Mar 132023
 
Nick Gates, New York Giants (October 18, 2020)

Nick Gates – © USA TODAY Sports

New York Giants unrestricted free agent center Nick Gates has agreed to terms with the Washington Commanders. While free agents cannot officially sign with new teams until Wednesday, the legal “tampering” period began today. The deal is reportedly a 3-year, $16.5 million contract with the possibility in another $1.5 million.

Nick Gates made a stunning comeback in 2022 from a very serious injury he suffered in 2021. Despite missing all of the spring and summer, plus much of the first half of the season, on the PUP List, Gates returned to the active roster in late October 2022. Incredibly, he ended up playing in 10 regular-season with eight starts, mostly at left guard. He also started both playoff games. Gates was flagged with five penalties (two holding, one false start, one tripping, and one ineligible downfield).

The Giants signed Gates as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2018 NFL Draft. He missed all of his rookie season with a foot injury. In 2019, Gates was active for all 16 games with three starts (two starts at right tackle and one start at right guard). The Giants moved Gates to center in 2020, when he started all 16 games and played well at his new position. In Week 2 of the 2021 season, Gates suffered a career-threatening fracture to his lower left leg. The severity of the injury required seven surgeries. Gates is a versatile player, able to play tackle, guard, and center.

For a listing of the team’s free agents, see the New York Giants 2023 Free Agency Scorecard.

Nov 282022
 
Azeez Ojulari, New York Giants (August 21, 2022)

Azeez Ojulari – © USA TODAY Sports

BEN BREDESON, AZEEZ OJULARI, AND TONY JEFFERSON RETURN TO PRACTICE…
Offensive lineman Ben Bredeson (knee), outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari (calf), and safety Tony Jefferson (foot), all of whom are on Injured Reserve, have returned to practice. All three will have up to three weeks to practice with the team without counting against the 53-man roster. Once that timeframe ends, individually they must either be added to the roster or remain on Injured Reserve for the rest of the season.

DEVERY HAMILTON AND TRENTON THOMPSON WAIVED…
The Giants waived offensive lineman Devery Hamilton and safety Trenton Thompson from the 53-man roster last Friday. Both had been signed to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad last Wednesday before the Thanksgiving Day game against the Dallas Cowboys.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The Giants return to practice on Tuesday (12:45-2:45PM). Head Coach Brian Daboll and select players will also address the media.

Nov 212022
 
Wan'Dale Robinson, New York Giants (November 20, 2022)

Wan’Dale Robinson – © USA TODAY Sports

INJURY UPDATE – WAN’DALE ROBINSON TORN ACL, SPRAINED MCL FOR ADOREE’ JACKSON…
As feared, New York Giants wide receiver Wan’Dale Robinson suffered a torn ACL in his knee during Sunday’s 31-18 loss to the Detroit Lions. His season is over. The team placed him on Injured Reserve on Monday.

The NFL Network is also reporting that cornerback Adoree’ Jackson will miss 4-6 weeks with an MCL sprain to his knee.

The Giants only held a walk-thru today. The team’s projected injury list:

Did not practice: WR Richie James (knee), TE Daniel Bellinger (eye), OG Josh Ezeudu (neck), OC Jon Feliciano (neck), OT Tyre Phillips (neck), CB Adoree’ Jackson (knee), and CB Fabiran Moreau (oblique).

Limited in practice:  OT Evan Neal (knee) and S Jason Pinnock (jaw).

NOVEMBER 21, 2022 BRIAN DABOLL PRESS CONFERENCE…
New York Giants Head Coach Brian Daboll addressed the media on Monday to discuss his team’s 31-18 loss to the Detroit Lions (the VIDEO of the press conference is also available on YouTube):

Q: I wanted to ask you about a report yesterday that (wide receiver) Odell Beckham Jr. will be visiting you guys at some point after Thanksgiving. Can you confirm that and provide any information on when that would happen or anything else?

A: Not at this time I can’t.

Q: Do you have updates on yesterday’s injuries starting with (cornerback) Adoree’ Jackson and (wide receiver) Wan’Dale Robinson?

A: Some of these guys are still getting tests this morning. I will say with Wan’Dale, he has an ACL.

Q: His season’s over?

A: Yeah.

Q: You guys have gone through a bunch of receivers here. What’s the next step with Wan’Dale out, and maybe it even ties into (the) first question about Odell?

A: We have plenty of receivers on the roster, as you know. So, it’s a short week. We’ll get the guys ready to go, and we’ll revisit things like we always do each week and see where it goes.

Q: They’re naming this game after John Madden. They’re celebrating John Madden on Thanksgiving. Did you ever have any run-ins or experiences with him? Or can you just talk about what he means to the game?

A: I have never met Coach Madden. You think football, you think Madden really with everything from coaching at the Raiders and how successful he was to announcing to the video game that all the young guys like to play. Just a great ambassador for the National Football League and a great tribute to him.

Q: Just to clarify on the injuries – so, is Wan’Dale the only one of the guys that you do have an update for us today?

A: Yeah. Most of these other guys are still getting looked at here – almost all of them.

Q: The other thing I want to ask you about is just in terms of the week’s schedule. It seems like with these Thursday games, there’s kind of a trend away from actual practices. I guess you guys are not having a traditional practice this week. What goes into that calculation about handling it that way versus going out there Tuesday and having a real practice.

A: These guys are pretty sore after games. So, what you try to do is you sit down with the training staff, sports science, and you come up with the best schedule you can for your team to make sure they’re getting rehabbed and they’re taking advantage of all the treatments after the walkthroughs. We’ll set it up similar. We won’t be out there running around, but we’ll do some walkthroughs. We’ll have a little break. Then we’ll go out there and do some more walkthroughs. Obviously, it’s a big mental week for us and then just getting your body right to play a game on such a quick turnaround.

Q: Is there any chance on the injury front to maybe have some good news with (tight end Daniel) Bellinger, (tackle Evan) Neal and (outside linebacker) Azeez (Ojulari)?

A: I’d say they’re coming along. I think they’re improving. Whether or not they’ll be ready this week, (it’s) too early to give you an answer to that.

Q: I asked you this question last week, and now it’s pertinent: Does this week make it harder for them to come back because of the circumstances of such a short week and so little practice?

A: We’ve definitely had discussions about that. One, it’ll be as we go along if the medical people say they’re ready to play. And it is a short week; there’s no question about that. That goes into play in discussions.

Q: Obviously, they’re probably never going to do away with Thanksgiving games. But do you feel like Thursday games are a lot to ask for these guys? You just pointed out, especially when you have a tough week like you just had injury-wise, do you think it’s something that needs to be discussed among the league where, ‘Hey. Why do we have to play these Thursday games?’

A: Well, they’re on the schedule. So, we just get ready to play them and try to come up with the best schedule and process that we can to make sure that we’re ready to go.

Q: You mentioned yesterday, obviously there are ebbs and flows to every season. You’re hitting something now with these two games back-to-back coming off a tough loss with all these injuries. Do you feel at some point you’re going to have to, as the head coach, just talk to the team at some point about not ‘woe is me,’? (It’s a) tough situation. You’ve never had this many injuries this season. (It’s a short week and you’re playing) against a team that just scored 40 points in Minnesota. Is that kind of like in the manual at some point in the next few days?

A: Yeah. I’ve tried to do that since I’ve gotten here. We’re not about excuses – never will be. We have people on our roster that are going to be ready to play. And that’s our job as a coaching staff is to get these guys ready to play. Again, you’re always going to hit adversity – whether it’s in a game, whether it’s in a season. We’ve talked about that since April. I don’t think that’s something you all of a sudden talk about. You have to teach it, and you have to try to learn from it. And that’s everybody – it’s myself, it’s the coaches, it’s the players, it’s the support staff. You have to believe in your process. You have to go out there and try to execute the best you can. And if you do those things, you live with the results. And you move onto the next week.

Q: Is this one of those times when you see what you’ve built? You see what you’ve built and see there is always a fence. Is there a weak point where you kind of look and see now and say, ‘Okay. We can talk about handling adversity. Now that maybe we’re hitting it, let’s see if everything we’ve put in place is going to hold up here’?

A: Yeah. You do that from the get-go. It wasn’t our first loss. You come in after a loss; you don’t feel great. You feel very disappointed. You put a lot of work into it during the week, and you don’t get the results you want. You should be disappointed, but you can’t let it linger. In this particular case, it’s such a quick turnaround. You’ve got to move on quickly. That’s something that we’ve stressed really since we’ve gotten here: Take it day-by-day. Learn from the things you can learn from. You’re going to hit bumps in the road. Whether that’s a practice or a game, a play, a call, a decision, those things are going to happen. And you move on from them.

Q: You talked about your other receivers after Wan’Dale. How encouraged were you from what you saw from (wide receiver) Kenny Golladay on Sunday? And can he be part of the solution here over the next few weeks?

A: Kenny did his job. (He) made a couple of plays when the ball was thrown to him. I’d say the receivers in general – obviously, Wan’Dale had a good game. He was really trending in the right direction. (He) really felt healthy and had quickness. I think Slay (wide receiver Darius Slayton) made some good plays. I think (wide receiver) Isaiah (Hodgins) had a couple (plays) called back. He made some good plays. I know he fumbled that ball. He was very disappointed in that of himself. But those guys know what to do. And we’ll go out there and put a plan together to utilize anybody who’s going to be active.

Q: With where you’re at on wide receiver, would you like to add any pieces to the picture? Not necessarily saying it has to be, obviously, Odell. But do you feel like you need to add something here later in the season?

A: I think that’s something that (general manager) Joe (Schoen) and I will talk about. Just like all the spots, this will be another discussion that we’ll have. And we’ll see where it goes.

Q: What did you see when you went back and looked at the film? What stood out to you about that loss?

A: Pretty much what I thought after the game: There was some good things in there. But it’s hard to win a game when it’s 3-0 in the turnover battle. The percentages don’t favor you very much. There was definitely some good things to take from it, and then (there) were things that weren’t as good. We didn’t win the line of scrimmage. We didn’t rush for a lot of yards. I’d say they rushed for 160 (yards). I thought we executed fairly well in the red zone. Offensively, they were four-of-five. Defensively, third downs were kind of a wash. But again, those turnovers (are detrimental). We’ve had – in our three losses – six turnovers, and (they’re) directly related to 24 points. Conversely, in the seven wins, we’ve had five turnovers, and those led to six points. So, turnovers are huge; they always are. And we’ve got to keep working on that.

Q: You mentioned ‘win the line of scrimmage’ and not being able to run the ball. Was that just guys getting beat (in their) individual effort? Or did you see something outstanding that you thought maybe you guys need to clean up?

A: I’d say it’s a collective effort. It’s really everything. It was everything yesterday in the run game. They (the Detroit Lions) did a good job. Give them credit, too.

Q: (Punter) Jamie Gillan – he’s a had a few punts this year that were short. What are you seeing from him? Would you like a little more consistency out of him? And can you talk about the special teams overall?

A: Well, we missed those two kicks; one was blocked, and one was almost blocked. I’d say we need to do better in that area all the way around. (Kicker) Graham (Gano) has been really consistent kicking the ball. Jamie’s had a couple that I know he’d like to have back, but he’s working at it. We just need to do a little bit better in that area.

Q: Along the lines of putting this game behind you, you mentioned how the schedule obviously helps in that regard. But do you guys do your full review as you normally would in a week with the players and everything else? Or do you kind of condense that? And does that almost help that you’re not even focused on yesterday?

A: That’s part of it on a short week. As a coaching staff, we watched it last night. I watched it at my house. And the coordinators watched it. The position coaches watched it. So, I had conversations with them yesterday about it. And you really got to come in and get going on Dallas. You only have so many hours in a day, and that’s what you have to do on these Thursday games.

Q: I wanted to ask you about the offensive line. You had a few injuries on that offensive line. I know you don’t know the status of these guys yet, but that being said, is there a concern with the continuity and the chemistry with having guys coming in and out – especially on this short week – in case you don’t have (center) Jon (Feliciano) or if (tackle) Tyre (Phillips) can’t go or whoever might not be able to go?

A: I think what you do is those guys get tons of reps during the week. And all the guys that we have have been here. There’s good communication with really all of them. I think (offensive line coach) Bobby (Johnson) has done a good job of mixing those guys throughout practices, too, and giving them reps so that different guys are working with different guys. And that’s really no different than really wherever else I’ve been. Obviously, you would love to have the same five guys out there. But usually, that’s not the case. You’re going to have to adjust and make sure those guys are doing a good job of communicating with one another.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
Head Coach Brian Daboll and select players will address the media on Tuesday.

Oct 302022
 
Leonard Williams, New York Giants (October 30, 2022)

Leonard Williams – © USA TODAY Sports

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS 27 – NEW YORK GIANTS 13…
The New York Giants fell 27-13 to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday at Lumen Field in Seattle, Washington. The Giants are now 6-2 on the season heading into their bye week.

There was no great disparity in overall team statistics. Seattle held advantages in first downs (19 to 14), total net yards (277 to 225), net yards rushing (87 to 78), and net yards passing (190 to 147). The Giants won the time of possession battle (33:34 to 26:26) and were better on 3rd down, but Seattle converted twice on 4th down. Seattle recovered two fumbles that led to 10 points while the Giants recovered one that led to a touchdown.

Both teams struggled offensively early. Seattle only gained three first downs in their first three possessions, gaining a total of 45 yards. New York’s offense struggled even more, going three-and-out on their first three possessions and only accruing 10 yards.

The Seahawks broke the scoreless tie early in the second quarter after a 15-play, 69-yard drive that ended with a 3-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Geno Smith to wide receiver D.K. Metcalf. It was on this possession that Seattle converted on both of their 4th-down attempts, including 4-and-1 and 4th-and-2.

The Giants finally picked up their first two first downs of the game on their fourth possession, but the drive stalled near midfield and the Giants punted. Jamie Gillan’s punt was downed by cornerback Justin Layne at the 2-yard line. On the very next snap, cornerback Adoree’ Jackson forced a fumble after a short completion. He recovered the loose ball at the 2-yard line. Two plays later, running back Saquon Barkley scored from one yard out. The game was tied at 7-7.

The first indication that this might not be the Giants’ day came on the subsequent series. The defense held Seattle to one first down and forced a punt. Wide receiver Richie James fumbled the punt and the Seahawks recovered at the New York 19-yard line. Fortunately the defense held and limited the damage to a 35-yard field goal. The Giants could not move the ball in the final 1:31 of the half.

At the break, the Seahawks only led 10-7 despite the fact that New York’s offense had been held to three first downs and 46 yards in the first half.

The Giants received the football to start the third quarter and put together their best drive of the game, moving 79 yards in 14 plays, and taking almost nine minutes off of the clock. A 3rd-down sack was wiped out by a Seattle penalty. And the Giants converted on 3rd-and-12 with an 18-yard pass from quarterback Daniel Jones to wide receiver Darius Slayton. However, the drive stalled at the 13-yard line and the Giants settled for a 31-yard field goal by place kicker Graham Gano. The game was tied at 10-10.

Seattle responded with a 7-play, 42-yard drive that ended with a 51-yard field goal. The Seahawks regained the lead 13-10. Back came the Giants with a 12-play, 45-yard effort. Gano kicked a 45-yarder to tie the game once again, 13-13, early in the 4th quarter.

The Giants, who had been beating teams in the 4th quarter, began to fade at this point of the contest. Smith completed five straight passes for 75 yards, including the 33-yarder that to wide receiver Tyler Lockett that put Seattle up 20-13.

The Giants went three-and-out, but so did the Seahawks. However, disaster struck again as James fumbled his second punt of the game (James was concussed on this play). Seattle recovered at the New York 32-yard line. After a 16-yard pass by Smith, running back Kenneth Walker broke tackles en route to a 16-yard touchdown run that gave the Seahawks a two-touchdown lead, 27-13, with just 5:22 left in the game.

The Giants gained 46 yards on the ensuing drive but turned the football over on downs at the Seattle 29-yard line with 2:32 left in the game. New York got the ball back with 1:07 left but the game ended on a 3rd-and-17 sack.

Jones finished the game 17-of-31 with no touchdowns and no interceptions. He rushed six times for 20 yards and was sacked five times. The leading receiver was Slayton, who caught five passes for 66 yards. Barkley was held to just 53 yards on 20 carries. He did have the team’s only touchdown.

Defensively, the Giants did hold Seattle to 277 yards of offense. But the two 4th-down conversions on the first touchdown drive hurt, as did allowing Smith to complete five straight passes on Seattle’s second touchdown. The Giants were credited with 10 quarterback hits and three sacks, one sack each by defensive lineman Leonard Williams, linebacker Micah McFadden, and safety Xavier McKinney. Williams also had five quarterback hits and one tackle for a loss. Linebacker Tomon Fox was credited with eight tackles and two tackles for a loss. Jackson force a fumble that he also recovered.

GAME VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS are available on YouTube.

ROSTER MOVES, PRACTICE SQUAD ACTIVATIONS, INACTIVES, AND INJURY REPORT…
On Saturday, the Giants placed OL Ben Bredeson (knee) on Injured Reserve. He will have to miss at least four games. The team also activated OLB Elerson Smith from Injured Reserve to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad. Elerson had been sidelined since mid-August with a foot injury.

The Giants activated (standard elevation) LB/S Landon Collins and TE Lawrence Cager from the Practice Squad to the 53-man roster on the same day.

Inactive for the game were WR Kenny Golladay (knee), TE Daniel Bellinger (eye), RT Evan Neal (knee), OLB Oshane Ximines (quad), CB Cor’Dale Flott (calf), and ILB Austin Calitro.

DL Nick Williams (bicep) left the game in the first half and did not return. WR Richie James (concussion) left the game in the 4th quarter and did not return.

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

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

Oct 262022
 
Nick Gates, New York Giants (October 18, 2020)

Nick Gates – © USA TODAY Sports

NICK GATES ADDED TO 53-MAN ROSTER…
The New York Giants have added offensive lineman Nick Gates to the 53-man roster from the Reserve/Physically-Unable-to-Perform (PUP) List. Gates had returned to practice three weeks ago and Wednesday was the deadline for the team to decide to either activate him off of the PUP or keep him on the injury list for the rest of the season.

“We’ll put him out there,” said Head Coach Brian Daboll before Wednesday’s practice. “I think he’s improved every day since he’s been out there. He looks ready to go. We’ll see where that takes him. Just keep competing; whenever his number’s called, be ready… We’ve repped him at both (guard and center)… He can play all spots, but we’ve really worked him more at center and guard getting back here. I know he played tackle.”

The Giants placed Gates on Injured Reserve in September 2021 with a serious fracture to his lower left leg that he suffered in Week 2 after being shifted to left guard. The severity of the injury required seven surgeries and placed his career in jeopardy.

“It’s impressive,” said Daboll. “I mean, so many surgeries and so much rehab. You saw him when I first got here. Just a testament to the young man. It takes a lot of perseverance to go through what he’s been through and to be out here. Impressive young man.”

The Giants signed Gates as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2018 NFL Draft. He missed all of 2018 with a foot injury that caused him to be placed on Injured Reserve before the season started. In 2019, Gates was active for all 16 games with three starts (two starts at right tackle and one start at right guard). The Giants moved Gates to center in 2020. He started all 16 games and played well at the new position.

ELERSON SMITH, RODARIUS WILLIAMS, AND MATT PEART RETURN TO PRACTICE…
Outside linebacker Elerson Smith (foot), cornerback Rodarius Williams (knee), and offensive tackle Matt Peart (knee), all of whom are on Injured Reserve, have returned to practice. All three will have up to three weeks to practice with the team without counting against the 53-man roster. Once that timeframe ends, individually they must either be added to the roster or remain on Injured Reserve for the rest of the season.

Smith suffered an unspecified foot injury in training camp and was placed on Injured Reserve at the end of August. Williams tore an ACL in one of his knees in October 2021. Peart tore his left ACL in late December 2021.

GIANTS RE-SIGN DRE MILLER…
The Giants have re-signed tight end Dre Miller to the Practice Squad. The Giants originally signed Miller as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2022 NFL Draft. He was placed on Injured Reserve in August 2022 with a broken forearm that he suffered in training camp and later waived with an injury settlement. Miller was a big receiver in college with good overall athletic ability. The Giants converted him to tight end, where he was impressing and receiving first-team snaps before he was injured.

DANIEL JONES NAMED “NFC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK”…
New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones has been named the “NFC Offensive Player of the Week” for his Week 7 performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars. In that game, Jones completed 19-of-30 passes for 202 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions. He also ran the ball 11 times for 107 yards and one touchdown. Jones led the Giants to victory from a fourth-quarter deficit or tie for the fifth time this season.

This is the third time Jones has been selected “NFC Offensive Player of the Week.” He won the award once in 2019 and again in 2021.

OCTOBER 26, 2022 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
WR Kenny Golladay (knee), WR Kadarius Toney (hamstring), TE Daniel Bellinger (eye), RT Evan Neal (knee), LG Ben Bredeson (knee), OLB Oshane Ximines (quad), and CB Cor’Dale Flott (calf) did not practice on Wednesday.

OL Tyre Phillips (toe), DL Leonard Williams (elbow), and S Jason Pinnock (foot) were limited in practice.

HEAD COACH BRIAN DABOLL…
The transcript of Brian Daboll’s press conference on Wednesday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available on YouTube.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:

  • QB Daniel Jones (Video)
  • NT Dexter Lawrence (Video)

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The Giants practice on Thursday afternoon (12:45-2:45PM). The coordinators and select players will also address the media.

Oct 052022
 
Nick Gates, New York Giants (August 29, 2021)

Nick Gates – © USA TODAY Sports

GIANTS PLACE AARON ROBINSON ON INJURED RESERVE…
The New York Giants placed starting cornerback Aaron Robinson on Injured Reserve on Tuesday with a knee injury that he suffered on Sunday against the Chicago Bears. Robinson must remain on Injured Reserve for at least four games. Robinson, a 3rd round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, had missed Weeks 2 and 3 after undergoing an appendectomy on September 14.

NICK GATES RETURNS TO PRACTICE…
Offensive center Nick Gates, who is currently on the Reserve/Physically-Unable-to-Perform (PUP) List, has returned to practice. Gates will have up to three weeks to practice with the team without counting against the 53-man roster. Once that timeframe ends, he either must be added to the roster or revert to the PUP for the rest of the season. Gates suffered a serious, career-threatening lower leg injury in Week 2 of last season requiring multiple surgeries.

Impressive,” said Head Coach Brian Daboll before practice. “We had a walk-through earlier and had him break down the team. Much respect to really anybody that comes back from injuries, but his injuries were significant. All the surgeries and he’s had nothing but a positive mindset since he’s been here. The guys were hooting and hollering when he was breaking them down. You root for guys like that. It’s a tough industry we’re in, in terms of physical things that can happen. Just a lot of respect for him and what he’s done and proud of the young man.”

“It’s 21 days until they have to make a decision about what they want to do with me,” said Gates after practice. “I feel good. It’s nice to be back out there on the field, it’s nice to run around with the guys. It was a good time. It was a good feeling to be back out there. I didn’t think I was going to be back out there this fast… I’m not going to lie. At one point after I had my last surgery, which was No. 7, they had to take the rod out because I had an infection in my bone and put another rod in. I thought I wasn’t going to be able to play this year… The original (surgery) they put a rod in, two screws down my tibia. Then I got compartment syndrome. I’ll show you, there’s a big scar. Got compartment syndrome, so they sliced your leg open and let the swelling kind of – fasciotomy it’s called – just let the swelling do its thing and slowly close you up, that took four and then I had to get a skin graft which was No. 6. Then they had to take my rod out and put another rod in which was No. 7.”

PRACTICE SQUAD MOVES…
The Giants have signed offensive guard Solomon Kindley to the Practice Squad. To make room for Kindley, the Giants terminated the Practice Squad contract of running back Antonio Williams. The 25-year old, 6’4”, 339-pound Kindley was originally drafted in the 4th round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins waived him in August 2022. Kindley has played in 29 regular-season games with 15 starts.

OCTOBER 5, 2022 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
QB Tyrod Taylor (concussion), WR Kenny Golladay (knee), WR Richie James (ankle), DL Henry Mondeaux (ankle), OLB Azeez Ojulari (calf), CB Cor’Dale Flott (calf), and S Julian Love (concussion) did not practice on Wednesday.

“(Golladay) will not practice today,” said Head Coach Brian Daboll before practice. “I doubt he’ll be ready to go this week.”

QB Daniel Jones (ankle), WR Kadarius Toney (hamstring), OT Evan Neal (neck), WR Wan’Dale Robinson (knee), DL Leonard Williams (knee), CB Fabian Moreau (foot), and CB Nick McCloud (hamstring) practiced on a limited basis.

(Jones will) practice some,” said Daboll. “We’ll see where he’s at. We’ll see where he’s at after today… Not surprised. He’s a pretty tough individual. I think he’s made a lot or progress since after the game, and he’s been in the treatment room pretty consistently throughout these last couple of days. So, we’ll put him out there, give him some reps and see where he’s at.”

Yeah, felt good,” said Jones after practice. “Felt good out there. I’ve been working with the trainers, and I’ve made a lot of progress the last couple of days. I’ll continue to listen to them and continue to do what I can to be back out there.”

HEAD COACH BRIAN DABOLL…
The transcript of Brian Daboll’s press conference on Wednesday is available in The Corner Forum while the video is available on YouTube.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts and video clips of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum and on YouTube:

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

Aug 232022
 
Nick Gates, New York Giants (September 21, 2021)

Nick Gates – © USA TODAY Sports

In order to to reduce their roster to the mandatory 80-player limit on Tuesday, the New York Giants made the following roster moves:

Linebacker Darrian Beavers (torn left ACL), tight end Andre Miller (broken forearm), and tight end Ricky Seals-Jones (toe) were placed on season-ending Injured Reserve.

Center Nick Gates (fractured lower left leg) and offensive tackle Matt Peart (ACL) were placed on the Reserve/Physically-Unable-to-Perform (PUP) List. They cannot return to the active roster until after the fourth regular-season game. Both Gates and Peart had been on the Active/PUP List since the start of training camp, along with wide receiver Sterling Shepard (Achilles). Shepard remains on the Active/PUP List and could still be on the final 53-man roster at the start of the season.

The Giants drafted Beavers in the 6th round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He was impressing as an all-around defender and receiving first-team snaps before he was injured.

The Giants signed Miller as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2022 NFL Draft. The Giants converted Miller from wide receiver to tight end, where he was impressing and receiving first-team snaps before he was injured.

The Giants signed Seals-Jones in March 2022 as an unrestricted free agent from the Washington Commanders. The 6’5”, 243-pound Seals-Jones was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by Arizona Cardinals after the 2017 NFL Draft. He has spent time with the Cardinals (2017-2018), Cleveland Browns (2019), Kansas City Chiefs (2020), and Washington Football Team (2021). Seals-Jones has played in 54 regular-season games with 15 starts, accruing 90 catches for 1,044 yards, and 10 touchdowns. Last year for Washington, Jones started six games and caught 30 passes for 271 yards and two touchdowns.

The Giants placed Gates on Injured Reserve in September 2021 with a serious fracture to his lower left leg that he suffered in Week 2 after being shifted to left guard. The Giants signed Gates as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2018 NFL Draft. He missed all of 2018 with a foot injury that caused him to be placed on Injured Reserve before the season started. In 2019, Gates was active for all 16 games with three starts (two starts at right tackle and one start at right guard). In 2020, despite having no prior experience at playing the position, and after a rough start, Gates not only solidified the center position for the Giants but rapidly became the team’s best lineman. Gates started all 16 games at center. 

2021 was a very disappointing season for Peart. The Giants selected Peart in the 3rd round of the 2020 NFL Draft. As a rookie, Peart played in 11 games with one start at left tackle. He did play in 15 percent of all offensive snaps, receiving some quality playing time. Heading into training camp in 2021, it was anticipated that Peart would be the opening-day starter at right tackle. However, he was beat out by Nate Solder. Peart ended up playing in 15 games with five starts in 2021 (three at left tackle, two at right tackle) and was up-and-down in his play. The offensive line coach publicly questioned his toughness during the middle of the season. Peart tore the ACL in his left knee in late December, ending his season and putting into doubt his availability for the 2022 season.

Sep 222021
 
Billy Price and Ben Bredeson, New York Giants (September 16, 2021)

Billy Price and Ben Bredeson – © USA TODAY Sports

SEPTEMBER 22, 2021 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
The New York Giants practiced on Wednesday at Quest Diagnostics Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

“The main focus on Monday was really on the New York Giants, touching base with things we did earlier in the season, some schemes going forward, some personnel looks,” said Head Coach Joe Judge before practice. “Today will be a padded day for us getting after it, some up-tempo, really get working together as a team.”

NT Austin Johnson (illness), LB Cam Brown (hamstring), and S Nate Ebner (quad) did not practice on Wednesday.

RB Saquon Barkley (knee), WR Kenny Golladay (hip), TE Evan Engram (calf), TE Kaden Smith (knee), and S Logan Ryan (hamstring) were limited in practice.

GIANTS ROSTER MOVES…
As expected, the New York Giants have placed offensive lineman Nick Gates (broken left leg) on Injured Reserve. Gates will miss the rest of the 2021 NFL season.

The team has also signed center Jonotthan Harrison, offensive tackle Foster Sarell, and safety Steven Parker to the Practice Squad.

The Giants signed Harrison to a reserve/future contract in January 2021, but cut him in late August. The 30-year old, 6’4”, 300-pound Harrison was originally signed by the Indianapolis Colts as undrafted rookie free agent after the 2014 NFL Draft. He has spent time with the Colts (2014-2016), New York Jets (2017-2019), and Buffalo Bills (2020). Harrison has played in 84 regular-season games with 42 starts.

The 23-year old, 6’6”, 322-pound Sarell was originally signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2021 NFL Draft. The Ravens waived him in late August. He spent a few days on the Ravens’ Practice Squad in September.

The 26-year old, 6’1”, 210-pound Parker was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Los Angeles Rams after the 2018 NFL Draft. He has spent time with the Rams (2018-2019), Miami Dolphins (2019-2020), Minnesota Vikings (2020), and Dallas Cowboys (2020). Parker has played in 22 regular-season games.

To make room for these players, the Giants terminated the Practice Squad contracts of running back Dexter Williams and tight end Ryan Izzo. The Las Vegas Raiders signed offensive tackle Jackson Barton off of the Giants’ Practice Squad.

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, position coaches, and select players will also address the media. Former QB Eli Manning will also address the media regarding his pending entry into the team’s “Ring of Honor.”

Sep 132021
 
Joe Judge, New York Giants (September 12, 2021)

Joe Judge – © USA TODAY Sports

SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
The New York Giants did NOT practice on Monday. But because of the short week, they provided the following estimated injury report.

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

RB Saquon Barkley (knee) was limited in practice.

SEPTEMBER 13, 2021 JOE JUDGE PRESS CONFERENCE…
New York Giants Head Coach Joe Judge addressed the media on Monday to discuss his team’s 27-13 loss to the Denver Broncos and the upcoming game against the Washington Football Team:

Q: I know it’s a new season, but if you look at this offense since you’ve been here and since (Offensive Coordinator) Jason (Garrett) has been here, you guys haven’t really been able to score consistently. When you look at just the offensive system that you guys are running, what gives you confidence that you can get to a point where you will be putting points on the board like teams around the league do?

A: I think the big focus for us right now is really just focused on making sure we’re going to keep putting players in a position to be successful. I saw a lot of positive things yesterday from players like (Wide Receiver) Kenny (Golladay) and (Wide Receiver Sterling) Shep (Shepard). Those guys (were) making plays down the field. I think those guys definitely showed up and made an impact for us. To me, there’s a number of plays you can play with and you can draw up a lot of different patterns and routes. Obviously, we have to be creative and give the players a chance. I’m more focused right now on the fundamentals and the execution to go with, making sure we’re emphasizing ball security, running, blocking, making sure we can break tackles and extend plays right there, protecting leverage on the routes. But in terms of just the overall system, our focus right now is really more on putting the players in position and get them going. I saw a lot of improvement from a lot of guys. I was pleased with the way the offensive line played last night from a big picture standpoint. Obviously, there were some things we’ve got to clean up, but I was pleased with the step forward those guys have taken and improved consistently. It was good to have them out there for obviously the entire game length. Different than a preseason or a practice competitively, so it was good getting them out there and having a lot of execution together. That’s obviously moving in the right direction for us.

Q: (Running Back) Saquon (Barkley) said after the game that he needed to see how his knee responded before meeting with the medical staff and you guys when it comes to Thursday and beyond that. Just curious how Saquon came out of yesterday and after you’ve watched the tape, what did you see from him?

A: It was good having him out there, obviously. The emphasis was really getting this guy out there, getting his feet wet. He hasn’t had the opportunity to play in the preseason. Obviously, he hasn’t played since last year when the injury happened, so the focus for us was really getting him out there, letting him get going, getting in sync of playing in the game. Obviously, it was the first time he was truly under a live fire with fully getting tackled and all that stuff from all different angles, so it was good and encouraging to see him come out of there. I thought he responded well. For all accounts right now, he came out of the game good for us. In terms of Thursday we’ll see what the game plan brings as we move on forward. I didn’t see any setbacks from anything last night and I didn’t get any reports on anything as far as medically with him. But in terms of him meeting with the medical staff, that’s kind of just part of the normal procedure for him and for all of our players that are dealing with anything.

Q: I saw that (Safety) Jabrill Peppers only played half of the snaps on defense yesterday. What was the thought process there and beyond that, how did you feel like the secondary helped up against (Broncos Quarterback) Teddy Bridgewater yesterday?

A: I think, obviously, Teddy played a really good game. They moved the ball consistently and stayed on the field, and our job is to get them off the field and disrupt his timing. I thought the guy played a good game. Obviously, give credit where credit is due and he’s a good player, he’s on a team for a reason. We’ve got to make sure we keep sharpening up how we’re calling plays and putting players in position and making sure that we execute when it’s called our way. In terms of Pep, I wouldn’t read anything into that at all. Pep’s a guy who’s going to play a lot of ball for us. Pep’s going to play a lot in a significant role, he’s a captain on this team, he’s a key member of our defense and our special teams units. A lot of it was kind of based around making sure we try to thin some of the loads out for this guy in different things he had to handle. It wasn’t anything reflected on how he’s played or performed. If anything, we came out of there with some of the things he did in the game, saying, ‘Hey, he’s a guy we want to have on the field as much as possible.’ So, we’ve just got to make sure that we consider some of the things that he’s doing and when he’s available having him out there on the field for us. The plan was really just with his best interest in mind, in terms of making sure he can stay fresh through all the different responsibilities he has on the team. But I would definitely not read too much into that. He’s a key part of our team for a reason.

Q: When (Quarterback) Daniel (Jones) was asked about the fumble yesterday, he essentially said he has to be mindful of that and be better going forward, but this has been a recurring situation. How do you make him better in those spots to where he’s not turning over the ball, especially at critical times?

A: Like him, with any other player as well, you’ve got to show them on tape what’s happening, show them what the symptom is and why it’s been an issue, and then you’ve got to make sure you drill it on the field and improve the technique. We’ve got to keep doing a better job of coaching, putting our players in a position within practice where we’re getting the ball attacked and the exact fundamentals of what they’re getting issues with. We’ve just got to keep stressing on a daily basis with all of our players, which we make an emphasis of, but we’ve got to keep doing a better job of coaching that and making sure going forward it’s not an issue with any player on our team.

Q: A quick follow-up to that, as a teaching moment for the Daniel Jones fumble, would you and your staff tell him if he slid there that he could avoid that fumble?

A: That’s part of what we teach anyway. There are times where a guy’s going to be aggressive and he’s going to have to go ahead and lower his shoulder to get an extra yard in a got-to-have-it type of situation. There are other times as a quarterback where you go ahead, and you slide, and you avoid the contact. Look, Daniel’s a tough dude and I’m the one that’s got to tell him to slide sometimes. I know he hates hearing that. He doesn’t want to be treated like he’s got kid gloves on, but that’s part of what we teach him in terms of getting down and protecting. You can see obviously on the runs after that run right there, he worked to go ahead and get on the ground and protect it until he got in the endzone on the final play.

Q: That was a first-down play, so he’s not necessarily fighting for extra yards or anything. He already had a nice gain, so in that specific play is the coaching instruction – you have to slide there and that solves the problem with the fumble?

A: I’d say the coaching on any of these situations is if it’s not a got-to-have it, you want to protect the ball as best as we can, whether it’s getting out of bounds or sliding and getting down.

Q: How do you balance demanding better from your team with still finding the positives which you have detailed yesterday and today?

A: To be honest with you, that’s what our meeting was about today. Look, it’s real simple for me and again, a win or a loss, you’ve got to come out and you’ve got to show your team the truth of what happens on tape. You’ve got to show them examples of winning football, what we did well, things we can build on and things that are going to help us move forward and win as a team. Then, you’ve got to show them things that you have to eliminate as a team, things you have to improve on, and you have to do it fast to make sure you don’t eliminate opportunities. To me, it’s not about going in there and giving motivational speeches or trying to get in there and embarrass anybody. It’s just you put the tape on, you teach through it and you correct it. Our job is to be teachers. Guys come in everyday, they sit in meetings in a classroom, and they’ve got to learn, and that’s really what it is. We go out there on the practice field and we have to take what we’ve talked about in the film room and put it on the practice field and make sure they can execute it. But to me, our guys have always been very good. We preach about being mentally tough and it can’t be an emotional rollercoaster. Win or lose, it doesn’t matter. The emphasis every week is you come in and work to improve. That was the emphasis today, as well.

Q: Is Saquon going to play barring his knee having a problem here?

A: This week coming up?

Q: Yeah, I mean, is that the plan? It is three days of rest and it’s a very awkward situation for a guy coming off a big knee injury.

­­A: I would say unless the medical team tells us something else, our intention’s going to be to keep on progressing this guy throughout the season and playing with him, unless there’s some kind of setback. Look, he came out last night, from all accounts, in a good position. Our plan to this point is to go ahead and include him in the game plan as we work through this next day and a half.

Q: How unique is this spot though, to have that coming off of this major knee injury and only have three days after your first game?

A: I couldn’t speak specifically on the uniqueness of it. I don’t know what other players have done this in our league and turned around and had to play in this. But every injury is unique in itself, so we have to rely on the information from our medical team here in terms of what we can and can’t do safely with our players.

Q: I’m sure you’ll give a full rundown on Washington tomorrow, but just at first glance, what do you think of their quarterback situation and (Washington Quarterback Taylor) Heinicke?

A: First off, I’ve got a world of respect for Fitz (Washington Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick). Never having coached this guy but competing against him a lot for a long time in different spots, this guy’s a great competitor. He does a great job. I’d say with Heinicke, to me obviously, it’s not the same guy, but there’s a lot of the same characteristics. I think you can get a little of a gunslinger in both these guys and I don’t say that in an insulting way. I say that in a very complimentary way that he’s a guy that can go out there and can really function and operate and think outside the box, extend plays, be creative within the system and, obviously, he’s been very competitive in all the games he’s been in. I’ve got a lot of respect for this guy as a player. Obviously, I started watching this guy back in the playoffs and all last year as well as some other spots he’d been in. Seeing this guy out there on the field, he’s going to be a challenge for us. He’s going to be a challenge for us. He’s a competitor and he’s going to look for ways to extend plays and get the ball downfield to their receivers.

Q: You said that you liked how your offensive line played yesterday. Just wanted to know specifically what did you like about what they did?

A: I liked the way we gave ourselves an opportunity for Daniel to get back there and get the ball out on time. Really did a good job of operating upfront, the guards and centers playing with a good, flat, firm pocket. The tackles did a good job for the most part of staying inside-out, keeping the rush riding on by. There are always a couple extra ones that we’ve got to go ahead and correct and build off of. That’s all been addressed today in the meetings and that’ll be a focus going forward as it always is. But seeing consistent progress from that group and how they played together and progressed, that’s something that’s moving in the right direction for us.

THE PLAYERS SPEAK…
Transcripts of the media sessions with the following players are available in The Corner Forum:

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The Giants will hold a light practice on Tuesday morning (10:50-11:50AM). Head Coach Joe Judge and select players will also address the media.

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.