The Giants have placed linebacker Jonathan Casillas on injured reserve and promoted wide receiver Darius Powe from their practice squad, the club announced today. New York also waived linebacker Nigel Harris from injured reserve, tweets Dan Duggan of NJ.com.
Casillas, who is dealing with injuries to both his neck and his wrist, didn’t play against the Raiders on Sunday, and has missed four games total this season. When he was on the field, the 30-year-old Casillas wasn’t effective: Pro Football Focus ranked Casillas as the single worst run-defending linebacker in the NFL, and while his pass defense mark was a bit better, Casillas still placed as a bottom-10 ‘backer overall. He’ll hit the open market next spring when his three-year contract expires.
Powe, who went undrafted out of Cal in 2016, has never appeared in an NFL game, as he’s spent the entirety of his pro career on the Giants’ practice squad. On a roster now devoid of weapons, Powe could certainly see playing time down the stretch behind Sterling Shepard, Roger Lewis, Tavarres King, and Travis Rudolph.
Giants need to draft and sign some real NFL starting caliber Linebackers. No more special team and backup types in the starting lineup.