New York Giants Cut Will Johnson; D.J. Fluker Signing Official

 Posted by
Mar 132017
 
Will Johnson, New York Giants (June 6, 2016)

Will Johnson – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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NEW YORK GIANTS CUT WILL JOHNSON…
The New York Post, Newsday, and NJ.com are reporting that the New York Giants have released fullback/H-Back/tight end Will Johnson. The Giants signed Johnson to a 2-year, $2.3 million contract last offseason, but he missed the entire season with nerve damage to his deltoid muscle. Johnson’s 2017 cap hit would have been $1.275 million. The Giants will suffer $200,000 in dead money by cutting him before June 1st.

Johnson has indicated that the Giants may re-sign him to a cheaper contract.

The Giants signed Johnson as an unrestricted free agent from the Pittsburgh Steelers in April 2016. Johnson was not drafted and signed with the Steelers in 2012. In four seasons with the Steelers, Johnson only missed one regular-season game, and started 20 contests. He has 31 career receptions for 235 yards and two touchdowns. Johnson is versatile with the ability to play fullback, H-Back, and tight end. He is a good lead blocker who can also catch the football. Johnson is a solid special teams player.

D.J. FLUKER SIGNING OFFICIAL…
The New York Giants officially announced the signing of unrestricted free agent offensive lineman D.J. Fluker, who was released by the Los Angeles Chargers on Tuesday. The contract is reportedly a 1-year, $3 million deal.

“D.J. is a young, versatile big man with lots of starts in this league,” said General Manager Jerry Reese. “He will bring size, toughness and competition to our offensive line unit.”

“I’m definitely looking forward to a new start,” said Fluker. “Hopefully, I can make a big impact on the offensive line. I think the Giants give me the best opportunity to be successful.”

Fluker was asked if he preferred play tackle or guard. “Wherever they want me to be successful and the team to be successful,” said Fluker. “They’ll move me around a little bit. Wherever they want to put me is fine.”

The 25-year old Fluker was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the 1st round of the 2013 NFL Draft. In four seasons with the Chargers, Fluker has started 59 regular-season games, first at right tackle and then right guard. After a solid rookie season in 2013, Fluker has struggled since and was cut by the Chargers in March 2017. Fluker has excellent size (6’5”, 339 pounds) and strength, but he has struggled in pass protection. Tough, he’s played through injuries but has had issues with the cerebral elements of the game such as picking up stunts.

ARTICLES…

New York Giants to Cut Will Johnson, Could Be Re-Signed

 Posted by
Mar 102017
 
Will Johnson, New York Giants (June 6, 2016)

Will Johnson – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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NEW YORK GIANTS TO CUT WILL JOHNSON, COULD BE RE-SIGNED…
NJ.com is reporting that the New York Giants will release fullback/tight end/H-Back Will Johnson. However, the Giants may re-sign Johnson to a cheaper deal. The Giants signed Johnson to a 2-year, $2.3 million contract last offseason, but he missed the entire season with nerve damage to his deltoid muscle. Johnson’s 2017 cap hit would have been $1.275 million. The Giants will suffer $200,000 in dead money by cutting him before June 1st.

Johnson told NJ.com that the Giants are interested in re-signing him to veteran-minimum contract ($775,000 for a player with his experience).

“I’d like to come back, but I know they just signed a guy (Rhett Ellison) who basically does the same thing I do, so I don’t know if they even want me back,” Johnson said. “They’re aware that I can sign elsewhere. I plan to shop around. There’s not much of a market for me coming off (Injured Reserve) for a season. So, we’ll see how things turn out.

“I’ve been told if I had to go out and play football today I could. I don’t know if by the books I’m cleared or not. But after talking with the team doctors, I think I would be cleared and good to go. Everything looks fine.”

The Giants signed Johnson as an unrestricted free agent from the Pittsburgh Steelers in April 2016. Johnson was not drafted and signed with the Steelers in 2012. In four seasons with the Steelers, Johnson only missed one regular-season game, and started 20 contests. He has 31 career receptions for 235 yards and two touchdowns. Johnson is versatile with the ability to play fullback, H-Back, and tight end. He is a good lead blocker who can also catch the football. Johnson is a solid special teams player.

BRANDON WILLIAMS RE-SIGNS WITH BALTIMORE RAVENS…
The Baltimore Ravens have re-signed unrestricted free agent defensive tackle Brandon Williams to a 5-year, $54 million contract. The New York Giants were reported to have some interest in Williams.

New York Giants 2016 Positional Review: Running Backs

 Posted by
Feb 072017
 
Rashad Jennings, New York Giants (November 14, 2016)

Rashad Jennings – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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The New York Giants running backs finished the 2015 season 18th in rushing with 100.6 yards per game and averaging 4.0 yards per rush. The Giants rushed for only five touchdowns. The leading rushers on the team that year were Rashad Jennings (863 yards, three touchdowns), Shane Vereen (260 yards, zero touchdowns), Andre Williams (257 yards, one touchdown), and Orleans Darkwa (153 yards one touchdown). In addition, Vereen proved a significant weapon in the passing game with 59 catches for 494 yards and four touchdowns. Jennings also contributed with 29 catches for 296 yards and one touchdown.

Despite the mediocre rushing numbers, there was optimism entering the 2016 season. Half of Jennings’ 2015 yardage (432 yards) came in the last four games of the season. The ground game – led by Jennings – seemed to peaking behind a young and improving offensive line that would remain intact coming into 2016. In addition, replacing the disappointing Andre Williams with 5th rounder Paul Perkins appeared to an upgrade. Vereen was coming off of his best pro season and expected to continue to serve a duo-purpose threat. And the Giants signed veteran hybrid fullback/tight end Will Johnson to mount a significant challenge to fullback Nikita Whitlock.

In reality, the 2016 results were a kick to the nuts. The Giants ground game not only worsened, but it fell to 29th with a paltry 88.2 yards per game and averaging 3.5 yards per rush. The Giants rushed for only six touchdowns. And pass receptions by running backs fell from 92 catches for 828 yards and five touchdowns in 2015 to 83 catches for 622 yards and one touchdown in 2016.

Why the drop? Inconsistent blocking by the offensive line and tight ends was a factor. The improvement by the line – under new offensive like coach Mike Solari – never occurred. There was not a strong blocking tight end on the team. In addition, both fullbacks were lost to injury for the season before it began and the team carried no fullbacks on the roster. As such, the Giants “bread-and-butter” running play was out of the shotgun formation.

But truth be told, it also became painfully clear that while a good guy and a strong locker room presence, Jennings was no more than an aging, backup-at-best halfback who rarely created yardage on his own either by elusiveness or breaking tackles. Starting 12-of-16 regular-season games, Jennings only averaged 3.3 yards per carry. Vereen missed the bulk of the season with a triceps injury that he also re-injured, and his absence in the passing game was very noticeable. Bobby Rainey replaced him but only had 20 receptions. Orleans Darkwa started two games but only received 30 carries and got hurt again. The only real bright spot was Perkins, but he was not a significant factor until December, gaining 271 of his 456 rushing yards in his last four regular-season games.

Yeah, the blocking was a factor, but this was also a very mediocre-at-best group of running backs.

THE STARTER

Rashad Jennings saw his production drop dramatically in 2016 after having his most productive year in the NFL in 2015. Jennings’ rushing yards (from 863 to 593) and yards per carry (from 4.4 to 3.3) fell precipitously with only three rushing touchdowns in each season. Jennings did catch six more passes (from 29 to 35) but his yards per catch dropped nearly in half (from 10.2 to 5.7). Jennings was originally drafted in the 7th round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He signed with the Oakland Raiders in 2013 and the Giants in 2014. Jennings missed five games with the Giants in 2014 due to knee and ankle problems. He started all 16 games in 2015, but missed three games in 2016 with a thumb injury. Jennings has good size, but he does not run with much vision, quickness, or power. Jennings does not create much yardage on his own either through elusiveness or tackle-breaking ability. He is a solid pass blocker and has good hands as a receiver. Jennings is a hard worker and a good presence in the locker room. He has had issues staying healthy throughout his career.

THE RESERVES

Paul Perkins was drafted by the Giants in the 5th round of the 2016 NFL Draft. As a rookie, Perkins played in 14 regular-season games with one start (regular-season finale). He also started the playoff game. Perkins finished the regular season with 112 carries for 456 yards (4.1 yards per carry) and 15 catches for 162 yards (10.8 yards per catch). Perkins lacks ideal size and speed but he has good vision, quick feet, and cutting ability. Perkins is a tough runner who plays bigger than his size, but he is not a powerful runner. He catches the ball well.

The Giants signed Bobby Rainey as an unrestricted free agent from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in April 2016.  He played in 15 games with no starts and finished the season with 17 carries for 63 yards (3.7 yards per carry) and 20 catches for 153 yards (7.6 yards per catch). Rainey also returned six punts (6.5 yards per return) and eight kickoffs (25.5 yards per return). Rainey was originally signed as an undrafted rookie free agent by the Baltimore Ravens after the 2012 NFL Draft. He has spent time with the Ravens (2012), Cleveland Browns (2013), and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2013-2015). Rainey lacks size, but he is a well-built runner with good quickness. He lacks power and has had issues with ball security with 13 career fumbles. Rainey catches the ball well and has experience as a punt and kickoff returner.

Orleans Darkwa was placed on Injured Reserve in November 2016 with a lower leg injury. Darkwa played in 10 games with two starts for the Giants in 2016. He carries the ball 30 times for 111 yards (3.7 yards per carry) and two touchdowns. He also caught two passes for 12 yards. Darkwa was originally signed by the Miami Dolphins as a rookie free agent after the 2014 NFL Draft. He played in four games in September before being waived in October and signed to the team’s Practice Squad. The Giants signed him off of Miami’s Practice Squad in November 2014. Darkwa has average size and overall athletic ability, but he is a very physical, instinctive between-the-tackles runner. He lacks elusiveness and the ability to create on his own. Darkwa has good hands despite having only 10 career receptions.

The Giants signed George Winn to the 53-man roster in late December 2016. Winn was originally signed by the Houston Texans as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2013 NFL Draft. He has spent time with the Texans (2013), New England Patriots (2013), Oakland Raiders (2013), Pittsburgh Steelers (2013), Dallas Cowboys (2013), and Detroit Lions (2014–2016). The Giants signed him to their Practice Squad in November 2016 and cut him in mid-December. Winn has played in 19 regular-season games with no starts, accruing just 74 yards on 23 carries (3.2 yards per carry). Winn is a hard-nosed, between-the-tackles runner. Good special teams player.

PRACTICE SQUAD

Jacob Huesman was signed to the Practice Squad in late December 2016. Huesman is a former quarterback who the Giants are converting to running back. He was not drafted in 2016, and not signed after the draft despite working out for the Steelers and Titans. Huesman had a brief stint with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the CFL. He has good size for a running back and was productive in college running with the football as a quarterback.

INJURED RESERVE

Shane Vereen was placed on Injured Reserve (IR) in September 2016 with a triceps injury that required surgery, activated back off of IR in December, and then placed on IR again that same month after re-injuring his triceps and needing surgery again. Vereen was originally selected in the 2nd round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots. The Giants signed him as a free agent in March 2015. In 2015, serving as the team’s third-down back and playing in all 16 games with no starts, Vereen had his most productive year in the NFL as a pass receiver. He caught a career-high 59 passes for 495 yards and four touchdowns. It was the most receptions by a Giants running back in a single season since Tiki Barber. Vereen also carried the ball 61 times for 260 yards (4.3 yards per carry). However, Vereen played in just five games in 2016 and finished the season with 33 rushes for 158 yards (4.8 yards per carry) and 11 catches for 94 yards. Vereen lacks ideal size and power, but he is an elusive back with good vision and quickness. Vereen is one of the better pass-catching backs in the NFL as he runs good routes and has good hands. He is also solid in pass protection. Vereen has proven to be somewhat injury prone.

The Giants placed Will Johnson on Injured Reserve in early September 2016 with a burner that he suffered in the first preseason game. The Giants signed Johnson as an unrestricted free agent from the Pittsburgh Steelers in April 2016. Johnson was not drafted and signed with the Steelers in 2012. In four seasons with the Steelers, Johnson only missed one regular-season game, and started 20 contests. He has 31 career receptions for 235 yards and two touchdowns. Johnson is versatile with the ability to play H-Back, tight end, and fullback. He is a good lead blocker who can also catch the football. Johnson is a solid special teams player.

The Giants waived/injured Nikita Whitlock in late August 2016 and then placed him on Injured Reserve with a mid-foot sprain (Lisfranc) that required surgery. He was then suspended in September 2016 for 10 games by the NFL for violating the NFL policy on performance-enhancing substances. Whitlock was originally signed by the Cincinnati Bengals as a rookie free agent after the 2014 NFL Draft, but was cut and signed by the Dallas Cowboys to their Practice Squad. The NFL suspended Whitlock in November 2014 for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs and the Cowboys terminated his Practice Squad contract. The Giants signed him to the Practice Squad in December 2014. Whitlock surprisingly beat out fullback Henry Hynoski in training camp in 2015 and ended up playing in 14 games with five starts until he was placed on Injured Reserve in December 2015 with a knee injury. He had no touches as a rusher or receiver. Whitlock has good size for a fullback and is a physical player, but he needs to become a more consistent lead blocker. A collegiate defensive tackle, Whitlock also received a limited number of snaps at defensive tackle in pass rush situations for the Giants in 2015. He finished the season with six tackles and a sack. Although Whitlock is extremely small for a defensive tackle, he gave opposing interior linemen fits at times with his quick pass rush moves. Whitlock is a good special teams player.

Giants Cut Roster to 53 Players, Waive Andre Williams

 Posted by
Sep 032016
 
Will Johnson, New York Giants (June 6, 2016)

Will Johnson – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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GIANTS CUT ROSTER TO 53 PLAYERS…
The New York Giants made 22 roster moves on Saturday in order reduce the roster to 53 players as required by the NFL.

The Giants waived or terminated the contracts of the following players:

  • QB Logan Thomas
  • RB Andre Williams
  • WR Geremy Davis
  • WR Darius Powe
  • WR Anthony Dablé
  • OL Adam Gettis
  • OL Dillon Farrell
  • OL Ryan Seymour
  • DE Stansly Maponga
  • DT Jermelle Cudjo
  • DT Louis Nix
  • LB Brad Bars
  • LB Ishaq Williams
  • CB Donte Deayon
  • CB Michael Hunter
  • CB Leon McFadden
  • S Justin Currie
  • S Andrew Adams

The Giants placed the following player on Injured Reserve:

  • FB/TE Will Johnson (burner)

The Giants waived/injured the following players:

  • OL Emmett Clearly (finger)
  • OL Jake Rodgers (ankle)

As expected, place kicker Josh Brown was placed on the NFL’s Reserve/Suspended list for a 2015 domestic violence incident. He will be eligible to return to the team on September 12th, a day after the first regular-season game.

“Football is a people business,” said Head Coach Ben McAdoo. “Building relationships, developing chemistry and improving in our game. When you approach it that way, it makes this time of year even harder because you develop those relationships with these players, and you’re all working together toward the same goal. That’s the way it goes in this business. You can’t take everybody with you, especially at the beginning. But they’re fine young men, they handled themselves well, and we wish them the best moving forward.

“It was a challenge. We let a lot of good players go, some who will be playing for other teams. And at some point you may see some of them back here. It was tough. It wasn’t just one position. You wanted to make sure you did what was best and took the best 53 and rounded out the roster the best way you can. But there were some good players we had to let go.

“I’m very comfortable with two quarterbacks on the roster. Eli (Manning) has played a lot of football. Ryan (Nassib) is a guy who had some ups and downs of late, but he’s a guy we have confidence in. He can put the players around him in a position to be successful and take advantage of it.” 

The most surprising cut was running back Andre Williams. “Andre is a guy that played some good football for us,” coach Ben McAdoo said. “We’re going to miss him. It was another one of those really tough (roster) decisions to make. We feel that with Rashad (Jennings), Shane (Vereen), Orleans (Darkwa), Paul Perkins, and Bobby Rainey, we have some versatility there to play all three downs, and on special teams as well.”

With Will Johnson placed on Injured Reserve, the Giants currently have no fullbacks on the roster. “It’s unfortunate that it’s come to this,” McAdoo said. “(Johnson) came in and played some good ball for us. He’s a guy that we think highly of… We’ll do (fullback) by committee.”

Wide receivers Tavarres King and Roger Lewis both made the 53-man roster over wide receiver Geremy Davis.

“Roger and T.K. are two guys that really took a big jump,” McAdoo said. “They hit the ground running in the offseason, made tremendous strides and got better and improved. They pushed each other along with the rest of that group. There was great competition in that group. Geremy was a guy we drafted here that we think very highly of. Sometimes, you have to make those tough decisions.”

Offensive center/guard Brett Jones, the former Canadian Football League player who spend the entire 2015 season on Injured Reserve with a knee injury, also made the team.

“Brett has made some big jumps, some big gains,” McAdoo said. “It’s a shame what happened to him last season. He’s been able to rebound. He’s a great student of the game. He’s a guy that has improved tremendously and will add some versatility inside for us… We look forward to getting (recently re-signed) Will (Beatty) out there on the practice field and getting his legs underneath him. He’ll be working hard to get in football shape and playing multiple positions for us.”

Rookie undrafted defensive end Romeo Okwara also man the 53-man roster. “He really came on in camp,” McAdoo said. “He really didn’t do a lot in the offseason because he had a hamstring injury. But he bounced back. He takes his coaching well and he really plays with a great amount of energy and passion… I think we have a nice group of defensive ends. (Olivier Vernon, Jason Pierre-Paul, Owamagbe Odighizuwa, Kerry Wynn, and Okwara) all have some value inside, and they can play inside and outside for us. They can play the run and play the pass. It’s a good group.”

Others to make the squad were safety Mykkele Thompson and cornerback Trevin Wade.  “Mykkele is a guy who showed up and made some plays for us on special teams,” McAdoo said. “Wade really played tremendously the other night and took advantage of his opportunity vs. a great quarterback and a great offense, and showed very well.

“The roster is a living, breathing organism. It never stops changing. There’s always movement in the roster. Things are always moving.”

RYAN MALLECK WAIVED OFF OF INJURED RESERVE…
The New York Giants have waived tight end Ryan Malleck off of Injured Reserve. The Giants waived/injured Malleck and then placed him on Injured Reserve with a burner earlier this week. The Giants signed Malleck as an undrafted rookie free agent after the 2016 NFL Draft.

UNIFORM NUMBER CHANGES…
The following New York Giants players have changed their uniform jersey numbers:

  • CB Eli Apple: from #28 to #24
  • RB Paul Perkins: from #39 to #28
  • OT Will Beatty: from #64 to #65
  • DT Montori Hughes: from #79 to #99

Giants Re-Sign Will Beatty; Giants Make 12 Roster Moves

 Posted by
Aug 302016
 
Will Beatty, New York Giants (October 19, 2014)

Will Beatty – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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NEW YORK GIANTS RE-SIGN WILL BEATTY…
Though not officially announced, the New York Giants have re-signed offensive tackle Will Beatty. The contract is reportedly a 1-year deal that includes $1.1 million in guaranteed money and $750,000 in incentives. Beatty was released/failed physical by the Giants in February.

Beatty had two years left on his contract before the Giants cut him in February. He was scheduled to make $6.625 million in salary in 2016 and count $9.175 million against the 2016 salary cap. Cutting Beatty in February saved the Giants $4.175 million against the cap with $5 million in dead money.

Beatty was placed on the Reserve/Physically-Unable-to-Perform (PUP) List in September 2015 as he was still recovering from surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle he suffered in May lifting weights. He remained on the PUP the entire season as a rotator cuff injury that required surgery also became an issue. Beatty started all 16 games at left tackle for the Giants in 2014 and had a solid season. He rebounded from a terribly inconsistent 2013 season, as well as a fractured tibia that he suffered in the regular-season finale at the end of that year. Since Beatty was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Giants, he has had issues staying healthy, including a broken foot in 2010, a detached retina in 2011, a back injury that caused him to miss offseason work in 2012, the broken leg in 2013, and the pectoral tear and rotator cuff injuries in 2015.

Beatty is a big lineman with long arms and a very good athlete. When on top of his game, Beatty can mirror and slide with the best pass rushers, and is athletic enough to pull and engage defenders at the second level in the run game. However, Beatty is more of a finesse player. He does not play with a lot of strength and power and he is not a very physical or aggressive blocker. Beatty still has consistency issues.

NEW YORK GIANTS CUT ELEVEN PLAYERS…
The New York Giants made 12 transactions to get under the 75-man roster limit that all teams need to reach by 4:00PM on Tuesday.

Placed on Injured Reserve:

  • LT Byron Stingily (concussion)

Waived/Injured:

  • TE Ryan Malleck (burner)

Waived:

  • RB Marshaun Coprich
  • WR Kadron Boone
  • WR K.J. Maye
  • OC Shane McDermott
  • DE Mike Rose
  • DT Davon Coleman
  • DT Greg Milhouse
  • CB Joe Powell
  • S/CB Bennett Jackson
  • S Cooper Taylor

All NFL teams must reach the regular-season 53-man roster limit by 4:00PM on Saturday.

AUGUST 30, 2016 NEW YORK GIANTS INJURY REPORT…
Fullback/tight end Will Johnson (burner), linebacker Jonathan Casillas (ribs), linebacker Jasper Brinkley (knee), linebacker B.J. Goodson (concussion), cornerback Leon Hall (concussion), and safety Darian Thompson (shoulder) did not practice on Tuesday.

Right guard John Jerry (ankle) and linebacker Keenan Robinson (back) returned to practice.

Tight end Ryan Malleck (burner) and left tackle Byron Stingily (concussion) left practice early.

HEAD COACH BEN MCADOO…
The transcript of Ben McAdoo’s press conference on Tuesday 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:

ARTICLES…

WHAT’S UP NEXT…
There will be no media availability on Wednesday. The Giants play the New England Patriots at home on Thursday.

June 14, 2016 New York Giants Mini-Camp Report

 Posted by
Jun 142016
 
Odell Beckham, New York Giants (June 6, 2016)

Odell Beckham – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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JUNE 14, 2016 NEW YORK GIANTS MINI-CAMP REPORT…
The first day of the New York Giants mandatory 3-day mini-camp was held on Tuesday at Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The mini-camp will continue with practices on Wednesday and Thursday.

INJURY REPORT – VICTOR CRUZ PRACTICES…
Running back Orleans Darkwa (fractured leg), tight end Matt LaCosse (lower leg), offensive guard Ryan Seymour (torn ligament in hand), offensive tackle Byron Stingily (unknown), defensive tackle Montari Hughes (lower leg), linebacker J.T. Thomas (lower leg), safety Cooper Taylor (sports hernia), and safety Mykkele Thompson (lower leg) did not practice.

“J.T. has a lower leg injury,” said Head Coach Ben McAdoo. “It is something that we feel he will be ready for camp.”

When McAdoo was asked about LaCosse, Hughes, and Thompson, he replied, “No, same thing, we are going to hold onto those guys until camp…We expect (Thompson) to be ready to go for training camp.”

Wide receiver Victor Cruz (calf) took part in individual drills and some walk-thru team drills. It was the first time he has practiced since August 2015 when he suffered a calf injury that later required surgery. “It was good to have Victor back in the fold,” said McAdoo. “(It was) another small step today. We felt it was time to take the next step…He ran a couple routes versus air, versus man to man, stuck his foot in the ground and looked like he could get some separation.”

PRACTICE NOTES…
Some snippets from various media sources:

  • The starting safeties were Landon Collins and Darian Thompson. The second-team safeties were Nat Berhe and Andrew Adams. The third team safeties were Bennett Jackson and Justin Currie.
  • Cornerback Trevin Wade lined up as the starting nickel cornerback.
  • Dominique-Rodgers Cromartie played the slot cornerback position some with Eli Apple and Janoris Jenkins outside.
  • Running back Shane Vereen beat safety Landon Collins for a big gain down the left sideline.
  • Linebacker Jonathan Casillas dropped an interception on an underneath pass from quarterback Eli Manning.
  • Tight end Ryan Malleck made a leaping grab against defensive end/linebacker Brad Bars. Malleck later ripped down a pass away from cornerback Matt Smalley.
  • Wide receiver Sterling Shepard made a nice sliding catch on a comeback route against cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. Shepard also caught a touchdown pass from Manning in the red zone on a dig route.
  • Wide receiver Myles White beat cornerback Eli Apple on a slant in the endzone for a touchdown. Apple later broke up another pass intended for White.
  • Cornerback Trevin Wade ripped the ball away from wide receiver Sterling Shepard and returned it for a touchdown.
  • Wide receiver Tavarres King caught a touchdown pass from quarterback Ryan Nassib.
  • Giants.com top plays (VIDEO).
  • Giants.com wide receiver Victor Cruz highlights (VIDEO).

HEAD COACH BEN MCADOO…
The transcript of Ben McAdoo’s press conference on Tuesday 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:

NY POST Q&A WITH FB/TE WILL JOHNSON…
Giants FB Will Johnson on working 3 jobs, becoming a dad and ‘loaded’ team by Steve Serby of The New York Post

ARTICLES…

Two More New York Giants OTA Practices in the Books

 Posted by
Jun 032016
 
Jerell Adams, New York Giants (May 6, 2016)

Jerell Adams – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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JUNE 2-3, 2016 NEW YORK GIANTS OTA PRACTICES…
The Giants held their fifth and sixth voluntary organized team activity (OTA) practices on Thursday and Friday. The media was not granted access to these practices. No live contact is permitted during OTAs, but 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills are allowed.

Giants.com identified “5 things we learned” and “standout players” from the two practices:

The four remaining OTA practices will be held June 6-7 and June 9-10. The Giants will hold a mandatory, full-team mini-camp on June 14-16.

ARTICLES…

June 1, 2016 New York Giants OTA Practice Report

 Posted by
Jun 012016
 
Darian Thompson, New York Giants (May 6, 2016)

Darian Thompson – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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JUNE 1, 2016 NEW YORK GIANTS OTA PRACTICE REPORT…
The Giants held their fourth voluntary organized team activity (OTA) practice on Wednesday. No live contact is permitted during OTAs, but 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills are allowed.

The six remaining OTA practices will be held June 2-3, June 6-7, and June 9-10. The Giants will hold a mandatory, full-team mini-camp on June 14-16.

DARIAN THOMPSON SIGNED…
The New York Giants have signed safety Darian Thompson, their 3rd round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Linebacker B.J. Goodson – the team’s 4th round pick – remains the only unsigned draft pick.

INJURY REPORT AND ABSENTEES…
As previously reported, safety Cooper Taylor had surgery in May repair a sports hernia injury and will be out until training camp begins on July 28.

Continuing to work on the side were wide receiver Victor Cruz (calf) and running back Orleans Darkwa (leg). Defensive tackle Montori Hughes (unknown) did not practice.

“(Cruz is) progressing, but he’s still in a holding pattern,” said Head Coach Ben McAdoo. “We’re looking forward to getting him back to training camp.”

“(Darkwa is) working through it,” said McAdoo. “He’s making progress. He’s not back yet, but hopefully we have a chance to see him at training camp.”

Wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr. and defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul did not attend the voluntary practice on Wednesday.

PRACTICE NOTES…
Some snippets from various media sources:

  • The first-team wide receivers were Geremy Davis and Myles White. Wide receiver Sterling Shepard also worked some with the first-team offense.
  • The starting offensive line remains Ereck Flowers at left tackle, Justin Pugh at left guard, Weston Richburg at center, John Jerry at right guard, and Marshall Newhouse at right tackle.
  • Adam Gettis was the center and Bobby Hart the right tackle with the second unit.
  • Center Shane McDermott received first-team reps at right tackle, right guard, center, left guard, and left tackle during walk-through team drills.
  • Tight end Matt LaCosse saw some first-team reps and made some plays.
  • The first-team defensive ends were Owamagbe Odighizuwa (left) and Olivier Vernon (right).
  • The starting linebackers were Jasper Brinkley (middle), Jonathan Casillas, and Devon Kennard.
  • Cornerbacks Janoris Jenkins, Eli Apple, and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie all worked with the first-team defense. Trevin Wade received reps as slot corner with the first team.
  • Cornerback Donte Deayon made a couple of nice plays in team drills.
  • Landon Collins, Darian Thompson, and Nat Berhe saw time with the first unit at safety.
  • Linebacker B.J. Goodson made a juggling, diving interception.

Sterling Shepard makes plenty of plays | Giants OTA observations by Jordan Raanan for NJ.com

HEAD COACH BEN MCADOO…
The transcript of Ben McAdoo’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:

NY POST Q&A WITH STERLING SHEPARD…
Meet Giants’ Sterling Shepard: Self scouting report, NY wonder, unflinching mom by Steve Serby of The New York Post

ARTICLES…

May 23, 2016 New York Giants OTA Practice Report

 Posted by
May 232016
 
Eli Apple, New York Giants (May 6, 2016)

Eli Apple – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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MAY 23, 2016 NEW YORK GIANTS OTA PRACTICE REPORT…
Phase Three (Weeks 6-9) of the New York Giants voluntary nine-week offseason program started on Monday. During Phase Three of offseason programs, NFL teams may conduct a total of 10 days of organized team practice activities, or “OTAs”. No live contact is permitted, but 7-on-7, 9-on-7, and 11-on-11 drills are permitted.

The OTA practices will be held May 23-24, May 26, June 1-3, June 6-7, and June 9-10. The Giants will hold a mandatory, full-team mini-camp on June 14-16.

INJURY REPORT AND ABSENTEES…
Safety Cooper Taylor had surgery last week to repair a sports hernia injury and will be out until training camp begins on July 28.

Working on the side were wide receiver Victor Cruz (calf), running back Orleans Darkwa (leg), offensive tackle Byron Stingily (unknown), and defensive end Romeo Okwara (unknown).

“Right now, we’re looking for (Cruz) to get back here and he’s working to get back to training camp,” said Head Coach Ben McAdoo. “Small steps.”

Cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was a no-show for the voluntary OTA. “DRC wasn’t able to make it today,” said McAdoo. “We look forward to getting him back here as soon as we can…It’s a voluntary opportunity, OTA’s. If he’s here, we’ll coach him. If he’s not, we wish him nothing but the best…We want all of our guys here. We feel it’s important to developing the team and building fundamentals and working on communication and we can’t wait to get DRC back.”

PRACTICE NOTES…
Some snippets from various media sources:

  • The first-team safeties were Landon Collins and Nat Berhe. The second-team safeties were Bennett Jackson and Darian Thompson.
  • The first-team wide receivers were Odell Beckham, Jr. and Geremy Davis outside, with Dwayne Harris playing in the slot.
  • Cornerback Eli Apple received time with the first unit and did a nice job against receivers such as Geremy Davis and Dwayne Harris. He worked both outside and in the slot.
  • Offensive lineman Bobby Hart appeared to work exclusively at right tackle, even receiving some first-team reps.
  • Nikita Whitlock lined up at fullback with second team in drills. Will Johnson appeared to work with the second team at H-Back.
  • Adam Gettis was working with the second-team offensive line at center.
  • Brad Bars appears to have been shifted from defensive end to linebacker.
  • Cornerback Janoris Jenkins had a nice pass breakup of a deep pass from quarterback Eli Manning to wide receiver Odell Beckham, Jr.
  • Wide receiver Geremy Davis made a diving catch of a deep ball from quarterback Eli Manning.
  • Wide receiver Roger Lewis beat cornerback Tramain Jacobs on a deep pass from quarterback Ryan Nassib.

HEAD COACH BEN MCADOO…
The transcript of Ben McAdoo’s press conference on Monday 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:

ARTICLES…

Preseason Schedule Released; Markus Kuhn Departs

 Posted by
Apr 072016
 
Markus Kuhn, New York Giants (December 28, 2014)

Markus Kuhn – © USA TODAY Sports Images

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PRESEASON SCHEDULE RELEASED…
The 2016 preseason schedule for the New York Giants has been released. Specific times have not yet been released.

  • Friday, August 12: Miami Dolphins
  • August 18-21: at Buffalo Bills
  • Saturday, August 27: at New York Jets
  • Thursday, September: New England Patriots

The team’s 2016 regular-season opponents are listed in the Schedule section of the website.

MARKUS KUHN SIGNS WITH PATRIOTS…
New York Giants unrestricted free agent defensive tackle Markus Kuhn has signed with the New England Patriots.

“I couldn’t be more happy about my time here and I’ll definitely miss that place with all the great people in this building,” wrote Kuhn. “Good byes are never fun, even if they’re just a see you later. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me. It’s time to move on and I couldn’t be more excited where life is taking me next. ”

The Giants placed Markus Kuhn on Injured Reserve with a knee injury in December 2015. In his four season with the Giants, Kuhn has steadily seen his playing time increase. In 2015, he played in 10 games with nine starts, finishing the year with 20 tackles and 0.5 sacks. Kuhn was originally drafted in the 7th round of the 2012 NFL Draft by the Giants. Kuhn was born in Germany and was only a one-year starter in college.

HAKEEM NICKS VISITS BENGALS…
ESPN is reporting that New York Giants unrestricted free agent wide receiver Hakeem Nicks tried out with the Cincinnati Bengals on Tuesday.

Desperate for veteran wide receiver help, the Giants signed Nicks off of the street in November 2015. Unfortunately, the results were not good. Nicks played in six games with two starts, but finished with only seven catches for 54 yards. It’s been a precipitous decline for Nicks ever since his stellar 2010 and 2011 seasons when he compiled 155 catches for 2,244 yards and 18 touchdowns in 28 regular-season games.

Nicks was originally drafted by the Giants in the 1st round of the 2009 NFL Draft. After two disappointing seasons in 2012 and 2013 when Nicks’ production fell to 109 passes for 1,588 yards and three touchdowns in 28 regular-season games, Nicks departed in free agency for the Indianapolis Colts. Nicks’ production in Indianapolis was disappointing too as he caught 38 passes for 405 yards and four touchdowns. He tried to catch on with the Tennessee Titans in training camp in 2015 but did not make the team. Nicks’ demise has largely been attributed to injuries, including compartment syndrome in his lower right leg in 2010 as well as a broken right foot and a poster cruciate ligament (PCL) tear in 2012.

ARTICLES…

Timing is everything. ⏱ @donellansports

A video posted by Victor Cruz (@teamvic) on

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