Tag: new york giants

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NFL Week 12 fantasy picks – Five players to add to your NFL fantasy lineup this Sunday

(The following article contains a paid advertisement by NFL Fantasy Gameday)

After some heavyweight clashes in week 11 of the NFL season, week 12 throws up some more lopsided affairs, which could be a great help to fantasy football players.

Josh Allen led the way in week 11 with his stellar performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the Buffalo Bills romped to a 44-32 win at Highmark Stadium, with the 29-year-old cancelling out two interceptions with six total touchdowns.

The next best fantasy performer was San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, who totalled 121 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns, including one receiving touchdown, with the 29-year-old running back becoming a beneficiary of Brock Purdy’s return to the lineup.

Perhaps the surprise performer of the week was Buccaneers running back Sean Tucker, whose three total touchdowns totalled almost 75 per cent of all of Tampa’s points in their loss at Buffalo.

The other two top performers in last week’s top five were Michael Wilson of the Arizona Cardinals, who tallied a monster 185 receiving yards off 15 receptions, and Carolina Panthers pass catcher Tetairoa McMillan, who caught two touchdowns and totalled 130 yards off eight receptions.

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Captain – Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions vs New York Giants, 9000

Jahmyr Gibbs comes in as the third most expensive running back this week, at 9,000, behind only McCaffrey (9600) and Jonathan Taylor (9400), and with Gibbs facing off against the worst rushing defence in the NFL – the New York Giants – it feels like Gibbs will have a big day.

In a season where running backs are lighting up the league, Gibbs is among the leading pack in fantasy football terms, coming into week 12 as the fourth-best fantasy running back.

With the Lions looking to bounce back from their disappointing defeat in Philadelphia on Sunday Night Football, Gibbs will be hoping to put up similar numbers to the 19.6 fantasy points he put up against the Eagles.

The 23-year-old had 12 carries for 39 yards and five receptions for 107 yards off eight targets without finding the endzone, something that seems highly likely against the porous Giants.

Quarterback – Jared Goff, Detroit Lions vs New York Giants, 7200

My ideal pick for the quarterback pick, if you’re a regular fantasy owner, would be Bryce Young for the Carolina Panthers, but Fantasy Gameday picks only count for Sunday’s 6 pm and 9:05/25 pm slates, hence Jared Goff getting the nod here.

The New York Giants give up the second-most points to quarterbacks in fantasy behind only the Dallas Cowboys, and Goff has shown he can put up big numbers against bad defences.

In week 10, Goff tallied three touchdowns and 320 yards against the Washington Commanders’ defence (who rank third in the list behind the Giants), and owners of the 31-year-old will hope he can put up a similar showing against a leaky Giants group.

Running Back – TreVeyon Henderson, New England Patriots @ Cincinnati Bengals, 6200

TreVeyon Henderson is the tied-13th most expensive running back in the game, which looks like a true bargain heading into the New England Patriots’ week 12 matchup.

The Patriots will travel southwest to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals, and this AFC matchup is huge for Henderson owners in fantasy.

The Bengals give up the most fantasy points to opposing running backs of any team in the league, and the rookie from Ohio State will look to make an impact back in the state where he made his name at the college level.

Henderson is coming off a monster game against the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football in week 11, with the 23-year-old totalling three touchdowns and 93 total yards, scoring 32.3 fantasy points in the process.

Things look set to get a lot better for Henderson heading into week 12 off the back of that performance, as the Bengals’ run defence looks set to gift the former Ohio State back a huge day on Sunday.

Wide Receiver – AJ Brown, Philadelphia Eagles @ Dallas Cowboys, 5600

After a slow start to the 2025 NFL season, AJ Brown has come into his own in recent weeks, with the Philadelphia Eagles improving after the trade deadline.

In week 11, Brown only scored 11.9 fantasy points on a tough evening for the Eagles against a strong Lions defensive unit, but coming into their matchup against NFC East rivals, the Dallas Cowboys, Brown could be set for a bigger day.

Against the Lions, Brown led the team in receiving, totalling 49 yards from seven receptions, and with the Cowboys giving up the most points to opposition wide receivers in fantasy this year, it feels like a no-brainer to bet on that trend continuing.

Tight End – Hunter Henry, New England Patriots @ Cincinnati Bengals, 3400

It feels like a cheap shot to continually pick on the Bengals’ defence, but when they’re coming up against such a good offence and their numbers this season have been so poor, it’s difficult not to keep picking Patriots.

Hunter Henry ranks as the 13th-best tight end in fantasy this season, and his price reflects that, but the Bengals have given up the most points to tight ends in the NFL this season, and that fact is hard to ignore when looking at setting your lineup this Sunday.

Not only do they give up the most, but the Bengals have given up 37 more points than the next closest team so far this season, a stat Henry will love to see.

Henry is a big part of the offence that Drake Maye has led so well this season, and if the numbers are to be believed, it seems likely that connection will continue in Cincinnati in week 12.

Fantasy Football picks summary

This week, the picks are:

  • Captain – Jahymr Gibbs
  • QB – Jared Goff
  • RB – TreVeyon Henderson
  • WR – AJ Brown
  • TE – Hunter Henry

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New York Giants: Week Four- The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

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As always, with a game like Monday’s 24-3 loss, it’s difficult to find positives when you’ve watched your team turn in a performance like that after a 10-day rest. The article, however, is called the good, the bad, and the ugly, and when you look past the dross, there are a few positives. 

The Good

If the Giants are going to solve their issues on offence, one player that needs to be involved more is Wan’Dale Robinson. Robinson was on the field for 48 snaps, in which he had five receptions on six targets for 40 yards. He likely would have had more had Jones seen him doing star jumps in the backfield. 

Matt Breida is the only other player who potentially deserves praise. Admittedly, he only got 30 yards on 14 carries and was poor at pass blocking, but he caught all five of his targets for 48 yards and had the Giants two longest plays, a pair of 22-yard catches.  

Weirdly, despite this being the defence’s best performance of the season statistically, there are only a couple of players that truly deserve praise.  

Kayvon Thibodeaux did exactly what we have been asking for, grabbing a pair of sacks to go along with his two quarterback hits, one hurry, and two tackles for loss. He was also unlucky not to have a pick-six after he batted a pass from Geno Smith.  

Fellow edge rusher Azeez Ojulari unfortunately didn’t record quite as high numbers but still had five hurries and a tackle for loss, while Dexter Lawrence, who is yet to record a sub-80 PFF score, also had three hurries, one quarterback hit, and three tackles.  

The Bad

Last week I tried to explain why Jones’s struggles were less him and more a combination of other factors; however, this week he must be front and centre.  

As mentioned before, he clearly missed a wide open Wan’Dale Robinson in the first half, but what’s more concerning about that play is that Jones abandoned what was seemingly a clean pocket. It’s obvious he has no faith in his offensive line, and as such, he’s a jittery mess.

He held onto the ball way too long time and time again, so it’s no surprise that a good chunk of the 10 sacks he took were attributed to him and not the offensive linemen. The turnovers that he’d cut out last season have also returned, with Jones being at fault for his lost fumble and both interceptions. This combination of stats means that Jones has another unwanted record of being the first QB to throw a pick 6 and be sacked 11 times in a game since 1985.  

Jones’s struggles are compounded by an absolutely inept offensive line that crumbled after JMS left the game after the first series. The Seahawks handily beat them again and again, even when the Giants added in a blocking tight end and a chipping running back. It’s no surprise to yet again see three of the linemen on the bottom performers list.    

On the defensive side, Wink Martindale’s comments about the Giants tackling issues were “Chart’em,” and unfortunately for him, the Giants fans did just that.

16 was the number last week against the 49ers, and although this was an improvement, it was still in double figures, albeit only just. The worst of the 10 misses was actually a double miss from Adoree Jackson and Bobby Okereke, which culminated in Noah Fant’s 51-yard catch and run.  All in all, the Giants had seven different players miss tackles, and all of them, apart from Adoree Jackson, are from the front end of the defence, which explains the 110 yards Walker and Charbonnet got on just 22 carries.  

Finally, let’s talk about special teams because, outside of Graham Gano and, to a degree, Jamie Gillan, it’s awful. SIX penalties (which should have been seven), a muffed punt from Gray, and Adoree back on punt duties.  

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The Ugly

Now, as poor as the players are playing, some of the blame evidently needs to be pointed at the coaches too.  

Mike Kafka’s playcalling is uninspiring and unimaginative. Wink’s defence is getting better, but he has to fix the missed tackles and lack of takeaways, and to say that Thomas McGaughey’s unit outside of its kickers has underperformed is an understatement.  

The thing that binds all these together, though, is Dabes, and somehow he needs to get this team in check fast. There’s no fight, no grit, mixed messages from players, and that aura of fun from last year has disintegrated into frustration and sloppiness. The team is freefalling, and unfortunately for us fans, it’s hard to see where it stops.  

What’s Next

It’s back on the road for the Giants as they travel South to Miami to face the NFL leaders in points scored, overall yards, passing yards and rushing yards. Let’s hope that the defensive improvements continue because if not we could be looking at another demoralizing watch.

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New York Giants: Week Three – The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

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A matchup against one of the favourites for the Super Bowl was always going to be tough, but a poor offensive line, missed tackles, and lacklustre commitment meant that the San Francisco 49ers barely had to get out of second gear.

The Good

Offensively, the Giants sustained a solid first drive of the game, and unlike Week 1’s disaster against the Cowboys, the field goal wasn’t blocked. The 49 yards on 12 plays were about as good as it got for the offence, but more on that later.

One positive personnel development was the return of Wan’Dale Robinson, and despite him only getting 11 snaps as he continued his comeback, he was targeted five times, making four catches for 21 yards. There was a slight scare as he took a shot to the back of the head on his first catch of the game and looked unstable on his feet, but there seems to have been no negative impact from that.

Defensively, I think the Giants fans may have to tip our hats to Micah McFadden. One week after both myself and the rest of the Giants fandom questioned his execution and skillset, he came out and delivered a solid performance. Constantly during the game, it seemed like his name was being mentioned as he finished the game with ten tackles, four of them for a loss and a quarterback hurry. The only blemish on his night were the three missed tackles.

Another player who had a disappointing showing last week against the Cardinals and elevated his play against the 49ers was D.J. Davidson. There were a lot of raised eyebrows that Davidson was active over Jordon Riley, but he had a solid showing with a pass batted down, a quarterback hit, and a shared sack with Leonard Williams. He also impacted the play that got Kayvon Thibodeaux and the Giants their first sack of the season.

Speaking of Williams, he looked much more powerful than the previous two weeks, picking up four pressures, one hurry, two quarterback hits, the sack, and four tackles, all for a loss. His partner in crime, Sexy Dexy, also had four pressures, all hurries, along with four tackles, three for loss.

Finally, it’s time to give some love to Jamie Gillan. Yes, he’s inconsistent; however, when he’s averaging 52.7 yards per punt and getting improved hangtime, you have to praise a job well done.

The Bad

I want to start with Jones, but it’s difficult because there is so much to factor in, so let’s get that out of the way, and then we can talk about Jones.

Ok, yes, the offensive line gave up fewer sacks and pressures to the 49ers than their previous two opponents, despite missing two starters; however, that was just 52 snaps. That’s 11 fewer than the Steelers had against the 9ers in Week 1 and 28 less than the Rams in Week 2. The Giants pass blocking grade on Thursday was the third worst league-wide since 2020, and a direct result of that was Jones’s average time to pressure, which was 2.2 seconds. That’s worse than it was in Week 1 against Dallas!

Next point, the running game was non-existent, despite Brieda’s 8-yard touchdown run. The Giants ran the ball a total of 29 yards on 11 rushes. That is their second-lowest number of attempts in the Super Bowl era; the lowest was back in 1989. Even Nick Bosa said after the game that he was surprised that the Giants didn’t try more zone reads, though he did say it might be because they prepped for it.

Darren Waller also had a game to forget, as he had three catches on seven targets with two drops, one of which resulted in yet another interception. Jones now has four on the season, three of which have hit his receivers in the gloves.

Right, Jones, should he have maybe done better on the throw to Waller? Probably, but he had two rushers pretty much about to smash him, and as for the aforementioned interception, that’s a freak play that bounces off Waller and then is pinballed into the air.

The problem I do have, though, is that he seems unwilling to take risks. He had Hyatt on one play with only safety coverage and didn’t take the shot. In fact, he only had two passes over 20 yards in the whole game, and only six were farther than 10 yards. As a result, his pass completion percentage of 69 looked nice on paper, but when you dig into it further, it’s a meagre 4.3 yards per attempt.

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The Ugly

Two points here: missed tackles and third downs.

In Thursday’s game, the defence finished the game with 16 missed tackles. That’s right, 16! Three each from McFadden, Tre Hawkins, Jason Pinnock, and Bobby Okereke; two from Xavier McKinney; and one each from Tae Banks and Kayvon Thibodeaux. To put into perspective how bad that is, the Giants had 49 the whole of last season. The Giants were already 28th in the league in missed tackles before this game, and it’s only getting worse.

The 49ers faced 16 third downs Thursday night, and they converted nine of those for a conversion rate of 56.3%. On one drive, the Giants gave up a third and 15, a third and 13, and a touchdown on a third and five. They also had two penalties on third downs, meaning two free conversions. The killer was the screen pass, which meant both Deebo and McCaffrey were converting at will thanks to those previously mentioned missed tackles.

What’s Next

After two weeks on the West Coast, the Giants return to MetLife Stadium on Monday night to face off against the 2-1 Seattle Seahawks.

The two battled it out last season in Week 8, with the Seahawks emerging victorious 27-13 despite the game being close all the way up until midway through the 4th quarter.

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Rookies of the Week – Week 2

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Another week in the books, and boy am I glad I extended this from three rookies to seven! These guys are setting records every week.

Let’s look at my standout seven from Week 2.

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Sam LaPorta, Tight End – Detroit Lions

It’s a position with one of the hardest jumps from college to professional; however, no one told LaPorta as he set an NFL record last weekend. With his five receptions for 63 yards, Sam is now the first tight end in NFL history to have five or more receptions in the first two games of their career.

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Marvin Mims Jr., Wide Receiver – Denver Broncos

Two catches were all it took for Mims Jr. to appear on this list. In the first half of the Broncos game against the Commanders, Mims had two targets, two receptions, 113 yards, and a touchdown. Unfortunately, though, he was unable to add to that as he wasn’t targeted again for the rest of the game.

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Puka Nacua, Wide Receiver – Los Angeles Rams

In Week 2, Nacua continued to make waves as he hauled in 15 catches for 147 yards. He has now set the record for most receptions for a single game by a rookie, as well as the record for most receptions by a rookie through their first two weeks with 25.

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Ivan Pace Jr., Linebacker – Minnesota Vikings

Could the Vikings have found one of the steals of the draft? After an impressive start to his career, Pace was given the starting job this week, and he repaid his coaches with seven tackles and one sack. Amazingly, he also has the highest pass rush grade among all linebackers.

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Bijan Robinson, Running Back – Atlanta Falcons

A second week in a row for Bijan on this list, and if he continues to play the way he’s started, he might not leave. Robinson had 124 yards of rushing against the Packers, with the highlight being a 19-yard run early in the second quarter featuring a surplus of missed tackles.

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John Michael Schmitz Jr., Center – New York Giants

After a tough start to the season, Schmitz bounced back immediately with a dominant performance, helping the Giants in their comeback win against the Arizona Cardinals. Schmitz played all 68 snaps in the game, allowing only one sack and posting positive grades in both run blocking and pass blocking.

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C.J. Stroud, Quarterback – Houston Texans

The Texans might be 0-2 to start the season, but that’s no fault of the young rookie. It was an outstanding performance against the Colts, as Stroud threw for 384 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. He is currently the fourth-highest quarterback in passing yards with 626, despite being the most sacked quarterback across the first two weeks.

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New York Giants: Week Two – The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

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Wow….what a comeback. In what was the ultimate game of two halves the Giants recovered from a 20-0 half time deficit to win 31-28 against the Arizona Cardinals.

The Good

Daniel Jones, despite his slow start, was clinical, carving up the Arizona defence on the first play from scrimmage in the second half, hitting rookie Jalin Hyatt for 58 yards before getting the Giants first touchdown of the season two plays later with a 14-yard scamper.

After that, he was almost flawless, as he became the first QB in history to throw for 250+ yards, rush for 50+, throw multiple touchdowns, rush for a touchdown, and have no turnovers in the second half of a game.

As for Jones’s weapons, there was plenty to appreciate in that second half. Saquon rushed for 63 yards and a touchdown while also having 29 yards and a touchdown on six receptions. Jalin Hyatt was the comeback catalyst in only his second game, as he had the aforementioned 58-yard catch to kick off the half, but he also had an impressive high-point catch for 31 yards later in the game. Waller showed off the skills that got Giants fans excited for his arrival with a six reception, 76-yard showing.

The offensive line also deserves a shoutout, with Bredeson, Glowinski, Ezudu, McKethan, Neal, and Schmitz all contributing to the time Jones was afforded giving up a pressure on 29.5% of his dropbacks, a massive reduction from the 66.7% he was pressured on last week. It was not perfect, with three sacks allowed and some almost drive-stalling penalties, but it was miles ahead of Week 1’s showing.

On the defence, Dexter Lawrence seems to be determined to become a one-man wrecking ball with five total pressures (three hurries and two QB hits). Pinnock, despite missing two tackles, was everywhere again, finishing with 10 tackles, three of them for loss. He did also have an interception chalked off due to defensive pass interference. Tre Hawkins was once again impressive with one tackle, one pass breakup, and zero receptions allowed on two targets.

The Bad

Well, from an offensive perspective, the second half was good, but the first was abysmal. It was a disjointed, sluggish, pass-heavy affair that resulted in five first downs, 81 yards of offence, a horrible interception that saw the ball shoot through Barkley’s hands, and no points on the board. That’s compared to the Josh Dobbs-led Cardinals, who had 16 first downs, 241 yards, and 20 points.

Whereas the offence showed up after the half, the defence took another quarter to look like they cared. Before they were able to shed the shackles, they allowed James Conner to run all over them and made journeyman Josh Dobbs look like Prime MVP season Lamar Jackson.

Shout out to @clt_ny on X for this, but Wink used 12 different DL combinations against Arizona. However, during the 10 snaps with Nacho and DJ Davison on the field, we gave up six rushes for 47 yards and two touchdowns, two passes for 13 yards and a touchdown, a 2-point conversion, and a penalty.

Penalties crept in as well, with Bobby Okereke guilty of two while Xavier McKinney had an inexcusable roughing the passer flagged. After opening with a Matt Prater missed field goal, the Cardinals then scored on their next five drives, four before the half and one after. It was performances like this that condemned the Giants to obtain unwanted records being shown on screen, like being the first team to allow 54 unanswered points to start a season since the 1989 Steelers.

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The Ugly

For the second week in a row, the opposing quarterback was afforded plenty of time, with the Giants pass rush failing to record a sack for the second successive game. With a total of 10 hurries and five quarterback hits, the Giants faltered again and again, but unfortunately, one man under pressure to perform who isn’t is last year’s 6th overall pick, Kayvon Thibodeaux.

According to PFF, he graded 52.4 overall. 49.8 run defence. 51.9 pass rush. 64.7 coverage and failed to record a single tackle despite being on the field for 61 of the 64 snaps the defence had.

Giants legend Carl Banks was quick to defend Thibodeaux, though, pointing out that we don’t know what the coaches are asking him to do, and he does have a point. Looking at the stats, Kayvon dropped back into coverage on 25% of his snaps, which surely isn’t playing to his strengths.

What’s Next

The Giants stay on the west coast this week as a Thursday Night Football showdown against the dominant San Francisco 49ers is up next.

Did you know that since 2012, the two teams have played six times with the teams alternating wins, with the last winners being the 49ers, who triumphed in the 2020 COVID season 36-9 at MetLife Stadium?

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New York Giants: Week One – The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

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I’d like to say the less said about that game, the better, but that wouldn’t really work when you’re writing an article about it. I guess we might as well get straight into it.

The Good

The game is over? It’s only week one? We can’t be worse this season?

All valid points, but to be fair to some of the players on the field, there are a few that do deserve slight praise.

Micah McFadden continued to tackle hard throughout the game when it looked like others were too shellshocked to get out of their own heads. According to PFF, the sophomore player finished with seven solo tackles, two assisted tackles, and four stops.

Dexter Lawrence had a quieter game than expected but did still finish the game with four pressures (two hurries and two quarterback hits), three solo tackles, one assisted tackle, and three stops. He was also the Giants highest-graded defender in both pass-rushing and run defence.

Rookie wise Tae Banks didn’t allow a reception the two times he was targeted and looked solid until his exit with cramps. Fellow rookie cornerback Tre Hawkins III also had an okay showing despite the contentious pass interference penalty that was called against him, and finally, defensive tackle Jordon Riley looked good in his limited snaps, showing off his power and speed to record a nice tackle for loss.

The Bad

Let’s start with the trio of plays that mentally stunned the Giants players into the catatonic black hole that they never seemed to be able to shake off. Firstly, it was a false start from the normally reliable Andrew Thomas that disrupted the run-heavy opening possession that saw the Giants make it to the red zone. Then rookie centre John Michael Schmitz’s snap shot out of his hand in the torrential rain, causing it to pass Daniel Jones, who recovered it for a nine-yard loss. The trio was then completed as Joshua Ezudu’s inability to choose one of two rushers on the field goal try saw Graham Gano’s kick blocked and returned for the first of many Dallas scores.

One player who definitely never recovered was Daniel Jones, who struggled for the remainder of the game, throwing two interceptions, one of which was a rebound out of Saquon Barkley’s hands into the arms of Dallas cornerback DaRon Bland, who ran it in for the pick six. There is the argument that Jones wasn’t helped by the offensive line, but even when he was finally afforded decent protection, he did nothing of note.

Defensively, it wasn’t much better either, as the Giants pass rush and run defence spluttered through the game. Wink Martindale is known for his affinity for exotic blitzes and schemes, but the Giants defence was unable to record a sack against the Cowboys for the third game in a row. This is despite the Giants attempts to get more depth at the defensive tackle position and having both Kayvon Thibodeaux and Azeez Ojulari injury-free.

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The Ugly

Giants fans everywhere were fed positive noise prior to the offseason as Evan Neal was shown in private coaching sessions with former Bengal Willie Anderson; however, it doesn’t seem to have fixed anything as he and fellow right-sided offensive lineman Mark Glowinski, who got a 1.0 PFF pass blocking grade, were constantly guilty of poor footwork and blocking technique.

To put it simply, it was an all-you-can eat buffet for the Cowboys defensive front, as they generated four of the five sacks, two of the three quarterback hits, and 11 of the 19 hurries via that right side alone.

What’s Next

Up next for the Giants is a trip to the West Coast to face the Joshua Dobbs-led Arizona Cardinals, who lost a narrow game to the Giants divisional rivals, the Washington Commanders.

Dobbs, who struggled against the Commanders, threw for 132 yards, was sacked three times, and had a couple of fumbles.

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Five Things: The New York Giants Preseason 2023

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With the draft, preseason and cutdowns taking place since my last article, I think it’s time we take stock of the Giants prior to the beginning of the season later this week. Here are five things that have happened since then:

Saquon’s Contract

With Daniel Jones signing his mega contract back on March 10th, the focus then turned to Saquon Barkley, who had just been tagged. Not a problem; they’ll figure out something long-term and it’ll all be fine, except it wasn’t.

As the offseason progressed, it was clear that the Giants and Barkley were still quite far apart in their negotiations, leading to Barkley’s decision to skip OTAs until a deal was reached. Unfortunately, as the deadline approached, there were murmurs that negotiations hadn’t progressed to an acceptable level, and despite the two parties only being “a couple of million apart” a long-term deal was not reached.

With no longer-term deal now achievable until next offseason, the risk of Barkley sitting out games became a real possibility before Joe Schoen and Barkley’s representatives were able to agree on a new one-year, $11 million deal. With the deal done, Saquon reported to training camp and was a full participant in all camp activities, apart from the preseason games.

Rookie Classes Preseason

Joe Schoen had a stellar second draft as Giants general manager, as all seven of his 2023 picks have made the 53-man roster. Here is how they each fared:

Round 1: Deonte Banks, Cornerback

Banks may have had a rough start in training camp, but he’s become more comfortable with the schemes and system. He’s also been impressive in his two preseason outings, not allowing a single reception on four targets, solidifying himself as a starting corner this season.

Round 2: John Michael Schmitz Jr., Center

After quickly building rapport with Giants quarterback Jones, Schmitz has been one of the better players on the interior of the offensive line. Like Banks, he only played in two games, but unfortunately, there were mixed results. Again, he will be the starter at his position.

Round 3: Jalin Hyatt, Wide Receiver

After flashing some highlight plays in training camp, the preseason games have been a bit different. Game one saw him finish with -4 yards on one reception, whereas in game two, he had four receptions on five targets for 35 yards and a touchdown.

Round 5: Eric Gray, Running Back

Gray has pushed hard to carve out a spot on the Giants roster. He briefly appeared at his natural position, finishing the preseason with seven rushes for 11 yards and a touchdown while adding four receptions for 48 yards. He’s predominantly been on returning duties, which is where his role will likely be this season.

Round 6: Tre Hawkins III, Cornerback

One of the surprise standouts in camp, Hawkins, may have surpassed even his own lofty ambitions. He’s even been given first-team reps, pushing veteran Adoree Jackson out to the slot corner position. Other than one missed tackle, he’s been very impressive throughout the preseason games.

Round 7: Jordon Riley, Defensive Tackle

Another rookie who grasped his opportunity with both hands Riley has taken starter reps during the preseason and has been a monster, disrupting the opponent’s offensive line and earning four stops.

Round 7: Gervarrius Owens, Safety

In a crowded room, Owens was able to outplay veteran Bobby McCain and earn his spot. He’s appeared in all three preseason games, recording nine tackles, three pressures, and only one reception on four targets.

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Another Couple of Trades

Another couple of areas that needed some depth, or, in the context of linebacker, potentially starter help, were also addressed. On the 24th of August, the Giants acquired linebacker Isaiah Simmons from the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for a 7th round draft selection in 2024, and then on the 29th, the Giants sent a 2025 6th round selection to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for defensive end Carlos ‘Boogie’ Basham and a 2025 7th rounder.

Simmons, who was a 2020 first-round pick, started his career in outstanding form, resulting in his selection to the All-Rookie team. Since then, he has struggled to nail down a position, and in 2022 alone, he split snaps between slot corner and inside linebacker but also had snaps at outside linebacker, wide cornerback, and both safety positions. With the Cardinals covering $5.4 million of his $6.5 million cap hit this year, this is another one of those low-risk, high-reward moves that Joe Schoen is becoming known for.

Basham was a sixth-round selection by the Bills in 2021, a move that Basham attributes to current Giants GM Schoen. In his introductory presser, Boogie said, “Schoen was one of the first scouts that contacted me, talked to me in the process, and he was like, ‘I really want you in Buffalo.’ I knew it was going to happen eventually; I just had that bond with him before he left Buffalo”. In 23 career games, he has recorded 37 tackles (20 solo, five for a loss), one fumble recovery, eight QB hits, 4.5 sacks, and one interception.

O-Line Worries

Another year and another offseason where we are talking about the offensive line. This year, the worries stem from the rotating guard position, where it seems that no one wants to take control of the starting spots, and the horrific depth behind tackles Andrew Thomas and Evan Neal.

During the preseason, the Giants give opportunities to Mark Glowinski (2 games), Ben Bredeson (3), Josh Ezudu (3), Shane Lemieux (3), Sean Harlow (3), and Marcus McKethan (1), with all but Bredeson scoring below a 62 PFF grade. While some have performed well in pass blocking, interior run blocking is almost nonexistent, stifling the efforts of the running backs.

Right, onto the backup tackles… With the Giants needing a solid swing tackle option, Wyatt Davis, Matt Peart, Korey Cunningham, and Julién Davenport all saw ample time to show their credentials, but none of them were even acceptable. Seven of the nine sacks and 25 of the 44 pressures the Giants gave up came from these four players, meaning we’ll likely have to pray that neither Thomas nor Neal have issues unless we can pick up a cut player on waivers since Peart and McKethan stuck around.

Cutdowns

With the rules on cutdowns changing this season, many players have had longer to make an impression; however, the Giants still had to trim the roster down to the final 53 players. Here are the unfortunate players that are no longer with the Giants:

Waived

LB Darrian Beavers, DE Ryder Anderson, DE Kobe Smith, S Alex Cook, CB Gemon Green, TE Ryan Jones, OLB Tomon Fox, LB Ray Wilborn, LB Dyonte Johnson, OL Tyre Phillips, QB Tommy DeVito, LS Cam Lyons, WR Kalil Pimpleton, OLB Habakkuk Baldonado, RB Jasaun Corbin, WR Collin Johnson, RB James Robinson, DL Kevin Atkins, DL Donovan Jeter and CB Darren Evans.

Terminated (Vested Veteran)

CB Amani Oruwariye, WR Cole Beasley, WR David Sills, OC Sean Harlow, OLB Oshane Ximines, WR Jamison Crowder, WR Jaydon Mickens, DL Brandin Bryant, OL Julien Davenport, OT Korey Cunningham and OLB Tashawn Bower

Practice Squad

The Giants have however re-signed the following to their practice squad: Ryder Anderson, Alex Cook, Tomon Fox, Oshane Ximines, Cole Beasley, Dyontae Johnson, Amani Oruwariye, Ryan Jones, Darrian Beavers, and Tommy DeVito.

They’ve also added running back Taiwan Jones, cornerback Kaleb Hayes, wide receiver Dennis Houston, tight end Tyree Jackson, guard Jalen Mayfield, and tackle Jaylon Thomas.

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Five Things: The New York Giants Offseason 2023

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The 2023 season is now a month old, and, in that time, there have been plenty of comings, re-signings and goings. Now with the NFL draft quickly approaching us, it’s time to look at the five things that have stood out.

Danny Dollar Dollar

3:56 pm EST on the 4th of March.

With four minutes to go until the franchise tag deadline and after three and a half weeks of painstaking negotiations, the Giants finally ended up agreeing with Daniel Jones’s new agents on a new $160 million, four-year contract based on a picky swear and a hug.

The initial reaction to the contract itself was intriguing, as it was easy to argue that both sides (Athletes First and the Giants) had come away with big wins. Athletes First were able to secure a guaranteed $84 million in the first two years, getting Jones his $40 million plus AAV, but the contract shifts in year three as it dips to an AAV of $37.5 million with none of it guaranteed unless Jones is on the roster on the fifth day of the 2025 league year.

Looking forward, getting the deal over the line prior to the deadline allowed the Giants to not only bring back Saquon Barkley, as he was given the franchise tag at a more palatable number of $10.09 million than Jones’s franchise tag hit of $32 million, but overall, it gave the Giants front office much more flexibility in the free agency market without having to panic negotiate to free up cap space.

Big Splashes

Speaking of free agency, it didn’t take long for Joe Schoen to start looking at upgrading some of the Giants’ Achilles heels from last year, and without the shackles of last year’s Gettleman-caused cap restrictions, he was able to cast his net wider.

His first big splash was to sign ex-Indianapolis Colt linebacker Bobby Okereke to a four-year, $40 million deal, with $22 million of that guaranteed. The 27-year-old Okereke had 16 starts in 2022, recording a career-high 151 total tackles, two forced fumbles, and a 79.3 PFF rating as a run defender.

The second big free agent signing came two days later as another ex-Colt made the switch to East Rutherford in wide receiver Parris Campbell, who has just come off his best season as a pro. Campbell, who had struggled with injuries in his first few years in the league, played 17 games last year, recording 623 yards on 63 receptions. His contract with the Giants is a 1-year, $3-million deal with up to $1.7 million in per-game roster bonuses.

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Shock Trade

Sandwiched between the two deals above was arguably the most shocking and potentially best value move the Giants have made so far this offseason.

With most of the insiders suggesting that a standout wide receiver should be the Giants’ number one priority, they ended up trading for Darren Waller from the Las Vegas Raiders, who arguably on his day can give you that number one target in the same way the Kansas City Chiefs use Travis Kelce. Ironically, the cost to acquire Waller was the third-round pick (number 100 overall) that the Giants received as part of the Kadarius Toney trade to the Chiefs.

The 6-foot, 6-inch, 255-pound veteran has 298 receptions for 3,572 yards and 19 touchdowns in his career so far, and despite only appearing in nine games last season, he still managed nine 20-plus yard catches, which was only bested by Darius Slayton on the Giants roster.

The contract the Giants inherited had no dead money hits after 2023; however, after restructuring his deal to free up cap room, there are now hits if he were to be released after either of the 2023 or 2024 seasons.

Focusing on Depth and Familiarity

After a season spent either signing the best players they could to vet-minimum deals or having to resort to either practise squad poaching or street signings, Schoen and his team were able to focus on finding better depth pieces as well as keeping the better performers from last year.

There was a spate of re-signings prior to the start of free agency, with exclusive rights free agents Lawrence Cager (TE), Wyatt Davis (G), Jack Anderson (G), and surprise 2022 standout Isaiah Hodgins (WR) all signing new deals. They were then rejoined by Casey Kreiter (LS), Jamie Gillan (PT), Sterling Shepard (WR), Matt Brieda (RB), Jihad Ward (DE), and Darius Slayton (WR).

On the new signing front, the Giants have added Jeff Smith (WR), Rakeem Nunes-Roches (DT), Leonard Johnson (CB), Bobby McCain (S), Jamison Crowder (WR), Amani Oruwariye (CB), Tommy Sweeney (TE), and J.C. Hassenauer (C).

Farewells

As is the norm with free agency, there are inevitably going to be players who move on, either by signing with another team or being released/cut.

The one that will likely affect the Giants the most will be losing one of last season’s defensive captains and the man who led all Giants players in tackles, Julian Love. Love, who will be suiting up for the Seattle Seahawks next season was drafted by the Giants back in 2019, became a bit of a Swiss army knife during his time in blue and even took up calling the defensive plays when fellow safety Xavier McKinney was injured last year.

Other than Love, the G-Men have seen former center/guard Nick Gates, who recovered from his horrific leg injury to play last season, sign a contract with divisional rivals the Washington Commanders; Jon Feliciano, who is the Giants only other recognised centre left for the San Francisco 49ers after most expected his re-signing to be a matter of time; and wide receiver/special teamer Richie James Jr. move on to sign with the Kansas City Chiefs.

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Free Agency Day 2 Recap

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Aaron Rodgers made headlines on the second day of free agency, before his seemingly impending move to the New York Jets has even happened.

The four-time MVP is set to be traded to New York, per Trey Wingo, and has given GM Joe Douglas a shopping list of free-agent weapons for the quarterback, should he end up at MetLife Stadium

Former Packers WR Allen Lazard was the first to sign over the dotted line with the AFC East outfit, whilst Odell Beckham Jr, Marcedes Lewis, and Randall Cobb are also on Rodgers’ list.

Nothing is done yet though, could Rodgers confirm the move himself when he appears on Pat McAfee at 6 PM GMT? Or will he shock the world by retiring?

Top 10 free agents: Who signed?

10. James Bradberry – CB – Philadelphia Eagles, 3 years $38 million

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Despite temptation from their division rival Dallas Cowboys, James Bradberry remained in Philadelphia yesterday, signing a deal worth just over $12.5 million a year.

It looks like Bradberry may have a home, having been chucked about in recent years. With a few departures in the Philadelphia secondary this free agency, he’ll be a leader in the city of brotherly love.  

Who’s still left to sign?

1. Lamar Jackson – QB

Today is the day we could start to see some movement with Lamar Jackson. Due to not having an agent, the end of the legal tampering period means he can start to negotiate with teams that are willing to give up two first-round picks.

3. Bobby Wagner – LB

Only one of my top three linebackers has been signed so far, but for Wagner I’m sure it’s more about destination than a paycheck. A second ring is very high on the agenda.

5. Lavonte David – LB

As with Wagner, David is another I’d expect to take his time and pick a destination. Miami is a shout for both of them, less so after signing David Long on Monday, but the linebacker position is valued in Vic Fangio’s defense. 

7. Orlando Brown – T 

Whilst Brown is without a contract so far in free agency, one thing we do know is that he will not be returning to Kansas City.  New FA signing Jawaan Taylor is expected to take his role, moving to left tackle. 

Trades

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Stephon Gilmore – Indianapolis to Dallas

2018’s defensive player of the year ended up in Dallas on Tuesday night, moving for a 2023 fifth-round pick, in the aftermath of James Bradberry remaining in Philadelphia.

After a poor final couple of years in New England, Gilmore has bounced back in his previous two destinations of Carolina and Indy, will he be the next dominant Cowboys corner?

Darren Waller – Las Vegas to New York Giants

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Fresh from committing to Daniel Jones, Giants GM Joe Schoen went out and got one of the league’s top tight-ends for his $ 40 million a-year quarterback.

Waller, who signed a three-year $51 million extension in September only cost the G-Men a third-round pick, the one acquired from Kansas City in the Kadarius Toney trade.

Other big Free Agent Signings

Dalvin Tomlinson – IDL – Minnesota to Cleveland, signed for four years, $57 million

Allen Lazard – WR – Green Bay to New York Jets, signed for four years, $44 million

Jason Kelce – C – remaining in Philadelphia, signed a one-year $14 million extension

Kaleb McGary – T – remaining in Atlanta, signed a three year $34.5 million extension

Jakobi Meyers – WR – New England to Las Vegas, signed for three years, $33 million

Bobby Okereke – LB – Indianapolis to New York Giants, signed for four years, $40 million

Charles Omenihu – EDGE – San Francisco to Kansas City, signed for two years, $20 million

Larry Ogunjobi – IDL – remaining in Pittsburgh, signed a three year $28 million extension

Samson Ebukam – EDGE – San Francisco to Indianapolis, signed for three years, $24 million

Eric Kendricks – LB – Minnesota to Los Angeles Chargers signed for two years, $13.25 million

Follow us at Full10Yards to keep up to date with all the latest moves this week, as well as the upcoming NFL draft. Be sure to get in touch on both Facebook and Twitter.

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Five Things: Super Wildcard Weekend – New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings

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You like that!? The New York Giants showed they aren’t in the postseason just to make up the numbers with an exhilarating 31-24 win over the Minnesota Vikings in Minneapolis. Here are five things that stood out:

Danny Dollars

Daniel Jones was predicted to fail by analysts from the moment he was drafted in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft. To be fair, his first few years would be difficult as a revolving door of head coaches and offensive coordinators struggled to utilize Jones and the inevitable questions arose. Would Jones ever be good enough to be a franchise quarterback? Can he stay healthy? When will he learn to protect the football?

Not only did he answer those questions emphatically this season by playing accurate, turnover-free football, but he’s also shown his leadership and reliability as he’s become more comfortable with the coaching staff. This was clear on Sunday as Jones put the Giants’ offence on his back, displaying a methodical passing and rushing attack as he orchestrated five scoring drives, all of which were over 75 yards.

Oh, and who is the only quarterback in NFL history to throw for 300 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 70 yards in the playoffs? You guessed it, Daniel Jones.

The Secondary vs Jefferson

After decimating the Adoree Jackson and Xavier McKinney-less Giants secondary in Week 16, many expected Justin Jefferson to be the potential deciding factor once again. However, the Wink Martindale-led defence had constructed a game plan to stifle the superstar receiver, and outside of the first drive, they executed it to almost perfection.

With the Giants adapting their usual blitz-heavy attack for a more conservative one featuring more zone coverage, Jefferson was able to gain 30 yards on four catches on the opening possession, but he would only catch three more passes for a further 17 yards, with his longest catch of the night being only 10 yards. Obviously, focusing so intently on one player runs the risk of opening up opportunities for other players, and as is par for the course with this Giants team, this meant tight end TJ Hockenson was able to bring in 10 catches for 129 yards, but in the end, the defence stood strong and was able to close the game out.

Outstanding Offense

As alluded to in the previous section, the Giants’ offence possessed the ball seven times (nine if you count the kneel-downs at the end of each half) and was able to score five times. Though Jones was the main driving force, he still needed his supporting cast to match his hunger, which they did.

Outside of the seven pressures that rookie Evan Neal allowed, the offensive line mostly stood strong, allowing Jones ample time to pick his passes while also opening running lanes for both the quarterback and running backs.

Barkley scored two touchdowns and rushed for 53 yards despite only carrying the ball a season-low tying nine times while adding 56 receiving yards on five receptions. Isaiah Hodgins had a team season-high 105 receiving yards and a touchdown on 8 targets, Daniel Bellinger caught both of the passes thrown his way, finishing with 17 yards and a touchdown, and Darius Slayton, despite his almost costly drop on the Giants’ last meaningful offensive possession, still had four catches for 88 yards.

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Vikings Final Drive

Slayton’s ill-timed drop forced the Giants to punt back to the Vikings, and it almost felt inevitable that Kirk Cousins would drive up the field to tie the game 31-31 and force the game into overtime, but this isn’t the same Giants team of the past few seasons.

After an awful roughing the passer call on the outstanding Dexter Lawrence saved the Vikings from a likely intentional grounding call. The clearly frustrated Giants’ defence was caught out for a 13-yard Hockenson catch that saw the Vikings near midfield, but after an incomplete pass and a minimal gain run, the Vikings had two key downs to save their season, but ultimately it was the Giants’ defence that stepped up.

Firstly, the third down saw an outstanding bit of pass defence from rookie Cordale Flott, who prevented K.J. Osbourne from completing a catch. Then, on fourth down, the coverage from the Giants and pressure from Dexter Lawrence forced Cousins to throw to Hockenson, who was wrapped up by McKinney way short of the first down to extend the Giants’ postseason.

Destination: Philadelphia

Next up for the Giants is a trip back to Philadelphia for their third meeting of the season with their hated divisional rivals, the Eagles.

After being blown away in the first matchup between the two sides in Week 14, the second meeting just over a week ago was a much tighter affair despite the Giants resting all their key starters. With the Eagles coming off a bye week courtesy of their number one seeding in the playoffs, they will have had the added benefit of a week’s rest, but if quarterback Jalen Hurts is still not 100%, the game could swing either way.