Giants Officially Hire Four New Faces to Player Personnel Department

 Posted by
May 122022
 
Dante Pettis, New York Giants (January 3, 2021)

Dante Pettis – © USA TODAY Sports

GIANTS HIRE FOUR NEW FACES TO PLAYER PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT…
The New York Giants have officially announced that they have hired four new people to the team’s personnel department:

  • Chris Rossetti is the new director of pro scouting.
  • Dennis Hickey, as we previously reported, is the new assistant director of player personnel.
  • Mike Derice is a new national scout.
  • Scott Hamel, as we previously reported, is a new area scout (for the Southwest region).

Rossetti has spent the previous seven seasons with the Miami Dolphins, first as a pro personnel assistant (2015), then as a pro scout (2016-2020), and finally as assistant director of pro scouting (2021). Before that, Rossetti spent three seasons (2012-2014) in the player personnel department of the CFL’s Toronto Argonauts.

Hickey has extensive NFL experience including serving as pro personnel assistant, college scout, director of college scouting, and director of player personnel for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1996-2013) as well as general manager for the Miami Dolphins (2014-2015), and senior national scout for the Buffalo Bills (2017-2022).

Derice has worked with the Indianapolis Colts since 2012, mostly as an area scout with a focus on the Northeast region.

Hamel has been a scout with the Chicago Bears since 2015 with experience as an area scout in the Midwest (2017-2020) and Southeast (2021) regions.

The Giants fired Director of College Scouting Chris Pettit, Senior Personnel Executive Kyle O’Brien, Senior Pro Scouting Executive Ken Sternfeld, and Senior Pro Scout/Football Systems Analyst Matt Shauger last week.

DANTE PETTIS SIGNS WITH BEARS…
New York Giants unrestricted free agent wide receiver Dante Pettis has signed with the Chicago Bears. Pettis was signed to the Practice Squad in early September 2021 and the 53-man roster in October. He was then placed on Injured Reserve in early November with a shoulder injury. Pettis played in three games, with no starts, and finished with 10 catches for 87 yards and one touchdown.

The 6’1”, 195-pound Pettis was originally drafted in the 2nd round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the San Francisco 49ers. The Giants claimed Pettis off of waivers from the 49ers in early November 2020. He played in the final two games of the season for the Giants, catching four passes for 76 yards and one touchdown.

Sterling Shepard and Logan Ryan Ruled Out of Tampa Bay Game

 Posted by
Nov 202021
 
Sterling Shepard, New York Giants (December 20, 2020)

Sterling Shepard – © USA TODAY Sports

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

Not practicing were WR Sterling Shepard (quad), LB Lorenzo Carter (illness/ankle), S Logan Ryan (COVID protocols), and S Nate Ebner (knee). Ryan was officially placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 List on Saturday. All four players have officially been ruled out of Monday night’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Oddly, although the Giants have officially ruled Ryan out, the team’s press release says there is a chance Ryan could still play. “I’d say when you’re on that (COVID list), obviously you can’t play,” Head Coach Joe Judge said. “Is there a small chance that he could still test out and be available? There is. We’re preparing for all the situations of him not being available, as well as if he turns around for the last minute and he is. We’ll prepare for that, as well… So, if he clears as late as Monday morning, we’ll get him down there and have him ready to play.”

Ryan needs two consecutive negative tests within a span of 24 hours apart to be eligible to play.

Limited in practice were RB Saquon Barkley (ankle), RB Devontae Booker (hip), FB Cullen Gillaspia (calf), and TE Kaden Smith (knee). All four players are officially listed as “questionable” for the game.

Judge also revealed that WR Dante Pettis, who is currently on Injured Reserve, underwent shoulder surgery and will most likely miss the rest of the 2021 season.

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

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

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
There is no media availability to the Giants on Sunday. The team plays the Buccaneers in Tampa on Monday night.

Saquon Barkley and Sterling Shepard Out, Dante Pettis Placed on IR

 Posted by
Nov 052021
 
Sterling Shepard, New York Giants (October 24, 2021)

Sterling Shepard – © USA TODAY Sports

NOVEMBER 5, 2021 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
The New York Giants practiced on Friday at Quest Diagnostics Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

RB Saquon Barkley and S Xavier McKinney have been activated from the Reserve/COVID-19 List as it was deemed that both had falsely tested positive for COVID earlier in the week. Thirteen other members of the franchise also falsely tested positive (12 unidentified and OG/OC Matt Skura) and were previously cleared. Only Running Back Coach Burton Burns is currently being treated as COVID positive. Burns will miss Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

RB Gary Brightwell remains on the Reserve/COVID-19 List, but he may also be cleared as early as Saturday.

Not practicing were RB Saquon Barkley (ankle), RB Gary Brightwell (COVID protocol), WR Sterling Shepard (quad), WR Dante Pettis (shoulder/placed on Injured Reserve), LB Lorenzo Carter (ankle), and S Nate Ebner (ankle).

Barkley, Shepard, Pettis, Carter, and Ebner have officially been ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders. Brightwell is “questionable” for the game.

Regarding Barkley, Head Coach Joe Judge said before practice, “He’s been out of the building the last couple of days (due to the false COVID test). We haven’t had the chance to see where he’s progressed to and where he’s at physically, so they’re going to take a look at him and move him around and then we’ll see if he can progress and practice with us.”

Limited in practice were WR Kenny Golladay (knee), WR Kadarius Toney (thumb), WR John Ross (quad), and TE Kaden Smith (knee).

Golladay and Ross are “questionable” for the game while Toney and Smith are expected to play.

TE Kyle Rudolph (personal day on Thursday), OG/OC Matt Skura (cleared COVID protocol) and S Xavier McKinney (cleared COVID protocol) fully practiced. All three will play on Sunday.

ROSTER MOVES, INCLUDING DANTE PETTIS TO IR…
In addition to activating RB Saquon Barkley and S Xavier McKinney from the Reserve/COVID-19 List, the Giants placed wide receiver Dante Pettis on Injured Reserve with a shoulder injury that he suffered during Monday’s game.

The Giants also re-signed RB Dexter Williams to the Practice Squad and terminated the Practice Squad contract of TE Jake Hausmann. The 5’11, 212-pound Williams was originally drafted in the 6th-round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers. In two seasons with the Packers, Williams played in seven regular-season games with no starts. He has seven career rushing attempts for 19 yards. The Packers waived him in late August. The Giants then signed him to their Practice Squad in early September but terminated his contract three weeks later.

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

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

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
There is no media availability to the Giants on Saturday. The team hosts the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.

New York Giants 25 – Carolina Panthers 3

 Posted by
Oct 242021
 
Tae Crowder, Azeez Ojulari, and Dexter Lawrence; New York Giants (October 24, 2021)

Tae Crowder, Azeez Ojulari, and Dexter Lawrence – © USA TODAY Sports

NEW YORK GIANTS 25 – CAROLINA PANTHERS 3…
The New York Giants soundly defeated the Carolina Panthers 25-3 on Sunday afternoon at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. With the win, the Giants improved their overall record to 2-5.

Statistically, the Giants dominated the game. New York out-gained Carolina in first downs (21 to 11), total net yards (302 to 173), net yards rushing (103 to 56), net yards passing (199 to 117), and time of possession (34:35 to 25.25).

The story of the game was the Giants’ defense that held the Panthers to just 11 first downs and 173 yards. Carolina scored their only points of the game (a field goal) on their opening possession, a 13-play, 46-yard drive. The Panthers’ other 11 possessions resulted in seven punts, a safety, an interception, and two turnovers on downs.

Missing key component parts at running back, wide receiver, and on the offensive line, it was not pretty for New York’s offense for much of the game either. The Giants gained two first downs on their opening possession but were then forced to punt. New York started their second possession at the Carolina 41-yard line. Five plays later, the Giants had a 1st-and-goal from the 2-yard line. But in four attempts (two passing and two running), the Giants could not punch the ball in, leading to a turnover on downs. The Panthers still led 3-0.

Momentum began to shift on Carolina’s third possession. On 3rd-and-9 from their own 3-yard line, quarterback Sam Darnold was pressured by defensive lineman Leonard Williams, causing Darnold to throw the ball away and be flagged for intentional grounding in the end zone. The penalty resulted in a safety and the Giants now trailed 3-2.

The Giants received the ball back on the free kick. Despite only gaining 32 yards on six plays, it was good enough to set up place kicker Graham Gano to successfully kick a 49-yard field goal. Giants 5 – Panthers 3.

Neither team would score for the remainder of the half. The Panthers punted two more times and Darnold was also picked off at the New York 5-yard line, ending Carolina’s longest drive of the game (nine plays and 52 yards). The Giants also punted twice.

The game remained 5-3 for much of the 3rd quarter as both the Giants and Panthers punted twice to start the second half. However, on New York’s third possession after intermission, quarterback Daniel Jones led the Giants on an 11-play, 75-yard drive that resulted in a 5-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Dante Pettis on 3rd-an-3. This drive was highlighted by a one-handed, 16-yard catch by Jones on a gadget-play throw by Pettis. The Giants now led 12-3 as the quarter ended.

The Panthers went three-and-out and the Giants added three more points on the ensuing possession. Despite only gaining 16 yards on six plays, ex-Panther Gano nailed a 53-yard field goal to give the Giants a 15-3 advantage with less than 13 minutes to play.

After another three-and-out by Carolina, New York moved the ball just 32 yards in 10 plays, but again, Gano came through with a 44-yarder. Giants 18 – Carolina 3 with just under six minutes left to play.

New York’s final points came after a 4-play, turnover-on-downs by the Panthers at their own 19-yard line. On the very next snap, running back Devontae Booker broke off a 19-yard touchdown run, giving the Giants a comfortable 25-3 advantage with less than five minutes in the game. The Panthers reached the New York 29-yard line on their final possession, but again turned the ball over on downs. The Giants then ran out the clock.

Jones finished the game 23-of-33 for 203 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions. He caught one pass for 16 yards and also ran the ball eight times for 28 yards. Jones’ leading targets were tight end Evan Engram (6 catches for 44 yards), wide receiver Darius Slayton (5 catches for 63 yards), and Pettis (5 catches for 39 yards and a touchdown). Booker carried the ball 14 times for 51 yards and a touchdown.

Defensive linemen Leonard Williams was credited with 6 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 3 quarterback hits, and caused a safety. Linebacker Azeez Ojulari had 5 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 4 quarterback hits, and 3 tackles for losses. Defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence and safety Jabrill Peppers each had sacks as the team garnered six sacks overall. Bradberry had the lone turnover (an interception) for either team.

Video highlights are available at Giants.com.

ROSTER MOVES, PRACTICE SQUAD ACTIVATIONS, INACTIVES, AND INJURY REPORT…
On Saturday, the Giants signed WR David Sills to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad.

The Giants also elevated DL David Moa and LB Benardrick McKinney to the 53-man roster from the Practice Squad.

Inactive for the game were RB Saquon Barkley (ankle), WR Kenny Golladay (knee), WR Sterling Shepard (hamstring), WR Kadarius Toney (ankle), NT Danny Shelton (pectoral), CB Sam Beal (hamstring), and CB Josh Jackson.

LB Lorenzo Carter (ankle), S Jabrill Peppers, and LT Matt Peart (finger) all suffered injuries in the game. Peart returned to play.

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

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

Wednesday’s Giants Injury Report; Roster Moves

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

Andrew Thomas – © USA TODAY Sports

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

New York Giants Make Eight More Roster Moves

 Posted by
Sep 032021
 
Dexter Williams, Green Bay Packers (August 8, 2021)

Dexter Williams – © USA TODAY Sports

The New York Giants have re-signed quarterback Brian Lewerke, wide receiver Dante Pettis and linebacker Trent Harris to the Practice Squad. All three players were with the Giants in training camp this summer. The team also signed running back Dexter Williams to the Practice Squad.

The Giants signed Brian Lewerke in August 2021. The 6’3”, 216-pound Lewerke was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the New England Patriots after the 2020 NFL Draft. The Patriots waived him before the 2020 season started in early September.

The Giants claimed Dante Pettis off of waivers from the San Francisco 49ers in early November 2020. He played in the final two games of the season for the Giants, catching four passes for 76 yards and one touchdown. The 6’1”, 195-pound Pettis was originally drafted in the 2nd round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the 49ers. He has played in 30 regular-season games, with 12 starts. Pettis has experience returning kickoffs and punts.

The 6’2”, 255-pound Harris was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the New England Patriots after the 2018 NFL Draft. He spent his rookie season on the Practice Squad of the Patriots. The Miami Dolphins claimed Harris off of waivers in September 2019. He played in 11 games with three starts with the Dolphins, accruing 20 tackles and 1.5 sacks. The Dolphins cut him in early September 2020. The Giants signed Harris to the Practice Squad and then the 53-man roster in October 2020; he was re-signed to the Practice Squad in December after playing in four games with two starts (6 percent of all defensive snaps). He finished they year with five tackles and 0.5 sacks.

The 24-year old, 5’11, 212-pound Williams was originally drafted in the 6th-round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers. In two seasons with the Packers, Williams played in seven regular-season games with no starts. He has seven career rushing attempts for 19 yards.

In corresponding moves, the Giants terminated the Practice Squad contracts of tight end Nakia Griffin-Stewart, guard Jake Burton, and center Brett Heggie.

The 6’5”, 260-pound Griffin-Stewart was originally signed as rookie free agent by the Minnesota Vikings after the 2020 NFL Draft. He also spent time on the Practice Squad of the Green Bay Packers that year before being signed to the Practice Squad of the Giants in November 2020. The Giants cut him in December 2020 but re-signed him in January 2021.

The Giants signed Burton and Heggie as an undrafted rookie free agents after the 2021 NFL Draft.

Lastly, the Giants waived wide receiver Alex Bachman from Injured Reserve with an injury settlement.

The Giants placed Bachman on Injured Reserve in late August 2021 with an unknown injury. The 6’0”, 190-pound Bachman was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Los Angeles Rams after the 2019 NFL Draft. The Rams cut him before the season started and the Giants signed him to their Practice Squad in November 2019. Bachman also spent two stints on the team’s Practice Squad in 2020.

 

Giants Claim Three Players Off Waivers; Place Two On Injured Reserve

 Posted by
Sep 012021
 
Quincy Roche, Pittsburgh Steelers (August 21, 2021)

Quincy Roche – © USA TODAY Sports

GIANTS CLAIM THREE PLAYERS OFF OF WAIVERS, CUT THREE…
The New York Giants have claimed the following players off of waivers:

  • WR Collin Johnson (from Jacksonville Jaguars)
  • LB Justin Hilliard (from San Francisco 49ers)
  • LB Quincy Roche (from Pittsburgh Steelers)

The 23-year old, 6’6”, 222-pound Johnson was originally drafted in the 5th-round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Jaguars. As a rookie, he played in 14 NFL games with no starts, catching 18 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns.

The 24-year old, 6’1”, 231-pound Hilliard was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the 49ers after the 2021 NFL Draft.

The 23-year old, 6’3”, 245-pound Roche was originally drafted in the 6th round of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Steelers.

To make room for these three players, the Giants cut wide receivers C.J. Board (contract terminated) and Dante Pettis (waived) as well as linebacker Trent Harris (waived). Board was re-signed a few hours later when the Giants placed two players on Injured Reserve.

GIANTS PLACE ELERSON SMITH AND JOHN ROSS ON INJURED RESERVE…
The New York Giants have placed linebacker Elerson Smith and wide receiver John Ross on short-term Injured Reserve. Both are eligible to return to the 53-man roster after the first three games of the 2021 regular season.

With these roster vacancies, the Giants re-signed wide receiver C.J. Board, who was cut hours earlier in the day, and long snapper Casey Kreiter, who was cut yesterday.

GIANTS SIGN 14 PLAYERS TO THE PRACTICE SQUAD…
The New York Giants have signed the following players to the team’s 16-man Practice Squad:

  • RB Sandro Platzgummer
  • WR David Sills
  • WR Damion Willis
  • WR Matt Cole
  • TE Nakia Griffin-Stewart
  • TE Jake Hausmann
  • OC Brett Heggie
  • OG Kenny Wiggins
  • OG Jake Burton
  • OT Jackson Barton
  • DL David Moa
  • DL Willie Henry
  • LB Niko Lalos
  • S Jordyn Peters

All 14 players were with the team during training camp.

Platzgummer will spend a second season on the Practice Squad as part of the NFL’s International Player Pathway Program. Platzgummer does not count against the 16.

Three spots remain open on the Practice Squad.

MICHAEL STRAHAN TO HAVE HIS JERSEY NUMBER RETIRED ON NOVEMBER 28…
The New York Giants will retire former defensive end Michael Strahan’s #92 jersey during the November 28 game at MetLife Stadium against the Philadelphia Eagles. Strahan played for the Giants from 1993 to 2007. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2014.

Currently, 12 Giants have their jersey numbers retired by the Giants. Former quarterback Eli Manning will also have his jersey number (#10) retired during the September 26 game against the Atlanta Falcons at MetLife Stadium.

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 Wednesday afternoon (12:30-2:30 PM). The team’s coordinators and assistant coaches will also address the media, as well as select players.

New York Giants 2020 Positional Review: Wide Receivers

 Posted by
Jan 222021
 
Darius Slayton, New York Giants (September 14, 2020)

Darius Slayton – © USA TODAY Sports

Perhaps the single most disappointing unit on the New York Giants in 2020 was the wide receivers. Leading up to the season, there was much fan debate about just how good this group would be in 2020. The optimists pointed to Darius Slayton’s impressive 8-touchdown rookie season in which he averaged over 15 yards per catch. As long as he could stay healthy, Sterling Shepard had proven to be a reliable slot receiver who could move the chains. And despite missing four games due to a PED suspension and another due to a concussion, Golden Tate had gained 676 yards and six touchdowns in just 11 games in 2019. On the other hand, the naysayers claimed this group was way overrated. Most agreed that quality depth was non-existent.

The naysayers were right and the optimists were wrong. Slayton had a season to forget. He dropped six passes and saw his touchdown total fall to three (two of which came in the opener). Worse, Slayton all but disappeared from the offense for long stretches, catching only 12 passes for 167 yards and no touchdowns after the bye week. Shepard missed a quarter of the season with yet another injury, a turf toe that likely nagged him much of the year. While he led the team in receptions, Shepard only scored three touchdowns and averaged less than 10 yards per catch. Tate was most disappointing of all. He missed a quarter of the season (three to injuries and one for disciplinary reasons), and finished with just 388 yards receiving. No other wide receiver caught more than 11 passes. And as a unit, this group only scored an embarrassing nine touchdowns. NINE!

So what happened? It’s likely that the absence of Saquon Barkley from the line-up had a dramatic impact on the rest of the offense. Opposing defenses no longer had to worry about Barkley as a runner and receiver, someone who often received double-team and/or special attention. Teams could now spend more resources on defending Slayton, Shepard, or tight end Evan Engram. Golden Tate’s play fell off dramatically and he is clearly nearing the end of his career. Shepard (again) missed significant time due injury and Slayton was also dealing with a foot issue. Whatever the reasons, the top three receivers rarely created much separation from defensive backs. Every throw always seemed to be contested. And with no depth, the coaching staff had few replacement options. In the end, this group simply proved to be a bottom tier group, perhaps even the worst in the NFL.

THE STARTERS

In his fifth NFL season, Sterling Shepard caught a career-high and team-leading 66 passes, but 2020 represented yet another somewhat disappointing campaign. Shepard has now missed significant time due to injury in three seasons, spending four games on Injured Reserve in 2020 with a turf toe injury that he suffered in Week 2. He finished the year with just 656 yards (a career-low 9.9 yards per catch) and three touchdowns. Shepard was selected in the 2nd round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Giants. Shepard started all 16 games in 2016 and 2018, but missed five games in 2017 and six games in 2019, the latter with two serious concussions. He has never come close to cracking the 1,000-yard mark in a single season or duplicating his 8-touchdown season of his rookie campaign (he now has 20 career touchdowns). Shepard lacks ideal size and speed, but he is a fluid athlete with good quickness. Shepard runs good routes, is tough going over the middle, and adjusts well to the football. Shepard is not a consistent deep threat, but more of a move-the-chains underneath target who is ideally suited for the slot position. He needs to make more big plays. Good blocker.

After an impressive rookie season, Darius Slayton did not play as well in 2020. He played in all 16 games, starting 15, and finished the year with 50 catches for 751 yards and three touchdowns. While his reception and yardage numbers were similar to his rookie season, he played in two fewer games in 2019 while scoring eight touchdowns. Slayton also was second on the team in dropped passes with six in 2020. A nagging foot injury could have been an issue for him. The Giants drafted Slayton in the 5th round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He combines good size with very good overall athleticism and speed. Slayton can stretch the field and get deep. He runs good routes, adjusts well to the football, and is dangerous after the catch. To reach the next level, he must become a more physical receiver, including beating press coverage, and more consistent catching the football.

The play of Golden Tate really fell off a cliff in 2020. He missed three games to various leg injuries and was benched another game for disciplinary reasons. Yet despite playing in one more game than he did in 2019, Tate’s reception figures fell from 49 to 35, his yardage figures fell from 676 to 388, and his touchdown figures fell from six to two. The 5’10”, 197-pound Tate was originally drafted in the 2nd round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks. He has spent time with the Seahawks (2010-2013), Detroit Lions (2014-2018), and Philadelphia Eagles (2018). He made the Pro Bowl in 2014.  The Giants signed Tate as an unrestricted free agent from the Eagles in March 2019. In his first season with the Giants, Tate missed five games (four due to suspension and one due to a concussion). Tate is ideally suited for the slot position, but he appears to be slowing down. He is capable of making the tough catch in traffic and can be dangerous after the catch. Tate has a history of wearing out his welcome with teams in the NFL.

THE RESERVES

The Giants claimed C.J. Board off of waivers from the Jacksonville Jaguars in August 2020. He surprisingly played in 14 games, including four starts, but only finished with 11 catches for 101 yards and no touchdowns. The 6’1”, 181-pound Board was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Baltimore Ravens after the 2017 NFL Draft. He has spent time with the Ravens (2017), Tennessee Titans (2017), Cleveland Browns (2017-2018), and Jaguars (2018-2019). Before coming to the Giants, his only regular-season experience came in 2019 when his played in four games for the Jaguars and finished the year with just two catches for 31 yards.

The Giants signed Austin Mack as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2020 NFL Draft. He played in 11 games as a rookie with one start, finishing the year with just seven catches for 91 yards and no touchdowns. Mack is a muscular wideout with good size, but he lacks ideal speed and quickness. Strictly a possession-type receiver, Mack is capable of making the tough grab in traffic.

The Giants claimed Dante Pettis off of waivers from the San Francisco 49ers in early November 2020. He played in the final two games of the season for the Giants, catching four passes for 76 yards and one touchdown. The 6’1”, 195-pound Pettis was originally drafted in the 2nd round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the 49ers. He has played in 30 regular-season games, with 12 starts. Pettis has experience returning kickoffs and punts. He’s a good athlete who has struggled with some of the mental aspects of the game.

The Giants claimed Damion Ratley off of waivers from the Cleveland Browns in early September 2020 and cut him in October. He ended up playing in five games, catching four passes for 63 yards. The 6’2”, 200-pound Ratley was originally drafted in the 6th round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Browns. In 2018-2019, Ratley played in 26 regular-season games with six starts, accruing 25 catches for 344 yards and one touchdown.

PRACTICE SQUAD

The 6’0”, 190-pound Alex Bachman was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Los Angeles Rams after the 2019 NFL Draft. The Rams cut him before the season started and the Giants signed him to their Practice Squad in November 2019. Bachman began the 2020 season on the Giants’ Practice Squad, was cut, and then re-sign to the Practice Squad again. Bachman is an average-sized receiver with good quickness.

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

The Giants signed Binjimen Victor as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2020 NFL Draft. He spent the entire season on the team’s Practice Squad but was signed by the Baltimore Ravens in January 2021.

The Giants signed Corey Coleman to the Practice Squad in late October 2020 and cut him a month late in late November. The 5’11”, 185-pound Coleman was originally drafted in the 1st round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. The Giants signed Coleman to the Practice Squad and then the 53-man roster in October 2018. He ended up playing in eight games with one start, finishing with five catches for 71 yards. Coleman missed all of 2019 with a torn ACL knee injury. The Giants cut him in early September 2020. The NFL just announced Coleman will be suspended for six games in 2021 for a PED violation.

The Giants signed Johnny Holton in early September 2020. He spent a month on the Practice Squad before being cut in October. The 6’3”, 190-pound Holton was originally signed by the Oakland Raiders as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2016 NFL Draft.

INJURED RESERVE

Cody Core was placed on Injured Reserve in August 2020 after tearing his Achilles during a training camp practice. While Core only had three catches for 28 yards in 2019, he was arguably the team’s best special teams player, excelling on punt coverage. He was credited with eight tackles and was a big factor in downing punts inside the 20-yard line. The 6’3”, 205-pound Core was originally drafted in the 6th round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. In three seasons with the Bengals, he played in 35 regular-season games with seven starts, accumulating 30 catches for 360 yards and one touchdown. The Giants claimed  Core off of waivers from the Bengals in September 2019.

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

COVID-19 OPT-OUT

Da’Mari Scott opted out of the 2020 NFL season due to the COVID-19 issue. The Giants claimed Scott off of waivers from the Buffalo Bills in July 2019. They waived him in August but Scott spent time on both the team’s Practice Squad and 53-man roster during the season. In all, Scott played in five games with two starts. He finished the year with just two catches for 22 yards. He also returned four kickoffs (27.5 yards per return) and six punts (5.3 yards per return). The 6’0”, 205-pound Scott was originally signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2018 NFL Draft. The Browns waived him in December 2018 and he was then signed by the Bills.

Dave DeGuglielmo Tests Positive for COVID-19; Golden Tate Doubtful Against Cowboys

 Posted by
Jan 012021
 
Golden Tate, New York Giants (November 2, 2020)

Golden Tate – © USA TODAY Sports

DAVE DeGUGLIELMO TESTS POSITIVE FOR COVID-19…
New York Giants Offensive Line Coach Dave DeGuglielmo has tested positive for COVID-19.

“Dave DeGuglielmo, Guge, has a positive test,” said Head Coach Joe Judge. “There are two potential close contacts. Immediately upon notification last night, we isolated all three. We’ve had no close contacts other than those three. We’re going through all of the information. We went through it with the league this morning, went through all the players, went through all the coaches as well. We deemed it safe to open the building. We’ve been going through our normal protocols. All of our players have been masked up and wearing the protective shields and spaced our accordingly. We’ve continued with our meetings which are in our indoor facility and about as well of a ventilated space as can be. We’ve continued with our pre-practice walk-thru an abbreviated version to make sure it’s extra spaced out and avoid more close contacts. We’ve moved on now. The players are getting dressed and getting ready for practice.

“Really, we’re trying to keep the day as normal as can be. We went through everything last night to make sure it was completely safe to open the building. All the information we’ve been given, we deemed it was. We’ve not been a club who’s been slow to delay or change the schedule at any point this year based on a positive. But because we were out of the building on Monday and Tuesday and with the close contacts being very limited on Wednesday and having a virtual day yesterday, all information pointed us in the direction that today was safe to bring the players in the format we have and continue with normal Friday prep.”

Judge indicated that the other two people affected were not players and that Assistant Offensive Line Coach Ben Wilkerson will coach the offensive line in person while DeGuglielmo is out. DeGuglielmo will also continue to work with the offensive line via Zoom.

“I have a tremendous amount of confidence in Ben,” said Judge. “He’s a good coach. He’s a good, young coach. Draws from a knowledge of playing the game. He’s a very good communicator. He has a very good passion for the game. The players respond to him very well. He’s great on the field with technique instruction, and he’s very good in terms of communicating and forming relationships off the field. Look, this is a guy, to be honest with you, when I got here last year, Ben was down at the East-West Shrine Game coaching. We had more requests put in for Ben Wilkerson last year while he was down there. This is a deal where I talked to him before he went down there, I said, ‘I won’t make any moves on the staff without talking to you first.’ Then we agreed when he got back that I would like him to stay, he wanted to stay, we made some arrangements with the contract, and I’m glad to have him on our staff going forward. This is a guy that obviously we want in the program. He’s going to help us going forward.”

JANUARY 1, 2021 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY UPDATE…
FB Eli Penny (illness), WR Golden Tate (calf), and LB Cam Brown (illness) did not practice on Friday. Penny has officially been ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys. Tate is “doubtful” and Brown “questionable” for the game.

WR Sterling Shepard (ribs), TE Evan Engram (calf), and S Jabrill Peppers (ankle) were limited in practice. All three are expected to play on Sunday.

QB Daniel Jones (hamstring) and CB Darnay Holmes (knee) fully practiced and are expected to play on Sunday.

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

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

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

Giants Place Kyler Fackrell on Injured Reserve; Eight Roster Moves

 Posted by
Dec 012020
 
Kyler Fackrell, New York Giants (October 11, 2020)

Kyler Fackrell – © USA TODAY Sports

NEW YORK GIANTS ROSTER MOVES…
The New York Giants have placed linebacker Kyler Fackrell on Injured Reserve with a calf injury that he suffered in Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Fackrell had played in all 11 games this year, with eight starts. He had accrued 30 tackles, three sacks, and one interception that he returned for a touchdown. Fackrell will have to miss at least three games before he is eligible to return to the 53-man roster.

Tight end Kaden Smith, offensive tackle Matt Peart, and wide receiver/return specialist Dante Pettis were activated off the Reserve/COVID-19 List. They are eligible to return to practice on Wednesday. All three were placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 List on November 20th.

The Giants waived safety Montre Hartage and kicker/punter Ryan Santoso. Hartage has been on both the 53-man roster and Practice Squad this season, playing in one game. Santoso was signed last week off the Practice Squad as insurance in case place kicker Graham Gano was unavailable for the Cincinnati game. Gano was on the Reserve/COVID-19 List, but was activated Saturday.

Rookie free agents wide receiver Derrick Dillon and tight end Nate Wieting were terminated from the Practice Squad.

NEW YORK GIANTS ASSISTANT COACHES ADDRESS THE MEDIA…
A video clip compilation of the media sessions with the following New York Giants assistant coaches on Tuesday is available at Giants.com:

  • Quarterback Coach Jerry Schuplinski
  • Running Backs Coach Burton Burns
  • Wide Receivers Coach Tyke Tolbert
  • Tight Ends Coach Freddie Kitchens
  • Offensive Line Coach Dave DeGuglielmo
  • Defensive Line Coach Sean Spencer
  • Outside Linebackers Coach/Senior Assistant Bret Bielema
  • Inside Linebackers Coach Coach Kevin Sherrer
  • Defensive Backs Coach Jerome Henderson

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The New York Giants practice on Wednesday afternoon (12:30-2:10PM). Head Coach Joe Judge and select players will also address the media.

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