Giants rookie kicker Tom Obarski missed a 28-yard field goal during yesterday’s preseason contest against Buffalo, and, predictably, several members of the team’s brass were asked after the game about the controversy surrounding incumbent kicker Josh Brown. As Paul Schwartz of The New York Post writes, co-owner John Mara told reporters, “I know what you’re going to ask me about. Check with me again next week, but I don’t have anything to say about it.” GM Jerry Reese declined to comment at all about Brown, and head coach Ben McAdoo said, “I’ve said everything I have to say on that situation.” Brown himself also declined to comment.
As Big Blue attempts to sort out its suddenly volatile kicking situation, let’s take a look at some other notes from the league’s east divisions:
- Manish Mehta of The New York Daily News believes Jets QB Bryce Petty has not only earned his spot on the team’s roster, he has earned a chance to compete with Geno Smith for the backup quarterback job. Rich Cimini of ESPN.com notes that the Jets are currently “trending toward” keeping four quarterbacks on the 53-man roster–Ryan Fitzpatrick, Petty, Smith, and rookie Christian Hackenberg–which recent history suggests is not a wise decision.
- Cimini also observes that the Jets will need to create some salary cap room, as the club has just $1.2MM of space at the moment and will need money for a practice squad, an additional two players on the cap–currently, only 51 count–and potential injury replacements. The problem is that there is not much “fat” on the roster in terms of potential cap casualties. The team could create $4.4MM of space by cutting Breno Giacomini, who has not practiced due to a back injury, but he is the club’s only experienced right tackle.
- Dolphins running back Isaiah Pead, who was signed to be little more than a camp body, has been the team’s best back this preseason, says Adam H. Beasley of The Miami Herald. Miami’s running back depth chart includes Jay Ajayi, Damien Williams, Kenyan Drake, and Arian Foster, but Drake hasn’t practiced in weeks after sustaining a hamstring injury, which means that Pead could fill one of the team’s projected four RB openings. Pead was given coveted first-team snaps in the Dolphins’ second preseason contest, the clearest sign yet that he might be on the right side of the roster bubble.
- Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com takes a look at five Redskins currently on the roster bubble, a list headlined by LB Perry Riley.
- Earlier today, we learned that the injury bug has bitten the Patriots in a big way.