in some kind of pads tomorrow?

A: Uppers, yes.

Q: You had two guys with cramps here, a guy with a hamstring injury. Does that concern you? You wanted guys to arrive in shape.

A: They’re in shape. Evidently, they didn’t hydrate well enough. One guy had had the runs, one of those deals. So, try as you might, you’re still going to get these things. No matter who you try to blame, it’s going to happen. It’s 90 degrees.

Q: Has Cunningham shown you a little bit?

A: Yesterday he did well. I didn’t think too many people on offense showed me anything today. He did a few good things yesterday.

Q: We hear a lot of the players saying “be where your feet are.” Where does that come from?

A: Mindfulness. Mindfulness. If you’re going to be in the gym, be in the gym. Be where your feet are. Stay in the moment. Take care of one moment at a time. While you’re here, you deal with your football, deal with your job. It’s all the same type of theme.

Q: Who came up with that? Where was it discovered?

A: Well, we studied it this offseason as a staff. We’ve always had lots of statements about things of that nature. It’s just been reinforced more heavily, to the point where the guys are repeating it.

Q: Did James Jones come in as advertised?

A: Yes. Seemed like he was in good shape. Took some snaps today.

Q: Do you think he will acclimate more quickly. He thinks the offense is very similar to Green Bay.

A: The terminology, yes.

Q: Is his ability to do things in the red zone something that you liked?

A: Well, we’ll see. Hopefully it’s that, and in the field as well. It doesn’t have to be just the red zone.

Q: What have you seen from Ereck Flowers and Landon Collins? The two rookies starting right from the get-go.

A: I haven’t seen anything particularly good or bad just yet. It’s very early. They’re both working hard.

Q: Any word from JPP yet?

A: Not to my knowledge, no.

Q: Is Larry Donnell over the Achilles tendinitis from the spring?

A: He’s practiced and he’s done well with that.

Q: I haven’t seen John Jerry that much. Does he have something?

A: He was sick yesterday, and kind of sick today but he kept going. He took some reps today.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
The following transcripts and video clips of player media Q&As are available at BigBlueInteractive.com and Giants.com:

RELATED ARTICLES…

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The third training camp practice will be held on Sunday from 2:30-4:30PM. For a complete listing of training camp practices as well as a handy fan Q&A about training camp, see our Training Camp section of the website. Only seven remaining training camp practices at Quest Diagnostics Training Center will be open to the public this year:

  • Sunday, August 2: 2:30 – 4:30PM
  • Monday, August 3: 2:30 – 4:30PM
  • Thursday, August 6: 2:30 – 4:30PM
  • Sunday, August 16: 5:50 – 7:50PM
  • Wednesday, August 19: 5:50 – 7:50PM
  • Thursday, August 20: 5:50 – 7:50PM
  • Tuesday, August 25: 2:30 – 4:30PM
Jul 132015
 
Adrien Robinson, New York Giants (June 16, 2015)

Tight End Adrien Robinson – © 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: Tight Ends

2014 YEAR IN REVIEW: As the New York Giants entered training camp in July 2014, the tight end position appeared to be a pending disaster. The Giants had parted ways with the disappointing Brandon Myers and jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none Bear Pascoe. The only returning players were Larry Donnell (16 games, 3 catches in his two NFL seasons) and Adrien Robinson (3 games, no catches in his two seasons), both of whom had demonstrated very little to date. The Giants had added Kellen Davis (unrestricted free agent from the Seahawks), Daniel Fells (who was out of football in 2013), and Xavier Grimble (undrafted rookie free agent). Late in training camp, the Giants also signed Jerome Cunningham (who was out of football in 2013).

Few predicted correctly that Donnell would win the starting job followed by Fells as the #2 tight end and Robinson as the #3 tight end. Cunningham was also signed to the Practice Squad.

Overall, while the tight end was not a position of strength for the 2014 New York Giants, it certainly was not the mess many had expected. Donnell had a breakout year as a receiver. He finished tied for 9th in the NFL among tight ends in terms of catches (63), 13th in terms of yards (623), and tied for 7th in terms of touchdowns (6). Blocking is not a strength of his game, but Donnell appears to be an ascending player with enough physical talent to get better. Fells proved to be less dynamic, but was more reliable as a blocker. And he did chip in with four touchdowns. Robinson remained buried on the depth chart, but at least he finally saw some playing time and caught his first NFL touchdown pass.

ADDITIONS/SUBTRACTIONS: The Giants signed undrafted rookie free agents Matt LaCosse and Will Tye after the 2015 NFL Draft.

TRAINING CAMP STORY LINES: The main focus will be on Larry Donnell and whether or not he can take another major leap forward in his development. He jumped from a career 3-catch target to the NFL’s 9th-leading receiving tight end in one season. But Donnell needs to improve his consistency, blocking, and ball security. The good news is he knows that and has been working hard to improve his overall game. A potential fly in the ointment is that Donnell missed most of the spring work with Achilles tendinitis.

Assuming Donnell gets and stays healthy, the other story line is which tight ends will round out the unit. Fells is the steady but unspectacular leader of the group. Cunningham really flashed as a receiver during spring practices. Robinson also made some noise in the spring and LaCosse and Tye appear to have more talent than your typical rookie free agents.

ON THE BUBBLE: Ideally, the Giants would probably like to carry four tight ends, but three is more likely. Barry injury, the only sure bet is Donnell. Fells, Robinson, Cunningham, LaCosse and Tye are probably fighting for two roster spots.

FROM THE POSITIONAL COACH: Kevin M. Gilbride on Adrien Robinson: “Adrien has made tremendous progress this spring. He’s the one who has made the most progress as far as his understanding and grasping of how to get his job done. He could always tells you what his assignment was, but he didn’t necessarily know how to go about doing it. Or he had been taught how to do it, and then moved onto something else, taught how to do that, and then lost what he had learned. He’s made a lot of progress and it’s showed up more this spring than it ever has before. And I’m not talking about making catches because he could always make catches or get open on a particular route. We’re talking about how to execute when he is working with a tackle on the front side of a zone scheme and when to come off on the backer and the angle to take and where to place his hands and how he should pressure his hands and things like that. He’s made the most progress in that area. It’s good to see because we need him to come around.”

Gilbride on Jerome Cunningham: “What stands out is his effort. He is going to give great effort, no matter what. Whether he knew what he was doing or not, he was going to be going 100 miles per hour, whether he knew what block he was supposed to make or not. He was going to be doing it as well as he could. That gives them a chance. It gives every person who plays this game a chance to be successful, or at least to be noticed as far as staying on the squad in some capacity, which certainly he did. He has carried it over throughout the season and then now through the spring where he has made some good strides.”

Gilbride on Larry Donnell: “It is technique and confidence (with his blocking). Having him miss this offseason was not good for him in that regard. He is going to have to come into training camp and pick up where these other guys have left off in the improvements we have made in that area. We focused on certain things this offseason in the run game. It really started to show towards the end of the spring, which we were happy about. Happy to see. Still have a ways to go overall, but much improved. We were happy with where it went. We just want him to be a part of it.”

Gilbride on Will Tye: “Talented kid. He has very, very soft hands. He can run straight-line very well and for as tall as he plays – because he doesn’t play with great bent knees all the time – he can get in and out of breaks very smooth. What he needs to improve is his quick-twitch and his true effort at the snap to the end of the whistle…It’s not instinctual for him to play fast…He’s got a ways to go as far as learning the offense…He has made too many mental mistakes, but that doesn’t mean he won’t eventually get it. We’ve thrown a lot at all of them.”

Gilbride on LaCosse: “Different skillset. He’s a linear guy, a long-legged guy who can get down the field. Very, very bright. Talk about Will (Tye) making too many mistakes, Matt didn’t make many mistakes, which is impressive. We had him in a role where we moved him around all the time as far as motioning and shifts.”

PREDICTIONS: I like this group of tight ends more than most. If Donnell’s Achilles tendinitis isn’t a problem, I truly think he has the ability to develop into one of the better receiving tight ends in the NFL. He looked like a budding star in his Week 4, three-touchdown performance against the Washington Redskins. Donnell can do it. He has an excellent combination of size (6’6”, 265 pounds), athletic ability, and hands. I love the way he adjusts to the football for a big man. He’s a match-up problem for linebackers. So is Jerome Cunningham, but for different reasons. Cunningham is smaller (6’3”, 250 pounds), but even faster and more athletic. He can be a match-up problem for safeties. There were whispers about him being pretty darn good as a Practice Squad player last year and his performance in the spring was impressive.

What the group seems to be lacking is someone who excels at blocking. Fells is the most consistent and reliable. But he may be pressed by Robinson, provided Robinson finally “gets it” in his fourth year.

I also have a feeling that the Giants are going to like what they see in LaCosse and Tye.

FINAL DEPTH CHART: Donnell remains the starter, but Cunningham is going to press for serious playing time as more of an H-Back type tight end. Ben McAdoo will find a role for him in his TE-centric offense. The difficult decision here for me is Robinson versus Fells. I think Robinson will do enough in camp to convince the Giants to keep their 3-year investment. But if Robinson continues to falter, Fells retains his job and provides leadership. While the Practice Squad may be the most realistic option for both LaCosse and Tye, if one excels at blocking, he has a shot at the 53-man roster.

Jun 262015
 
Odell Beckham Victor Cruz, New York Giants (June 8, 2015)

Odell Beckham and Victor Cruz – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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Giants.com Video Player Q&As: Video clips of Giants.com Q&A sessions with the following players are available at Giants.com:

  • WR Victor Cruz (Video)
  • DT Johnathan Hankins (Video)

Articles on the 2015 New York Giants:

Article on WR Odell Beckham: Odell Beckham insists: ‘No problem with anybody’ on Giants by Paul Schwartz of The New York Post

Article on the New York Giants Tight Ends: What do the Giants think of young tight end Jerome Cummingham, Will Tye and Matt LaCosse? by Jordan Raanan for NJ.com

Articles on the New York Giants Offensive Line:

Article on DE Jason Pierre-Paul: Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul intent on dropping weight for his contract year by Jordan Raanan for NJ.com

Article on LB J.T. Thomas: How Giants’ linebacker J.T. Thomas got his football education from his ‘toughest critic’ by Nick Powell for NJ.com

Article on New York Giants Cornerbacks: Sizing up the Giants nickel cornerback position after minicamp and the need to be good blitzers by Jordan Raanan for NJ.com

Best of New York Giants Mini-Camp Video: A sights and sounds video of the action from New York Giants mini-camp is available at Giants.com.