HEADLINES

R.J. McIntosh

Giants To Activate RJ McIntosh

November 6th, 2018 at 11:02am CST by Zachary Links

The Giants are activating defensive end R.J. McIntosh from the non-football injury list, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Giants will have to drop someone from the roster to welcome McIntosh back, but he’ll provide front seven help for a team that can certainly use some. 

When McIntosh was placed on the NFI list in early September, the Giants had playoff aspirations. But, in November, the Giants aren’t playing for much. The G-Men are 1-7 after losing to the rival Redskins in Week 8 and even running the table would not guarantee them a place in the postseason.

McIntosh, a Miami product, was a fifth-round pick of the Giants in the spring, but was unable to partake in practice for much of the offseason. The exact nature of his medical issue is unclear, but it is believed that it is related to an thyroid problem. Whatever the issue was, it appears to be under control.

As a junior at Miami, McIntosh tallied 52 total tackles, including 12.5 tackles for a loss and 2.5 sacks. He’s unlikely to see significant playing time right away, but he’ll have an opportunity to play his way onto the 2019 team in the second half of this season.

Giants Lock In 53-Man Roster

September 1st, 2018 at 3:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Giants will head into the 2018 season without one of their longest-tenured players and one of their 2017 starting safeties, with both Mark Herzlich and Darian Thompson failing to make the team.

A 2017 fifth-round pick, edge defender Avery Moss missed out as well. As did Roger Lewis, a wideout who became needed when the Giants became decimated at receiver last season.

The Giants also released recently signed cornerback Leonard Johnson, who was trying to make a fifth NFL franchise’s 53-man roster. The former Buccaneer, Patriot, Panther and Bill started seven games with Buffalo last season.

Here’s the full list of Giants cuts:

Released:

Waived:

Waived with an injury designation

Placed on IR:

Placed on Reserve/NFI list:

  • DL R.J. McIntosh

Suspended:

NFC East Notes: Redskins, Scandrick, Eagles

August 14th, 2018 at 12:55pm CST by Zachary Links

The Redskins have moved on from cornerback Orlando Scandrick, but it’s not necessarily because of anything Scandrick did, coach Jay Gruden says.

“It has nothing to do with his play. It was really the emergence of the rookies and [we] wanted Orlando to latch on to another team,” Gruden said via Kimberley A. Martin of the Washington Post (on Twitter). “No one could have predicted Ranthony Texada or Danny Johnson.”

With a deep group at cornerback headlined by Josh Norman, Quinton Dunbar, and Fabian Moreau, the Redskins felt that they could move on from Scandrick and save themselves millions in salary. However, they will not be able to recover the $1MM signing bonus they gave him in his two-year deal this offseason.

Here’s more from the NFC East:

  • The Dolphins are in search of cornerback help and Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com suggests Ronald Darby of the Eagles as a possible solution for Miami. Darby has lots of potential, but he’s set to be a free agent after the season and the Eagles’ have yet to sign him, so he might not be in Philly’s long-term plans. If the Eagles were to trade Darby, the could play Sidney Jones at outside cornerback rather than nickel cornerback. Then, to fill the hole at nickel, the Eagles could give more time to the likes of Avonte Maddox and De’Vante Bausby. The Eagles wouldn’t be as strong at cornerback without Darby, but this could be an opportunity for the Eagles to get something of value for him instead of letting him walk next year.
  • Giants coach Pat Shurmur isn’t sure if he’ll see fifth-round pick R.J. McIntosh on the field before the start of the season. Shurmur tells reporters (Twitter link via ESPN.com’s Jordan Raanan) that the defensive lineman is looking at an “extended-rehab type situation,” which may be tied to his thyroid issue. It took a long time for McIntosh to sign with the Giants and it could take even longer for the Giants to find out what they have in the Miami product.

NFC Rumors: Lions, Hawks, Giants, Daniels

July 22nd, 2018 at 9:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

While the Bears and Ravens are fully underway, due to their Hall of Fame Game matchup, this coming week marks the debuts for the rest of the league. Here’s what’s new in the NFC going into training camp week.

  • Matt Cassel represents competition for Jake Rudock‘s job as the Lions‘ backup quarterback, especially considering his history with the Patriots during the respective New England tenures of Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia. And Kyle Meinke of MLive.com expects the 36-year-old veteran to beat out Rudock for the top job behind Matthew Stafford. The Lions aren’t expected to keep three quarterbacks on their roster, per Meinke, which could make Rudock a trade candidate if it looks like Cassel will take his job. Rudock drew trade interest in the past, but the Lions did not have what they determined to be another viable backup prior to signing Cassel.
  • If the Seahawks do end up trading Earl Thomas, 2017 third-rounder Delano Hill would be the top incumbent to replace him. However, Seattle could consider Eric Reid or Tre Boston in the event Thomas is dealt, however, per Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times (Twitter links). Though, Condotta adds the team believes Hill and Bradley McDougald has the makings of a chance to be a solid safety tandem. The Seahawks’ Reid fit would be interesting, given how proceedings unfolded between the franchise and Colin Kaepernick the past two offseasons. However, neither Reid nor Boston would be expensive at this stage.
  • James Daniels could well occupy a Bears starting spot in Week 1, and it’s likely the second-round pick (on whom the Bears placed a first-round grade) will be a starter this season. But for now, the Iowa product is running with the second-string offense as a guard and the third-team group as a center, according to Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times, who adds fifth-year veteran Eric Kush represents Daniels’ primary competition at guard. These early placements are interesting, given Daniels primarily played center in college. But the Bears are believed to view him as more of a guard.
  • Fifth-round pick R.J. McIntosh signed his Giants contract and ended a months-long process. But the defensive lineman will begin camp on the active/non-football illness list. McIntosh was diagnosed with a thyroid condition at the Combine and underwent an undisclosed procedure in June.

Giants Sign Fifth-Round Pick R.J. McIntosh

July 22nd, 2018 at 5:26pm CST by Sam Robinson

Rookies are due to report to Giants training camp Sunday, and the team took care of the final pieces of business involving its 2018 class. Shortly after announcing Saquon Barkley had signed his rookie contract, the Giants agreed to terms with fifth-round pick R.J. McIntosh to finalize its 2018 rookie agreements.

McIntosh was the final Giants pick and the last to sign. Interestingly, he’s the only player selected beyond Round 2 who’d entered Sunday without a four-year rookie agreement in place. McIntosh’s deal is expected to be worth $2.7MM.

With McIntosh, Barkley, Colts second-rounder Darius Leonard and Patriots first-rounder Sony Michel having signed Sunday, just eight rookies remain unsigned.

A thyroid issue diagnosed at the Combine was rumored to have held up McIntosh’s deal, but he’ll be at camp with the rest of his class. McIntosh did not take any reps at Giants OTAs or minicamp due to an offseason surgery, Matt Lombardo of NJ.com notes.

Giants Notes: McAdoo, McIntosh, Beal, Bettcher

July 13th, 2018 at 8:09pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

Ben McAdoo has been fairly quiet ever since he was fired by the Giants midway through last season. Not anymore. McAdoo opened up in a recent interview with Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, dishing on a number of topics related to his old team. McAdoo talked about how excited he is for the Giants and how much he likes the vision being implemented by new GM Dave Gettleman. He even said he thinks the Giants are going to win the NFC East in 2018.

The most notable part of McAdoo’s interview may be his comments on offensive tackle Ereck Flowers. McAdoo was blunt in talking about Flowers’ shortcomings, and didn’t sound too hopeful for the fourth-year player. Selected ninth overall in 2015, Flowers has been a major bust at left tackle, and the Giants are experimenting with him at right tackle this offseason. McAdoo doesn’t think it’ll make a difference. “He can’t bend, you got to be able to bend” he said of his former player, adding “you can run around him on that side just like you can on the other side.” It’s somewhat refreshing to hear a coach speak that openly, but it likely won’t help him in his search for another coaching gig.

Here’s more from New York:

  • Giants fifth round pick R.J. McIntosh is the only player drafted outside the first two rounds who has yet to sign his rookie deal. A thyroid issue may be holding up McIntosh’s contract, but a deal should get done soon, a source told Ryan Dunleavy of NJ.com.
  • Dunleavy thinks recently drafted cornerback Sam Beal “might not be able to make an impact until the second half of his rookie season” even if he impresses the team. Dunleavy notes that the Supplemental Draft pick is “16 practices and three months of preparation behind the other rookies” so it will take him a while to catch up.
  • Defensive coordinator James Bettcher will be a “hot candidate” for head coaching vacancies in 2019 if the Giants defense “has a bounce-back year”, according to Dunleavy. He also thinks defensive backs coach Lou Anarumo is a future coordinator in the league who teams will soon begin to take notice of.