As part of their cutdown to 53 players, the Giants have released veteran fullback Henry Hynoski, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). The move would seem to indicate that fullback Nikita Whitlock will make the club’s 53-man squad, as Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News tweets.
Hynoski, 26, has spent the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Giants. While the big fullback only has 12 carries during that span, he’s considered one of the league’s better blocking fullbacks, ranking second in the category in 2014, according to Pro Football Focus’ grades (subscription required).
When Hynoski re-signed with the Giants back in March, his two-year deal with the team included a signing bonus worth $250K, along with a $250K guarantee on his 2015 salary. Since that contract also featured a $25K workout bonus, New York will have to carry a $400K dead money hit for 2015, with $125K in dead money on the 2016 books.