Aug 272023
 
Brian Daboll, New York Giants (August 26, 2023)

Brian Daboll – © USA TODAY Sports

NEW YORK GIANTS MAKE 11 ROSTER MOVES…
NFL teams must reduce their rosters from 90 to 53 by 4:00PM on Tuesday. On Sunday, the Giants announced the following 11 roster moves:

Waived:

  • RB James Robinson
  • WR Collin Johnson
  • DL Kevin Atkins
  • DL Donovan Jeter
  • CB Darren Evans

Contract Terminated (Vested Veteran):

  • WR Jaydon Mickens
  • OT Korey Cunningham
  • OT Julién Davenport
  • DL Brandin Bryant
  • OLB Tashawn Bower

Placed on Season-Ending Injured Reserve:

  • WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton (torn ACL)

The Giants still must make at least 26 roster moves by 4:00PM on Tuesday.

AUGUST 27, 2023 BRIAN DABOLL PRESS CONFERENCE…
New York Giants Head Coach Brian Daboll addressed the media on Sunday (VIDEO):

Q: With Isaiah Simmons, how quickly can you expect him to pick up everything the Giants do, including obviously (Defensive Coordinator Don Martindale) Wink and the defense?

A: Really, I think you have to get to know the player first and see what he can handle so we’re really in the introductory stages. I know he’s going to give everything he has and meet with (Inside Linebackers Coach John Egorugwu) Eggs and Wink and try to pick up all the things we need him to pick up. So, he’ll be in here, I’d say, a bunch kind of not just learning how we do things on the defensive side of the ball but learning how we do them in terms of our program and the expectations and the standards. Just talking to him the brief time I’ve had the chance to meet him and talk to him, I know he’s eager to do that and I expect him to be in here a bunch.

Q: When you find a player who it certainly seems is enthusiastic about the trade, happy for the new opportunity and comes with that mindset, how much easier does it make the transition for the player and the organization?

A: I think it’s good for both sides. I know he is excited to be here, we’re excited to have him, so it’s just going to require a good amount of hard work to try to catch him up as quickly as we can.

Q: When you guys signed (wide receiver Sterling Shepard) Shep in the offseason, I don’t know if there was any concrete expectation that he would be able to get as far as he has here, but has he shown you enough to prove to you that he could help this team this year?

A: Yeah, everything that we’ve asked him to do, and we’ve had a rehab plan I know that I’ve talked about for him. He’s done a nice job of kind of hitting each marker that we’ve set for him up to this point. Pleased with where he’s at, trainers have done a really good job with him and he’s done a good job himself, as a player, of being ready to go and I’d say performing well each time he’s had an opportunity to go out there on the practice field or in the game of being conscientious and knowing what to do. He’s looked pretty good in terms of his quickness and his explosion coming back after a couple years of injuries, so I’m pleased with where he’s at.

Q: I think there’s a lot of people on the outside looking at him playing last night and fielding that punt and saying, “that’s not a role that someone who’s got a secure place on this roster would be doing in this last preseason game.” Do you see it like that? What were you trying to get out of that last night?

A: That was the next step of his rehab. To get him out there and play a few more reps in live competition and again, I told you guys last night, he can catch punts and it’d be good for him to get out there in live action and catch a punt. Where he’s at and what we’ve asked him to do, I’m happy with the progress that he’s made.

Q: Is there any update on injuries?

A: I don’t have a lot of them because we’re not at that point yet. The one that I do have is (wide receiver) Bryce Ford-Wheaton. He’ll be out for the year. He had an ACL, unfortunately.

Q: Are any of the other ones—

A: The other ones, there’s still people getting looked at right now as we speak. So, I’ll have more for you guys Tuesday.

Q: The other guy I wanted to ask you about is (quarterback) Tommy DeVito. I think he called it his worst moment of his career, first pick six of his career. What did you say to him after that, and how do you feel he responded to that last night?

A: I said, ‘Go out there and sling it.’ Plays are going to happen. Bad plays are going to happen in a game, and to have a next play mentality, and go through the play and kind of see what happened, talk about it, and move on, and go out there and sling it around.

Q: Were you happy with what you saw from him in this camp, and did he maybe even exceed expectations?

A: I don’t really have expectations for any player when they come in here other than just come in here, work hard, learn the material and try to improve. I think he’s done all those since he’s been here. He’s been a good addition to our quarterback room. He’ll be the first to tell you, a long way to go, a lot to learn still, but certainly he’s gotten better each day he’s been here.

Q: Punt returner, do you have an answer there? Do you know who’s going to be the punt returner Week 1 right now?

A: Yeah, I have a good idea. But we’ll see.

Q: Is that (running back) Eric Gray, or is it somebody else?

A: Yeah, I mean, we’ll see. I’m not going to get into Week 1 and all that stuff right now. We’ll just kind of keep practicing here and see what happens.

Q: Why didn’t (guard) Tyre (Phillips) play last night?

A: He wasn’t ready to play relative to coming back from his injury.

Q: (Cornerback) Darnay Holmes, does he have value to this team? Obviously, it doesn’t seem like he won the slot corner job, but does he still have value to this team?

A: Yeah, sure. I’d say everybody we have right now has some sort of value. What that is, I think, is varying degrees, but I have a lot of confidence and trust in Darnay. We’ll see how everything plays out.

Q: I’m curious what went into the decision with (wide receiver) Collin Johnson as the guy who last year might’ve started prior to that injury, and he didn’t make it through the cuts this year. What kind of held him back? In your opinion, is he still kind of getting back from that Achilles injury?

A: That’s a good question. I’d say really with everybody that we’ve kind of moved on from and that we will move on from, it’s long discussions, they’re hard discussions. We have a room that we felt comfortable with. I figured it would be a good opportunity for him to get a jumpstart on potentially the next team doing him the right way. A guy that’s a hard worker, just we have some other guys that we’re going to keep.

Q: Continuing with the wide receiver position, are you planning to have (wide receiver) Wan’Dale (Robinson) on the initial 53, or at this point do you wait?

A: I’d say we’re still in discussions on that.

Q: Last year your roster, your situation was a little different in that you were just coming off a training camp, you were getting to know these guys, what they could do and what not, so when you cut guys your message to them from what I understand was stay ready in case we need you to come back. Is that still your message to these guys even though you have a better grasp on what you have and what you are going forward with?

A: Absolutely, yeah. One hundred percent. Again, those discussions are difficult. Had some this morning and that was really the message is everybody has to stay ready. I appreciate all their effort, their hard work that they have put into things. Unfortunately, it’s not going to work out being on the active roster but stay ready and I just appreciate everything that they’ve contributed up to this point, but tough days.

Q: When you make final cuts, how do you start? I mean do you sit there and go we want nine offensive linemen, or do you say give me your best four guys and we will build off that. How does that work?

A: That’s a really good question. So, (Senior Vice President and General Manager) Joe (Schoen) and I have a lot of discussions, as I have said numerous times. The scouting department, the guys I have mentioned before and he’s mentioned before that are actively involved, the coordinators and the position coaches give their input and then as we start having discussions about roster building, there is a lot that goes into it. I mean, there is a lot of different variables that go into it, so it’s not just let’s make sure we have this amount of players at this position or this amount of players at this position. Maybe you have more than you did last year at a particular position and then obviously you have less at another spot. If you take this guy, how does he contribute to the team, can he play multiple roles? Can he also do some stuff on special teams or this guy is just really good at this spot, so we need another backup for him because if he goes down then we have – there is just so many different variables that come up and we try to exhaust all of them with our conversations and bring other people that we have a lot of trust in, into them. Then ultimately try to make the best decision we can for putting a team together. You have to collect talent throughout the offseason and draft and free agency, but this is about building a team so there is a lot of different things that go into it.

Q: I don’t think we touched the defensive line yet, so, (defensive lineman) D.J. Davidson is another one who didn’t play last night, is that a little bit like Tyre where he just wasn’t ready?

A: Yes, yep, he is. Him and I’d say (defensive lineman) A’Shawn (Robinson), both were more rehab plan, if you will, than just weren’t playing them. We already had an idea that they weren’t going to play based on the training staff, the sports science people. So, that was the plan.

Q: And what’s the status with (defensive lineman) Ryder Anderson?

A: He’s still out so we will see where he’s at here over the next couple of days, but he’s still out for a little bit.

Q: With the way your schedule is structured and obviously the deadline sitting there on Tuesday, I assume you guys have discussed how you are going to go through this and go through the deadline. Is it important for you that when you hit the practice field on Tuesday that you kind of have things settled or are you ready to kind of go right up until the deadline with the numbers if there are guys that still have to be either waived or released. How are you guys handling that?

A: I think, this is pretty much the way it happens every year is early on in the season you put your roster together, but there is always things that happen throughout the league and cuts and maybe additions. We will do the best we can of putting it together and if there is changes that go all the way up until we can make them, then there is changes, but we have an idea. Actually, we’ve been talking after the game for a while, after we watched the game and then this morning. It’s kind of ever evolving, particularly early on in the season.

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The players are off on Monday and return to practice on Tuesday afternoon (1:45-2:45PM).

Jun 292023
 
Andrew Thomas, New York Giants (January 2, 2022)

Andrew Thomas – © USA TODAY Sports

With New York Giants training camp beginning in late July, BigBlueInteractive.com (BBI) breaks down each of the team’s positional groups until the players report at Quest Diagnostics Training Center.

FIND A COMPLETE LIST OF ALL BREAKDOWNS HERE

POSITIONAL BREAKDOWN: Offensive Line

2022 YEAR IN REVIEW: The offensive line was not a disaster in 2022, but it did not play as well as expected or hoped for. While Andrew Thomas continued to develop, becoming one of the best left tackles in the game and earning second-team All-Pro Honors, there was a revolving door at left guard due to injuries, and inconsistent play at center, right guard, and right tackle.

Rookie offensive linemen often struggle, but more was expected from the 7th overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, Evan Neal, at right tackle. He missed a month with a knee injury and was seen favoring his left arm/shoulder in another game. Neal had issues in pass protection and was flagged with six false starts. He was replaced by Tyre Phillips for those four games. Phillips had issues in pass protection as well. Right guard Mark Glowinski was a bit too up-and-down for his 3-year, $18 million contract. The Giants also signed Jon Feliciano to a 1-year deal in March after he was cut by the Bills. They converted him to center, where he started 15 games. But he was also inconsistent.

The initial plan appeared to be to start Shane Lemieux at left guard, but he missed virtually the entire season with a toe injury that landed him on Injured Reserve twice. Ben Bredeson started the first seven games until a knee injury sidelined him for six games. Joshua Ezeudu started two games at left guard until he suffered a neck injury. Nick Gates then stunned everyone by returning to the starting line-up despite a career-threatening leg injury he suffered in 2021 that required seven surgeries. Including the playoffs, Gates started the last nine games at left guard.

Overall, this group did help the Giants become the NFL’s 4th-best rushing team, averaging 148 yards per game, more than the Eagles. On the other hand, the Giants allowed 49 sacks, which tied them for 5th-worst in the NFL. Daniel Jones was pressured on one-fourth of his drop backs, which was 4th worst in the NFL.

ADDITIONS/SUBTRACTIONS: The Giants re-signed Wyatt Davis and Jack Anderson as exclusive rights free agents. They also re-signed Practice Squad players Solomon Kindley, Devery Hamilton, and Korey Cunningham. (Kindley was waived in May).

However, both centers, Jon Feliciano and Nick Gates, somewhat surprisingly departed in free agency. Gates received a 3-year, $16.5 million contract from the Commanders and Feliciano a 1-year, $2.3 million contract from the 49ers.

The offseason additions were few, but one was significant, the drafting of center John Michael Schmitz in the 2nd round of the draft. The team also signed center J. C. Hassenauer from the Steelers. The team did not sign any rookie free agents after the draft at the position.

In short, the Giants stood pat at the position except at center where they exchanged Schmitz and Hassenauer for Gates and Feliciano.

TRAINING CAMP STORY LINES:  Most of the attention will be on Evan Neal. Some have lowered their expectations on Neal, saying he just has to play at an average level. Teams don’t draft right tackles with the 7th overall pick in hopes they will just be average. Neal is likely to still experience growing pains, but he needs to drastically cut down both pass blocking mistakes and penalties while becoming a stud in the running game. The better Neal becomes, the easier it will be for this team to run and throw the football.

That all said, the same could be said for each of the starters in the interior of the line. The Giants need Glowinski to become a steadier player at right guard. If he doesn’t, it will be interesting to see if Marcus McKethan or one of the other back-ups presses him for playing time. Assuming that John Michael Schmitz will start at center, he will have his hands full in a division loaded with stud defensive tackles. Expect rookie growing pains. The left guard position still is unsettled. The leading candidates are Ben Bredeson and Joshua Ezeudu. I would not discount Shane Lemieux. The now injury-prone lineman was an ironman in college, and had he not been hurt the past two seasons, he would have been the starter at left guard under two different coaching staffs.

One of the unexpected developments this offseason is how much the team stood pat at the position. No new tackles or guards were added to the roster. This at least partially suggests the team was not down on many of the lesser known back-ups. Tyre Phillips (former 3rd round pick), Wyatt Davis (3rd round), Jack Anderson (7th round), Matt Peart (3rd round), Devery Hamilton (undrafted), and Korey Cunningham (7th round) also factor into the competition and someone could surprise.

ON THE BUBBLE: There are currently 15 offensive linemen on the 90-man roster. The Giants will likely keep nine on the 53-man roster. The locks are Andrew Thomas, Ben Bredeson, Josh Ezeudu, John Michael Schmitz, Mark Glowinski, and Evan Neal. That leaves nine players fighting for three spots. The leading candidate for the swing tackle is probably Tyre Phillips. Bredeson’s flexibility to play both guard and center helps the team if they feel another guard is better than Hassenauer at center. Marcus McKethan was impressing before he got hurt last summer.

FROM TEAM GENERAL MANAGER/COACHES/PLAYERS: General Manager Joe Schoen on the center position before the draft: “We knew Jon (Feliciano) was on a 1-year contract last year at this time. We didn’t know if Nick Gates was even going to be able to play football again. Heck, we didn’t know that until midway through the season. We had contingency plans in place. We claimed Jack Anderson. He was with us in Buffalo. He’s been working at center. Ben Bredeson is a guy who we are very comfortable with playing center. Shane Lemieux was playing it as well before the injury… We’ll be patient. We’ll continue to look. But we have confidence in Ben Bredeson, Jack Anderson, and Shane.”

Offensive Line Coach Bobby Johnson on why the Giants offensive line has struggled to form an identity in recent years: “You look at our line, before I got here and even now, it’s different. I’m like the sixth or seventh coach in the last five years. There have been just a line of (players) who have come through here. What we need to do is develop our identity… you need to continue to develop guys… the fans don’t know everything in house. Some of the guys we have on the roster they’ve never seen play. And so they assume they are not good enough, that’s why they haven’t played. Well that’s not necessarily the case… We only have three players that are older than 26 out of the 15. It’s a young room. There’s a lot of potential, a lot of room for growth. I see these guys getting better every day.”

Offensive Line Coach Bobby Johnson on Evan Neal: “Evan’s a worker. So I have no reason to believe (he won’t improve) with the work ethic put in, the attention to detail, and pushing to be a really good player. We’ll see better results… Now it’s not new to him.”

Offensive Line Coach Bobby Johnson on Josh Ezeudu: “He’s rehabbed very well from the injury, he’s another year in the system, he’s got confidence in what we’re doing. Some things we decided to work on from a technique standpoint he’s really worked hard at. I’m seeing good results. I expect to see even more when we get to training camp.”

Offensive Line Coach Bobby Johnson on John Michael Schmitz: “He’s progressing quite well. He’s got all of the intangibles you look for. He’s got all of the physical traits you look for. We’ll find out more when we get to training camp… He’s progressing the right way… It will be an eye-opener for him when he has to block (Dexter Lawrence in training camp).”

Evan Neal on what he did this offseason to improve: “Really just everything. I want to get better across the board. I tweaked my stance. I got a lot healthier. I got a lot more flexible. I worked a lot on flexibility. Just being able to move throughout my lower body and my hips. Making sure that I am in a stance that I am comfortable in, that I can load up my front leg and press out of it and be explosive and also be balanced and under control at the same time… I’ve been doing a whole bunch of yoga.”

Marcus McKethan on his status: “Just trying to get healthy. That’s the main thing of my offseason so far. I’m pretty close, just getting over that final hump and I feel like that I’ll be there. My timeline right now is training camp… I (am still working at) guard and tackle.”

Offensive Line Coach Bobby Johnson on what Giants fans can realistically expect this year: “You’re going to see an improved offensive line in a number of areas. We are going to start to show an identity and some consistency… I think for the first time in a long time the fans are going to be proud of their lineman… I think we’re going to put a product out there on the field that the fans will have pride in. Because I know the players that are going to put those jerseys on will have pride in that jersey.”

PREDICTIONS/CLOSING THOUGHTS: If you told Giants fans in January that the team would not add any tackles or guards to the roster this offseason, they probably would have freaked out. But the confidence in this front office and coaching staff right now is so high that given that now-known outcome, fans are not now panicking in June. Not adding a tackle or guard in free agency, the draft, or the rookie free agent signing period is pretty telling. It seems to suggest the team wants to develop players already on the roster.

Giants fans are all thinking the same thing… we’re set at left tackle with Andrew Thomas. Now we need Evan Neal to rapidly improve at right tackle and for John Michael Schmitz to show signs he will be a long-term answer at center. There is also hope that the two second-year, North Carolina guards will eventually press for starting roles.

Assuming Schmitz starts at center, the only training camp battle for a starting spot is at left guard. In the spring, Ben Bredeson and Josh Ezeudu were splitting snaps with the first team with Bredeson also receiving first-team snaps at center. Glowinski is probably entrenched as a starter at right guard for at least one more season, unless he falters and someone like Marcus McKethan presses him. I’m in the minority on this, but I still would not count out Shane Lemieux. He started his rookie season. He was set to start in 2021 and 2022 before training camp injuries ruined both seasons. In four years in college as a starter, Lemieux never missed a game. The last two seasons seems like flukes.

Andrew Thomas has not reached his ceiling yet. Keep in mind this is the first offseason he did not have surgery and this is the first time he will have the same offensive line coach for two years in a row.

This brings us to Evan Neal. We all know Neal struggled as a rookie. But too many fans seem to be focused on him and not the interior line spots that were also an issue last year. Neal needs to improve but the team needs better center and guard play just as much. Especially in this division. My prediction is Neal will improve as the year progresses, but he will be nitpicked to death by fans in September and October. That’s OK. I’m old enough to remember Giants fans being sure that Brad Benson, Jumbo Elliott, David Diehl, and Andrew Thomas were crappy players. Neal will be better but I think the real dividends will come in year three and beyond.

FINAL DEPTH CHART: Andrew Thomas, Evan Neal, Tyre Phillips, Mark Glowinski, Ben Bredeson, Josh Ezeudu, Marcus McKethan, Shane Lemieux, John Michael Schmitz

Jan 222023
 
Saquon Barkley, New York Giants (January 21, 2023)

Saquon Barkley – © USA TODAY Sports

COLTS INTERVIEW MIKE KAFKA…
The Indianapolis Colts announced that they completed their interview with New York Giants Offensive Coordinator Mike Kakfa for their head-coaching vacancy.

GIANTS SIGN 10 PLAYERS TO RESERVE/FUTURE CONTRACTS…
The New York Giants have signed 10 players to reserve/future contracts. All 10 players were on the team’s Practice Squad:

  • RB Jashaun Corbin
  • WR Jaydon Mickens
  • WR Kalil Pimpleton
  • WR Makai Polk
  • TE Dre Miller
  • OT Korey Cunningham
  • OT Devery Hamilton
  • DT Vernon Butler
  • CB Zyon Gilbert
  • S Trenton Thompson

The Giants signed OG Solomon Kindley to a reserve/future contract on January 11. He had also been on the Practice Squad.

The Athletic is reporting that OT Roy Mbaeteka turned down a reserve/future contract offer from the Giants. Mbaeteka, a Nigerian, has chosen to return to the International Pathway Program (IPP), which assures him of being on some team’s Practice Squad for three years. Mbaeteka, who was with the Giants in training camp, only spent part of the year on New York’s Practice Squad as a conventional Practice Squad player.

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)
  • RB Saquon Barkley (Video)
  • WR Isaiah Hodgins (Video)
  • WR Wan’Dale Robinson (Video)
  • LT Andrew Thomas (Video)
  • RT Evan Neal (Video)
  • DL Leonard Williams (Video)
  • OLB Kayvon Thibodeaux (Video)
  • S Xavier McKinney (Video)
  • S Julian Love (Video)

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
General Manager Joe Schoen and Head Coach Brian Daboll will address the media on Monday.

Oct 192022
 
Marcus Johnson, New York Giants (October 16, 2022)

Marcus Johnson – © USA TODAY Sports

GIANTS SIGN MARCUS JOHNSON TO 53-MAN ROSTER…
The New York Giants signed wide receiver Marcus Johnson to the 53-man roster on Tuesday. Johnson had been elevated to the game-day roster for the past three games, catching five passes for 60 yards.

The 6’1”, 207-pound Johnson was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Philadelphia Eagles after the 2016 NFL Draft. He has spent time with the Eagles (2016-2017), Seattle Seahawks (2018), Indianapolis Colts (2018–2020), Tennessee Titans (2021), and San Francisco 49ers (2022). The Giants signed him to the Practice Squad in early September. Johnson has played in 44 regular-season games with 14 starts, catching 56 passes for 899 yards and three touchdowns.

PRACTICE SQUAD MOVES…
On Tuesday, the Giants signed offensive tackle Korey Cunningham and tight end Lawrence Cager to the Practice Squad. The team also terminated the Practice Squad contract of tight end Austin Allen.

The Giants terminated the contract of Cunningham in July 2022 with a non-football injury. The 27-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. The Giants signed Cunningham was signed to the Practice Squad in early September 2021 and the 53-man roster in October 2021. He ended up playing in 12 games with no starts. His only significant playing time came in Week 16 at right tackle, filling in for the injured Matt Peart. In four NFL seasons, Cunningham has played in 30 regular-season games, with six starts, all with the Cardinals in 2018. He has experience at both tackle positions.

The 25-year-old, 6’5”, 220-pound Cager was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the New York Jets after the 2020 NFL Draft. He has spent time with the Jets (2020-2021, 2022) and Cleveland Browns (2021). The Jets cut him on Saturday. Cager has played in four regular-season games with two starts, catching two passes for 35 yards.

Allen was signed by the Giants as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2022 NFL Draft.

OCTOBER 19, 2022 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
WR Kenny Golladay (knee), WR Kadarius Toney (hamstring), OLB Oshane Ximines (quad), CB Cor’Dale Flott (calf), and S Jason Pinnock (ankle) did not practice on Wednesday.

RB Saquon Barkley (shoulder), OT Andrew Thomas (elbow), OC Jon Feliciano (groin), and OLB Azeez Ojulari (calf) practiced on a limited basis.

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 (12:45-2:45PM). The coordinators and select players will also address the media.

Jul 222022
 
Gavin Heslop, New York Giants (November 21, 2021)

Gavin Heslop – © USA TODAY Sports

GIANTS SIGN GAVIN HESLOP AND CUT KOREY CUNNINGHAM…
The New York Giants have signed unrestricted free agent cornerback Gavin Heslop and terminated the contract of offensive tackle Korey Cunningham with a non-football injury.

The 24-year old, 6’0”, 197-pound Heslop was originally signed as undrafted rookie free agent by the Seattle Seahawks after the 2020 NFL Draft. He spent most of 2020 and 2021 on the Practice Squad of the Seahawks, although he did play in three regular-season games in 2021. Heslop broke his leg late in December 2021 and was placed on Injured Reserve. The Seahawks chose not to tender him as an exclusive rights free agent.

Korey Cunningham was signed to the Practice Squad in early September 2021 and the 53-man roster in October. He ended up playing in 12 games with no starts. His only significant playing time came in Week 16 at right tackle, filling in for the injured Matt Peart. Cunningham played 88 percent of the snaps in that game, but struggled as both a pass protector and run blocker. The 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.

GIANTS PLACE DANIEL BELLINGER ON PUP…
The Giants have placed rookie tight end Daniel Bellinger on the Active/Physically-Unable-to-Perform (PUP) List with a quad injury. Bellinger can be activated off of the PUP at any time before the season starts. If he is still on the PUP when the season begins, he will have to sit out the first four regular-season games.

Mar 172022
 
Logan Ryan, New York Giants (October 24, 2021)

Logan Ryan – © USA TODAY Sports

NEW YORK GIANTS CUT LOGAN RYAN…
The New York Giants have terminated the contract of safety Logan Ryan, who had two years left on his 3-year, $31 million contract (he initially signed a 1-year contract with the Giants in 2020). Ryan was not designated a post-June 1st cut and it appears that his release only created $775,000 in cap savings with $11.45 million in dead money.

The Athletic is reporting that $5.5 million of $9.25 million salary for 2022 was fully guaranteed. Another $3 million would have become fully guaranteed if Ryan was on the roster on Friday. So the Giants needed to cut him before tomorrow for any savings.

In his second season with the team, Logan Ryan remained an important presence in the secondary in 2021, especially after the loss of Jabrill Peppers early in the season. Ryan started 15 games at strong safety (98 percent of all defensive snaps in those games), missing two mid-season games with COVID. He finished the season with 105 tackles (second on the team), one sack, three quarterback hits, eight pass defenses, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery.

The Giants signed Ryan in late August 2020. He ended up being a very important, jack-of-all-trades defensive back who was used at both safety and corner. Ryan also quickly became a team leader and solid presence in the locker room. In all, Ryan played in all 16 games with 15 starts in 2020.

The 5’11”, 195-pound Ryan was originally drafted in the 3rd round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. He has spent time with the Patriots (2013-2016) and Titans (2017-2019), playing 109 regular-season games with 85 starts. Ryan has spent most of his career at corner, but now prefers to play safety. While Ryan has history of being an instinctive, play-maker, he also still misses too many tackles and can be exposed in coverage at times.

GIANTS RE-SIGN KOREY CUNNINGHAM…
The Giants have re-signed unrestricted free agent offensive tackle Korey Cunningham.

Cunningham was signed to the Practice Squad in early September 2021 and the 53-man roster in October. He ended up playing in 12 games with no starts. His only significant playing time came in Week 16 at right tackle, filling in for the injured Matt Peart. Cunningham played 88 percent of the snaps in that game, but struggled as both a pass protector and run blocker.

The 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 four NFL seasons, Cunningham has played in 30 regular-season games, with six starts, all with the Cardinals in 2018. He has experience at both tackle positions.

MEDIA SESSION WITH TYROD TAYLOR…
The video of the media session with quarterback Tyrod Taylor is available on YouTube.

Jan 052022
 
Jake Fromm and Mike Glennon, New York Giants (December 5, 2021)

Jake Fromm and Mike Glennon – © USA TODAY Sports

JANUARY 5, 2022 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
The New York Giants held a light, walk-thru practice on Wednesday at Quest Diagnostics Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Not practicing were QB Mike Glennon (wrist), FB Cullen Gillaspia (knee), WR John Ross (knee), WR Collin Johnson (hamstring), NT Austin Johnson (foot), DL Dexter Lawrence (personal/COVID ramp up), and LB Elerson Smith (neck).

The Giants revealed on Tuesday that Glennon’s wrist injury will require surgery he is done for the season. Jake Fromm will start in his place.

Limited in practice were RB Saquon Barkley (ankle, WR Kadarius Toney (shoulder), WR Darius Slayton (shoulder/COVID ramp up), TE Kyle Rudolph (ankle), OT Andrew Thomas (shoulder), OT Korey Cunningham (COVID ramp up), OG Will Hernandez (ankle), and NT Danny Shelton (COVID ramp up).

ROSTER MOVES…
On Tuesday, the Giants waived TE Chris Myarick and terminated the Practice Squad contract of OL Isaiah Wilson.

On Wednesday, the Giants placed LB Elerson Smith on Injured Reserve with a neck injury. The team also placed Practice Squad player DL Woodrow Hamilton on the Reserve/COVID-19 List.

The Giants activated WR Darius Slayton, OT Korey Cunningham, DL Dexter Lawrence, NT Danny Shelton, LB Omari Cobb, and CB Ka’Darr Hollman from the Reserve/COVID-19 List.

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.

Dec 302021
 
Kadarius Toney, New York Giants (December 5, 2021)

Kadarius Toney has a lot of boo-boos

DECEMBER 30, 2021 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
The New York Giants practiced on Thursday at Quest Diagnostics Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Not on the official injury list, but also not practicing due to being placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 List were WR Darius Slayton, OL Korey Cunningham, NT Danny Shelton, DE Dexter Lawrence, and S Julian Love.

Not practicing were RB Gary Brightwell (neck), WR Kadarius Toney (shoulder), WR John Ross (knee/COVID ramp up), WR Collin Johnson (hamstring), OL Billy Price (personal), and DL Austin Johnson (foot).

“Billy and his family are dealing with a family matter,” Head Coach Joe Judge said. “I’m not going to go into it. It’s not mine to disclose, but his family has our full support as an organization. We’ve all talked to him. Our concern is for the personal wellbeing of Billy as a person, and his family’s well-being is a primary concern right now. We’ll deal with Billy as we go through the week, and we’ll know more as we go.”

Limited in practice were RB Saquon Barkley (ankle), FB Cullen Gillaspia (shin), TE Kyle Rudolph (ankle), TE Chris Myarick (hip), OT Nate Solder (COVID ramp up), OL Ben Bredeson (ankle), DL Raymond Johnson (illness), CB Adoree’ Jackson (quad/COVID ramp up), CB Keion Crossen (COVID ramp up), and PK Graham Gano (illness).

ROSTER MOVES…
The Giants have placed WR Darius Slayton, OL Korey Cunningham, and LB Omari Cobb on the Reserve/COVID-19 List. Slayton and Cunningham will likely miss Sunday’s game; Cobb is on the Practice Squad. The team activated OT Nate Solder from the Reserve/COVID-19 List.

The Giants also placed OT Matt Peart (knee) and RB Gary Brightwell (neck) on Injured Reserve. Their season is over.

The Giants waived LB Trent Harris.

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

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

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
The Giants practice again on Friday. Head Coach Joe Judge and select players will also address the media.

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.

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.