HEADLINES

New York Giants News & Rumors

Nick McCloud Pushing Cor’Dale Flott For Giants Starting CB Job; Latest On Team’s Safety Plan

August 9th, 2024 at 10:22am CST by Sam Robinson

Early last season, the Giants scrapped a training camp plan that had Adoree’ Jackson shifting to the slot to accommodate fast-rising rookie Tre Hawkins. The team is also considering deviating from its offseason setup this year.

Not re-signing Jackson, the Giants moved Cor’Dale Flott from the slot to the boundary. The 2022 third-round pick has been the favorite to start opposite Deonte Banks on the outside for months. Flott’s lead has narrowed. Nick McCloud, a former Bills UDFA who joined the Giants via waiver claim ahead of the Joe Schoen–Brian Daboll duo’s first season, is pushing the third-year defender for the starting gig.

McCloud has begun to take first-team reps this week, with the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy indicating this foray into the starting lineup came after Flott blew multiple coverages at a practice. Flott, who has been New York’s primary slot defender over the past two seasons, has seen his status yo-yo since being a Day 2 draftee. He was not an immediate regular last year. The Giants used a Banks-Hawkins-Jackson setup to start the season and made Flott a healthy scratch early, but the LSU alum regained a role by Week 4.

Flott impressed Giants coaches this offseason and ran with the starters throughout that program and into training camp, but McCloud has closed the gap. The former Bills UDFA started eight Giants games in 2022 and three last year, though he saw his snap percentage drop from 57 to 28. McCloud and Hawkins entered camp as the next men up if Flott faltered, and it appears the more experienced player is the one providing the challenge. Neither DB saw action in the Giants’ preseason opener; the team sat Flott due to a quad injury and parked McCloud after he had warmed up.

Third-round pick Dru Phillips remains the frontrunner for the Giants’ slot job, as mid-offseason addition Tre Herndon looms as a challenger, per the Post’s Paul Schwartz. The longtime Jaguars slot man intercepted a pass Thursday night but has no guarantees in his veteran-minimum contract. The Giants’ second-round pick, however, has seen his status change during camp. Tyler Nubin no longer appears a frontrunner to start alongside Jason Pinnock at safety. Nubin is behind Dane Belton for the job, Schwartz adds.

A calf injury cost the Minnesota alum the first week of camp, and Belton fared well in the rookie’s absence. A former fourth-round pick, Belton has primarily worked as a spot starter in the pros. The Iowa product has made seven starts in two seasons, but after Julian Love and Xavier McKinney respectively defected during the past two free agency periods, the Giants have needed to keep making changes on their back line. Although Belton has a limited first-string track record through two seasons, he already has four career INTs.

DC Shane Bowen (via The Athletic’s Dan Duggan) went as far as to say the job is Belton’s to lose. Belton would seemingly be a transitional piece while Nubin — the Giants’ backup plan after Kamari Lassiter and Kool-Aid McKinstry went off the board early in Round 2 — readies, but for now, the ex-Day 3 investment appears more likely to begin the season with the starters.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/6/24

August 6th, 2024 at 9:04pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Green Bay Packers

  • Signed: DE Zach Morton

Las Vegas Raiders

  • Signed: WR Dax Milne
  • Waived/injured: DT Tomari Fox

Los Angeles Chargers

  • Signed: QB Luis Perez
  • Waived: LB Savion Jackson

Los Angeles Rams

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

CeeDee Lamb isn’t usually mentioned in this type of post, but the transaction involving the wideout was simply procedural. As ESPN’s Todd Archer notes, placing Lamb on the reserve/did not report list opens up a roster spot for the Cowboys, something that was necessary after the team signed three players today. This move doesn’t impact negotiations, and Lamb can be activated once he returns to practice. Lamb continues to holdout while he waits for a new deal, but the front office is working hard to get him back in the building.

Justin Herbert‘s recent foot injury necessitated some extra depth at the position. The team ended up opting for Luis Perez, who led the UFL last season in completions (225), passing yards (2,309), and touchdowns (18). Perez will soak up some temporary snaps alongside Easton Stick, Max Duggan, and UDFA Casey Bauman.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/5/24

August 5th, 2024 at 8:04pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

  • Signed: LB Mike Rose

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

  • Waived: OL Jason Poe

Seattle Seahawks

Giants WR Darius Slayton Changes Agents

August 2nd, 2024 at 1:18pm CST by Adam La Rose

Darius Slayton‘s 2024 future is not believed to be in doubt, but he recently made a move with his upcoming free agency in mind. The Giants wideout is now represented by Athletes First, per an announcement from his new representatives.

[RELATED: Giants Owner John Mara Still Supports Daniel Jones Contract]

Slayton signed a two-year deal in 2022 to remain in New York. The 27-year-old has played with the Giants for each of his five seasons, leading the team in receiving four times. He remained absent from spring practices while aiming for a contract adjustment, and he received it in the form of incentives being added for 2024.

In spite of that, Slayton would have been on board with a trade out of New York. The Giants drafted Malik Nabers at No. 6 overall, adding further to their recent investments in rookies at the receiver position. Wan’Dale Robinson and Jalin Hyatt are also set to take on notable roles in the team’s passing game. If Slayton’s spot in the WR pecking order was under serious threat, he would have welcomed a change of scenery.

However, New York has not given thought to a trade at any point. Slayton has received at least 71 targets four times in his career, and he set a new personal mark in receiving yards (770) last season. The presence of Nabers and any development from the Giants’ recent draftees could limit his playing time to a degree, but Slayton should remain a key member of the team’s offense for at least one more campaign

The receiver market witnessed another major jump this offseason, with the top of the market reaching $35MM per season. Slayton will not approach that figure on his next contract, regardless of how well he performs in 2024. Still, his value will be determined in large part by his showing this year as quarterback Daniel Jones and Co. look to deliver a much-needed step forward on offense. When Slayton next hits free agency, he will have a spent a full campaign with new representation.

John Mara Expects Giants To Take ‘Big Step Forward’; Owner Remains Onboard With Daniel Jones Plan

August 1st, 2024 at 9:50pm CST by Sam Robinson

Hard Knocks‘ initial offseason project captured the third Joe Schoen–Brian Daboll Giants roster-building effort, with John Mara making some important cameos. After cameras documented the Giants’ free agency period, the Brian Burns trade and the pre-draft buildup, it is safe to say a bigger spotlight will be on the team’s 2024 season.

Mara, who advocated for keeping Saquon Barkley (though, without mandating Schoen make a strong effort to do so) and certainly wanted him to end up outside of Philadelphia, stopped short of requiring his third-year decision-makers steer the team back to the playoffs. But the owner does expect a significant improvement, even after the Barkley and Xavier McKinney defections, this season.

[RELATED: Offseason In Review: New York Giants]

“I expect us to take a big step forward,” Mara said, via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy. “… I obviously want to show significant improvement over last year, but I’m not going to make any specific guarantees or demands or anything like that. They know what I want to see. I have a lot of confidence in this particular team. I think we’ve added some good pieces. Now it’s time to show everybody.”

The Giants finished 6-11 last year, but five of those wins came without Daniel Jones. The starter, who received $81MM guaranteed during an eventful 2023 offseason that involved a Barkley franchise tag, struggled amid a tough early-season schedule. Jones battled a neck injury before his November ACL tear. Fully healthy once again, Jones looks to be going into another “prove it” season. The Giants can escape the contract by taking on only modest dead money by releasing the longtime starter as a post-June 1 cut next year, though Mara remains onboard with the team’s embattled starter.

“I’m still happy we gave him that contract because I thought he played really well for us in 2022,” Mara said (via Dunleavy) of the four-year, $160MM extension authorized in March 2023. “Last year, he got hurt. And let’s be honest: When he was playing, we weren’t blocking anybody. Let’s give him a chance with a better offensive line and some weapons around him to see what he can do.”

Hard Knocks followed the Giants’ rumored plan to trade up for a Jones heir apparent. The Giants attempted to trade Nos. 6 and 47, along with their 2025 first-round pick, to the Patriots for the No. 3 overall draft slot. The Pats passed, rejecting a substantial Vikings offer as well, and chose Drake Maye — whom both NFC teams coveted — to be their hopeful franchise QB. With that off the table, Schoen pivoted to a wide receiver-based strategy in Round 1 by choosing Malik Nabers.

Not impeding Schoen in free agency, Mara was not thrilled about the Barkley conclusion. But the owner’s Jones support — which was a key part of the first Schoen-Daboll offseason back in 2022 — did not prompt him to stand in the way of an attempt to trade up for a passer in the draft. The team’s Plan B unfolding, with Nabers profiling as the highest-ceiling WR option the Giants have rostered during the Jones era, will apply increased pressure on the sixth-year passer.

“I was nervous about giving up too much to go get a quarterback,” Mara said, “but I was prepared to let them do that if that’s what they wanted to do. We made a decision to stay with Daniel and add a weapon for him, and I think that’s going to work out.”

The Athletic’s Dan Duggan notes the owner and his nephew — player personnel director Tim McDonnell — stood as the biggest skeptics of Schoen’s plan to let the two-time Pro Bowl running back walk in free agency (subscription required). Pro scouting director Chris Rossetti also made a minor pitch to apply a second franchise tag, but the Giants passed on the $12MM payment. The Eagles gave Barkley a three-year, $37.5MM payday with $26MM fully guaranteed; the latter figure leads all active RBs.

Mara also confirmed (via Duggan) he sought this offseason Hard Knocks version to avoid cameras following his team at a near-future training camp; after the access the Giants provided, it will be unlikely other teams make a point of doing that. The longtime owner seen his club produce one winning season over the past seven — a surprise 9-7-1 slate that ended in the 2022 divisional round — and no Giants head coach has reached Year 4 since Tom Coughlin. Jones disappointing and Barkley thriving as an Eagle will probably affect Mara’s support for his current decision-makers.

Although the Giants’ roster has some well-paid Dave Gettleman-era draftees as cornerstones, Year 3 features more Schoen imports. It will obviously be a critical year for the regime. The lack of an improvement on last season runs the risk of Schoen and Daboll’s jobs being on the line without the duo having acquired their own quarterback.

Minor NFL Transactions: 7/31/24

July 31st, 2024 at 8:25pm CST by Ely Allen

Wednesday’s minor transactions to close out the month:

Baltimore Ravens

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Indianapolis Colts

Kansas City Chiefs

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Snead is the latest veteran wideout to join the Dolphins receiving corps. He hasn’t really contributed much to the NFL since his 2020 campaign with the Ravens, but he’ll get another chance this summer in South Beach.

Carolina brings in Johnson just a day after watching veteran Rashaad Penny hang up his cleats. In order to make room for Johnson, the Panthers let good of Davis, the team’s recent signee from the UFL.

Butler was waived after a failed physical two days ago. After going unclaimed, he’ll get to stay in Vegas by taking a place on the reserve/PUP list.

Colts, Jets Sent Giants Offers For No. 6 Overall Pick

July 31st, 2024 at 11:29am CST by Sam Robinson

This Giants offseason has received extensive attention due to HBO’s Hard Knocks effort, and parts of other teams’ processes have come into focus as well. Components of two other teams’ draft chapters emerged, with the Giants receiving what turned out to be significant interest in their No. 6 overall pick.

Going into the draft, Joe Schoen said he would be comfortable with Marvin Harrison Jr. or Malik Nabers at No. 6 — after efforts to trade up with the Patriots (at No. 3) failed. But the Colts and Jets gauged Schoen’s interest in adding draft capital to slide down the board. Both teams made offers for No. 6.

Chris Ballard said he made big offers to move up, with a skill-position player rumored to be the target. As it turns out, the Colts offered the Giants their second-round pick (No. 46) and their 2025 second-rounder to climb from No. 15 to No. 6. Schoen deemed dropping from 6 to 15 as too far, leading Indianapolis to make other attempts. The Colts ultimately failed and chose Laiatu Latu at 15. With Samson Ebukam sustaining a torn Achilles early in training camp, Latu is poised to play a bigger role as a rookie.

The Colts circled back to their skill spots in Round 2, trading down and drafting Texas’ Adonai Mitchell, but pre-draft reports had them linked to Brock Bowers and this draft’s high-end wide receiver prospects. Harrison was off the board by this point, but Nabers and Rome Odunze were available. Chosen 45 spots before Mitchell, Nabers carried significant appeal after a dominant LSU junior season. The Colts have not used a first-round pick on a skill player since then-GM Ryan Grigson chose Phillip Dorsett in 2015.

The Jets have been connected to Odunze for months, and ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini speculates the team targeted the Washington wideout with its trade-up attempt. After Odunze went off the board at No. 9, the Jets traded down (via the Vikings) to 11 and drafted Olu Fashanu. Gang Green addressed the receiver position atop Round 3, selecting Western Kentucky’s Malachi Corley. Odunze, however, would have represented a big-ticket addition alongside Garrett Wilson and Mike Williams. He instead joined a similarly structured Bears offense, which houses D.J. Moore and ex-Williams teammate Keenan Allen.

Additionally, the Giants saw their Brian Burns trade wound their ability to land one of their preferred cornerbacks. The team targeted Kool-Aid McKinstry and Kamari Lassiter in Round 2. The Giants traded No. 39 to the Panthers in the Burns deal but still held No. 47. Schoen, however, did not want to include a fourth-round selection to move up due to the team having just six picks in the draft. The Hard Knocks: Offseason finale corroborates a report from the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy, who recently indicated the Giants sought McKinstry or Lassiter. The Alabama and Georgia prospects ended up going to the Saints and Texans at Nos. 41 and 42.

The Giants had identified corner as a key need, and while the team did draft Kentucky’s Andru Phillips in Round 3, it is counting on 2022 third-round pick Cor’Dale Flott to make a successful transition from slot defender to outside corner post-Adoree’ Jackson. Flott joins Deonte Banks as the team’s expected outside CB starters. Had McKinstry or Lassiter been on the board at No. 47, it is worth wondering if Flott would remain Big Blue’s preferred slot defender. Eventual Giants second-round safety Tyler Nubin was identified as the team’s backup plan if Lassiter and McKinstry were gone.

Commanders Re-Sign WR Byron Pringle

July 31st, 2024 at 9:38am CST by Sam Robinson

Despite the Commanders parting ways with Eric Bieniemy, one of the former OC’s Chiefs charges is still in the team’s plans. Byron Pringle agreed to terms to stay in Washington on Wednesday, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets.

Pringle rejoined Bieniemy in Washington last season, after having spent 2022 with fellow ex-Chiefs staffer Ryan Poles in Chicago. The sixth-year veteran worked as a rotational backup with the Commanders and should be expected to play a similar role this season. The Commanders have announced the signing.

Although Pringle debuted in 2019, he is set to turn 31 in August. The Chiefs rostered the former UDFA from 2018-21, and the Kansas State product’s most memorable season came for Kansas City’s 2021 edition. Pringle caught 42 passes for 568 yards and five touchdowns that season, operating as an auxiliary weapon for the Chiefs’ final Tyreek Hill-fronted receiving corps. The sides separated after that season, but Pringle will have come continuity once again.

That season is the outlier for the 6-foot-1 target, as he has not eclipsed 200 receiving yards in any other year. After starting four games for the 2022 Bears, Pringle followed Bieniemy to Washington in what turned out to be a one-and-done season for the longtime Kansas City OC. Pringle caught 14 passes for 161 yards with Washington last season, starting one game for a team that deployed a locked-in top three at receiver. One of those pass catchers — Curtis Samuel — has since moved on.

The Commanders’ passing attack will still run through Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson, but Kliff Kingsbury‘s offense still features some tertiary-level wideouts that will not make Pringle a roster lock. The team drafted Luke McCaffrey in Round 3 and added Olamide Zaccheaus earlier this offseason. Former third-rounder Dyami Brown remains with the team, with Jamison Crowder and ex-Kingsbury Cardinals cog Damiere Byrd signing as well. With 16 practice squad spots available, the Commanders stand to have some options — Pringle now among them — for their WR insurance spots.

The Giants also recently worked out Pringle, but he will receive another bid to make the Commanders’ roster. Pringle did not spend any time on last year’s Washington practice squad, but given the moves the team has made this offseason, it probably should not be considered automatic he lands with the team’s initial 53.

Giants Sign OL Greg Van Roten

July 30th, 2024 at 6:10pm CST by Adam La Rose

6:10pm: Van Roten inked a one-year deal worth up to $3MM, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. The veteran will earn the entirety of that total if he appears in at least 50 percent of his team’s offensive snaps.

10:15am: Greg Van Roten‘s recent Giants visit has produced a deal. The veteran lineman signed on Tuesday, as first reported by Art Stapleton of NorthJersey.com. Head coach Brian Daboll has since confirmed the move.

Van Roten met with the team last week, and his visit clearly went well. The 34-year-old will now compete for playing time at guard as the Giants continue to sort out a number of starting spots up front. Left tackle Andrew Thomas and center John Michael Schmitz are set to remain in their respective places in 2024, but both guard positions and the right tackle gig are yet to be determined.

Jon Runyan Jr. came to the Giants after his new team outbid the Jets in free agency. The former Packers starter is set to handle first-team duties, although Daboll said that with Van Roten now in the fold, Runyan could be used at left (rather than right) guard. Much will depend on the performance of free agent signing Jermaine Eluemunor and the health of Evan Neal with respect to the right side of the line being worked out, but Van Roten will now be in the mix. The latter is a veteran of 71 starts, including 17 last year with the Raiders.

To make room for Van Roten, the Giants waived cornerback Aaron Robinson. One of several recent third-round cornerback additions, Robinson made 11 appearances and four starts during his first two years in the league. He missed the 2023 campaign in its entirety while recovering from ACL and MCL tears. The 25-year-old joined Neal in beginning training camp on the reserve/PUP list, and today’s move suggests he has a long way to go in recovery. Daboll’s most recent comments on Robinson pointed in that direction, and it would thus come as a surprise if a team were to make a waiver claim.

The Giants entered Tuesday with roughly $11.5MM in cap space. Today’s moves will lower that figure to an extent, but Van Roten settled for a low-cost deal last offseason. Doing so again could pave the way to a starting gig in New York, a team in need of improvement at multiple positions up front in 2024. They will have a number of options to choose from once the unit is fully healthy.

Giants Not Committing To Evan Neal Being Ready By Week 1

July 30th, 2024 at 2:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

Not viewed as a “break glass in case of emergency”-level option at tackle, Jermaine Eluemunor nevertheless changed positions to start Giants training camp. The two-year Raiders right tackle starter, who worked at left guard throughout the Giants’ offseason program, has lined up at RT with the first-stringers during training camp.

The Giants have now also signed Greg Van Roten, who lined up alongside Eluemunor in Las Vegas at right guard last season. A starting job could well open up for Van Roten, as the Giants still do not have Evan Neal at practice. Expected to return by training camp and be given another opportunity to stick at right tackle, Neal appears without a timetable.

Aiming to return from a fractured ankle initially diagnosed as a sprain last November, Neal landed on the Giants’ active/PUP list to start camp. Although that is a summer-only designation, Brian Daboll did not commit to Neal being ready by Week 1.

Unless the Giants were to take it week by week and carry the former top-10 pick on their 53-man roster on cutdown day next month, a transition to the reserve/PUP list — which mandates a four-game absence — would seem to be in play. Daboll called Neal “day to day,” via the New York Post’s Ryan Dunleavy, though SNY’s Connor Hughes classifies this situation as Neal “falling out of favor” with the team. This is obviously quite concerning for Neal, whose injury came after steady struggles on the field.

Jon Runyan Jr., who had lined up at right guard during the Giants’ offseason program, has shifted to the left side following the Van Roten signing, Hughes adds. The team had partially placed the ex-Packer at RG to help protect Neal, who has struggled since being drafted seventh overall in 2022. The Runyan component could certainly point to Week 1 plans that do not involve Neal with the first-stringers, though the $10MM-per-year player did play left guard in 2021 and part of the 2022 season.

Neal, whom Pro Football Focus has ranked as the NFL’s second-worst tackle regular in each of his two seasons, has made 20 starts at right tackle. The Alabama alum been connected to a potential guard move. He played inside partially in college, but GM Joe Schoen said last year a move inside was unlikely. At this point, returning to practice and attempting to win any job would represent a win for the third-year blocker. While Kayvon Thibodeaux has panned out for the Giants, GM Joe Schoen‘s other top-10 pick in his first draft disappointing on this level has represented a significant letdown.

The Giants needed to rearrange their O-line at several points last season, which memorably included Justin Pugh‘s “straight off the couch” Sunday Night Football intro, and allowed a staggering 85 sacks — the second-most in NFL history. Multiple players changing positions, along with potentially a new starter preparing to step in, would represent familiar territory for the team. Unless Neal makes significant strides soon, he is running out of time to win back his starting job.

Load More Posts