Giants

New York Giants: Sterling Shepard to end season on injured reserve with Achilles injury

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new york giants, sterling shepard

The New York Giants will be missing more than just Daniel Jones through the final games of the season. The injury curse that has been present all season long as continued, and this time it’s Sterling Shepard to go down. The wide receiver clearly picked up a worrying non-contact injury during the loss to the Dallas Cowboys, and we know now that this injury was a torn Achilles that has seen Shepard sent to the injured reserve.

Shepard is headed to the IR list at the same time as Jones, who was injured earlier but wasn’t immediately ruled out. This will cap off a season where Shepard struggled to stay on the field due to multiple injuries. Despite starting out looking like the potential top receiver on the roster, Shepard missed his first game in week 4 and has seen his role in the offense diminish since week 6 when he had 10 receptions.

While this isn’t Shepard’s first time dealing with injury problems, this season is significant because he’ll finish with the lowest games played and overall yards of his career. In 2019, Shepard played in 10 games but managed 576 yards. This season, he’s only made it into 7 games and has 366 yards. His sole touchdown this year also leaves him with the lowest total of his career in that department.

What does this mean for Sterling Shepard?

All of this, of course, leaves Shepard in an uncertain future position.

Shepard isn’t in a player that the organization or fanbase is in a rush to see gone. He’s a solid competitor, and headed into this season looked like the reliable option for Daniel Jones among a number of new additions at wide receiver.

But his injury history across multiple seasons and his cost against the cap while headed into a likely rebuild next year make it debatable whether he’ll play for the Giants again.

His cap hit for 2022 rises to nearly $12.5M, and at that price, it looks like Shepard will have to end up as one of the team’s cap space cuts. It’s an unfortunate situation all around, but in their current state, the Giants aren’t able to throw money at a wide receiver who is having the worst season of his career and only played in 7 games.

New York Giants shutting down QB Daniel Jones for the season

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New York Giants, Daniel Jones

The New York Giants are shutting down starting quarterback Daniel Jones for the remainder of the 2021 season, per Jordan Raanan of ESPN. Daniel Jones has missed the last three games with a neck injury he suffered in the Giants’ Week 12 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. The Giants are optimistic that this injury will not affect Jones’s long-term future.

At 4-10, the New York Giants’ season is all but over. They are out of the playoff race and ready to look ahead to the offseason. There is no point in Daniel Jones returning to play this season with nothing left to compete toward. The Giants officially placed Daniel Jones on the reserve/injured list, ending his third season in the NFL prematurely.

Statement from the Giants’ medical staff:

“Over the course of the past few weeks, Daniel has been examined by Dr. Frank Cammisa of Hospital for Special Surgery and Dr. Robert Watkins of the Marina Spine Center at Marina Del Rey Hospital. Our medical team has continued to consult with Dr. Cammisa and Dr. Watkins regarding Daniel’s condition and symptoms, and at this point, Daniel has not been cleared for contact. We felt the prudent decision was to place Daniel on injured reserve for the remainder of the season. With continued rest and treatment, we expect a full recovery.” – Senior Vice President, Medical Services/Head Athletic Trainer Ronnie Barnes via Giants.com

What this means for the Giants going forward

The New York Giants have made this decision to preserve the future of Daniel Jones’s career. The Giants hold two first-round picks in the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft but are unlikely to spend a first-round pick on a quarterback. Daniel Jones is probably going to be the Giants’ starting quarterback next season.

Giving Daniel Jones a head start on the offseason should provide him with ample time to recover and prepare for next season. For the remainder of the year, the Giants will continue to start backup quarterback Mike Glennon (unless he loses his job to Jake Fromm). Jake Fromm saw playing time at the end of the Giants’ loss to the Cowboys on Sunday.

There is a chance Jake Fromm takes over going forward. Joe Judge and the coaching staff will have discussions this week:

We got to a point in the game where I wanted to see what Jake could do, point blank. We weren’t doing enough moving the ball otherwise, so I wanted to make sure I had the chance to see Jake and that will obviously open up a conversation about what we’re going to do this week. We’ll talk about it as a staff and we’ll make the best decision for the team. – Head Coach Joe Judge

What this means for Daniel Jones

Ultimately, the 2021 season did not go as planned for Daniel Jones. This was meant to be his breakout third year. Instead, the Giants’ offense was a putrid mess (with or without Jones). Daniel Jones has missed starts with injuries in each of his first three seasons.

Daniel Jones’s final stats for the 2021 season:

  • 232/361 (64.3%), 2,428 passing yards, 10 passing touchdowns, 7 interceptions
  • 62 carries, 298 rushing yards, 2 rushing touchdowns, 7 fumbles

It seems like Daniel Jones will at least get one more year to prove himself as the franchise quarterback. But one must imagine that DJ is on thin ice after three unsuccessful years as the New York Giants’ starter.

New York Giants: Jake Fromm makes debut in disappointing home loss

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jake fromm, giants

There’s not many things to celebrate from the New York Giants’ recent loss to the Cowboys, but there is one thing that might generate interest for the last few games of the season. That’s the starting quarterback situation, and the latest development. After Mike Glennon received the start in place of Daniel Jones and threw for 3 interceptions, the Giants gave a chance to the next man up Jake Fromm, who would make his NFL debut.

What does Jake Fromm’s debut mean for the Giants?

Fromm wasn’t able to carry the offense to a touchdown, but his performance does give reason to believe there will be a quarterback competition headed into the next game. This, of course, isn’t that relevant in the long run. The Giants don’t have many games left, and are already out of the division race. But finding out whether Fromm is a capable backup is a worthwhile task. After all, Daniel Jones has missed games with injuries in each of his NFL seasons. This year has been a hard lesson for the Giants that they need to be prepared for those situations.

Completing half of his 12 total attempts, Fromm threw for 82 yards and had a passer rating of 72.2 compared to 24.8 for Glennon. It’s a commendable performance, when considering how Glennon received more snaps and yet Fromm had the better game and would have thrown for more yards too if he had a similar amount of passing attempts.

It’s a bit early to say that Fromm should be the starter next week for sure. Fromm’s entry into this game was a surprise, and quarterbacks often have more success before defenses get a chance to prepare for them and go over their film.

But after a series of hopeless performances from Glennon, Fromm has definitely landed in a spot of contention to start for the rest of the year. No one wants to see more of the same from Glennon, and if Fromm can be the more competitive player in practice, the chances appear pretty high that the starting job will fall into his hands.

New York Giants lose to Dallas Cowboys in Week 15 divisional matchup

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jake fromm, giants

The New York Giants have fallen to 4-10 on the season after Sunday’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys. New York has once again been swept by their division rivals after they lost their first matchup with the Cowboys in Week Five. The Cowboys topped the Giants today with a score of 21-6.

The New York Giants’ offense was abysmal today, once again. They failed to score a touchdown and benched their backup quarterback, Mike Glennon, for the second-year Jake Fromm toward the end of the fourth quarter. Glennon struggled all game and failed to move the Giants’ offense downfield.

Going forward, Jake Fromm looks like the better fill-in quarterback candidate. The former Buffalo Bills backup was composed in the pocket and threw with accuracy, outplaying Mike Glennon. Glennon threw for 99 yards (13/24) and 3 interceptions through three and a half quarters. Jake Fromm was able to total 82 yards on 6 completions and 0 turnovers in less than half of a quarter.

The Giants defense played well, holding the Cowboys to only 21 points (two touchdowns). But, ultimately, the Giants’ offense was unable to capitalize on any good field positioning or turnovers created by their defense.

The Giants lost the turnover battle 4-1. Glennon threw three interceptions and Saquon Barkley lost the first fumble of his career today. The 2021 NFL season is drawing to a close, and today’s loss pushes the Giants closer to the top of the draft board. If the season ended today, New York would own the fifth overall pick. The Giants appear set to own two top-ten picks with the Chicago Bears currently sitting at 4-9. This could help make the Giants a more attractive destination for potential general manager candidates.

New York Giants: Xavier McKinney expected to play vs Cowboys

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New York Giants, Xavier McKinney

The New York Giants will have multiple names missing from their secondary when they face Dallas. However, one of those names might not be Xavier McKinney, who is expected to be available. According ESPN, McKinney is expected to return to the active roster on Sunday after being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list as a close contact.

McKinney’s presence on the field is an important one for the Giants, thanks to his 70 tackles and 5 interceptions this year. After a rookie season that was slowed down by injury, McKinney is a contender along with Andrew Thomas for the best sophomore season out of last year’s draft class.

But as of now, McKinney’s availability for this next game isn’t guaranteed. The Giants are also missing other key talent at the position – second cornerback Adoree’ Jackson and nickel corner Aaron Robinson will miss the game, due to being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

Practice squad pickup J.R. Reed, who would potentially receive playing time if McKinney is out, was placed on the COVID-19 list on Friday. The problem isn’t just one that’s afflicting the secondary, either. Mike Glennon will have less weapons to work with while filling in for Daniel Jones, as the Giants are also missing Kadarius Toney and John Ross for the same reason.

There’s been some debate around the league about whether teams like the Giants should have to play in this state at all, or if the games should be rescheduled. Even though the game is going ahead and the Giants are obviously at a disadvantage with their current reduced depth, fans can at least take comfort in the fact that the team is already out of the playoff race and doesn’t have anything to lose regardless of the result.

Should the New York Giants consider trading for Russell Wilson?

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Could the New York Giants find a way to acquire Russell Wilson in a potential trade?

The New York Giants have been connected to trade rumors regarding one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is reportedly considering requesting a trade. According to Jordan Schultz, one of the teams Wilson would waive his no-trade clause for is the New York Giants. Is this a trade the Giants should consider?

Why the Giants should not consider trading for Russell Wilson

According to Matt Lombardo, the currently projected price tag for Russell Wilson will be three first-round picks. The Giants are uniquely positioned to acquire Russell Wilson via draft picks because they have two first-round picks in the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft. This capital could be used to trade for Wilson.

However, the Giants have many needs on their roster. Those two first-round picks could be allocated to the offensive line to transform the unit for the Giants. Trading away both of those picks, plus another first-round pick in 2023 might be too rich for the standards of many fans and general managers.

While the Giants might have the draft capital to acquire Russell Wilson, they do not have the salary-cap space to make this move. The Giants are projected to have $4.5 million in cap space this offseason. Russell Wilson’s 2022 cap hit is $37 million. The Giants will be able to create cap space by cutting and trading players this offseason, but they might have to make too many sacrifices to afford DangeRuss.

Why the Giants should consider trading for Russell Wilson

Inversely, there are reasons why the Giants should consider trading for Russell Wilson. Firstly, he is Russell Wilson. He is a future Hall of Fame quarterback and a Super Bowl champion. Wilson has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL for nearly a decade. If the Giants were to trade for Russell Wilson, they would be instantly and massively upgrading the most important position in all of sports.

Wilson is 33-years old and in the second half of his career. But for the best quarterbacks in the NFL, 33-years-old does not mean the window is closing. Wilson likely has another five years left in the NFL. The Giants, essentially, would be trading away two years of first-round draft picks for five or more years of stability at the quarterback position. For this reason, the trade idea is something the team should at least consider.

Russell Wilson might be 33-years-old, but he is still a top quarterback. Wilson is only a year removed from a 2020 season that saw him toss a career-high 40 touchdown passes and lead the Seahawks to a 12-4 record. Russ has never had a losing season as quarterback of the Seahawks and has never missed a start until this season. Russell Wilson is a proven winner and durable son-of-a-gun.

“Renegotiating a deal that works out for all parties is something that would have to happen for any of this to work.” – an NFL executive via Matt Lombardo

The Giants need to consider this trade

While the Giants might not have the salary-cap space to acquire the Seahawks’ legendary quarterback on his current deal, it is assumed that Russell Wilson’s contract would be reworked and restructured to make the deal occur. The New York Giants might not be the front-runners to land Russell Wilson, but this is a trade the team needs to at least consider negotiating.

New York Giants: Daniel Jones out, Sterling Shepard questionable going into Cowboys game

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sterling shepard, new york giants

When the New York Giants take on the Cowboys for the second time this year, they’ll have to dig deep and win with less talent than usual. That’s because some important players will be out for this game, including Daniel Jones and cornerback Adoree’ Jackson.

The player that is the most important in all of this, of course, is Jones. Some reports have indicated that he’ll be shut down for the season, but we aren’t seeing that yet. Still, he hasn’t been cleared to return from his neck injury, and it looks at this point like more than a regular neck strain.

Mike Glennon is once again the starter for the Giants, who lack a fitting alternative.

Jones isn’t the only player out, though. The Giants will have cornerbacks Adoree’ Jackson and Aaron Robinson missing, after they were placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list earlier in the week. Kadarius Toney was also placed on the list, giving the Giants one less weapon in the receiving game.

For some players, the verdict isn’t out yet but things aren’t looking great. Ben Bredeson, Austin Johnson, Leonard Williams, and Sterling Shepard were marked as questionable and participated in limited practice on Friday. Shepard made his return from an absence since week 8 when he played against the Chargers, but is now dealing with a calf injury following that game.

Saquon Barkley was also limited in practice, but it looks more likely than not that he’ll play. Barkley played in the past 4 games despite being listed with an injury, and hasn’t been placed on the ‘questionable’ section of the injury report.

All in all, it’s clear the Giants will need a well thought out game plan to remain competitive in this one. With the current injuries, talent alone isn’t enough.

New York Giants: Saquon Barkley wants to stay in New York for his entire career

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New York Giants, Saquon Barkley

Headed into this offseason, one of the questions for the New York Giants will be how to judge Saquon Barkley. The Giants may have picked up Barkley’s fifth year option, but that doesn’t guarantee his long-term future with the team given his current performance levels. Barkley has yet to rush for 100 yards in a game in 2021, and his 2 touchdowns at this point in the season place him on track to finish with the lowest total of his career outside of last year where he was injured a couple games in.

Not all of that is Barkley’s fault, of course. The offensive line wasn’t as bad when he first arrived with the Giants, and he saw a heavier usage as he wasn’t coming back from injury at the time. That is part of the reason why Barkley’s rookie numbers, including 11 touchdowns, are so much higher.

But even if problems outside of Barkley’s control have influenced his performance, there will still be plenty of conversation this offseason about his future with the team. Barkley was, after all, drafted with the number two overall pick. That doesn’t come with an easy standard to live up to, and it’s hard to say Barkley has lived up to it since his rookie year.

What has Barkley himself said about his potential future?

It looks like Barkley himself isn’t in any rush to move on to a team with a better situation. According to him, his plans are to stay around and be a part of turning around the Giants’ current fates.

“I plan on being a big reason why we turn this thing around,” Barkley told the Associated Press. “That’s just my mind-set, that’s my thought process. When I got drafted here, I said I want to be here for the rest of my life. I was born in New York, I’m from Pennsylvania. I live an hour and some change from my parents’ house. This is where I started my career, where I would love to finish my career. I know this thing is going to turn around and I would love to be a part of the reason it does.”

For now at least, any rumors about Barkley leaving New York aren’t going to come from Barkley’s own words.

With that being said, his future isn’t entirely in his own hands. The Giants are almost certainly going to have a new GM come 2022, and the decision of what to do with Barkley is a very relevant one in a future rebuild.

Of course, everyone would like to see Barkley bounce back and play like he did before injuries made a serious impact on his performance. But that may or may not happen, and it will be the job of a future GM to bet on one outcome or the other and act accordingly when it comes to a trade or offering a new contract.

New York Giants: Andrew Thomas enjoying fantastic second-year breakout

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New York Giants, Andrew Thomas

The New York Giants have arguably the worst offensive line in the NFL. In fact, Pro Football Focus has ranked the Giants’ offensive line 28th through fifteen weeks. For years, the Giants have unsuccessfully attempted to rebuild their offensive line. Except for one bright spot that has started to shine through this year. Left tackle Andrew Thomas is enjoying a fantastic second-year breakout, giving the Giants hope along the offensive line for the first time in a long time.

Andrew Thomas stats and highlights

The New York Giants selected Andrew Thomas with the fourth overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. This pick was criticized heavily during Thomas’s rookie season. Andrew struggled to transition to the speed of the NFL and fell flat as a rookie. The Georgia product allowed 10 sacks and 57 pressures (second-most of all offensive tackles).

Andrew Thomas has bounced back to have a spectacular sophomore season. He has allowed only one sack this season in nine games. Thomas has posted a 79.5 pass-blocking grade this season, the sixteenth-highest grade in the league amongst offensive tackles (PFF).

The Giants’ offensive line might be in shambles, but Andrew Thomas has been a rock while protecting the quarterback’s blindside. Wholesale changes will come across the front line as the Giants look to make major upgrades this offseason. But the one constant will be Thomas as he remains firmly locked into the left tackle position.

Although the selection was criticized last year, the Giants’ decision to make Andrew Thomas the fourth-overall pick in last year’s draft seems like a phenomenal choice now. Thomas took a big leap this year and looks to be a foundational piece for the Giants going forward. The New York Giants will build their offensive line around Andrew Thomas to create a strong foundation for many years to come.

New York Giants players expecting Daniel Jones to be shut down for season

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daniel jones, giants

Despite the negative feedback from his recent performances, it looks like the New York Giants are likely stuck with Mike Glennon for the rest of the year. That’s not because Glennon is the best option at QB, but because he’s the only experienced option the Giants have if Daniel Jones is shut down for the year. While there initially wasn’t much concern about Jones’ neck sprain, the injury has become the subject of more speculation as no return date has been placed on Jones yet.

The quarterback has also, perhaps more alarmingly, seen multiple specialists at this point for second opinions. In other words, this isn’t the kind of quick injury that will resolve itself through sitting out a couple games.

According to sources who spoke to the New York Post, the Giants players themselves believe Jones will end up shut down this year.

The results of those tests and Jones’ exact diagnosis remain unknown, but many Giants players expect that their quarterback eventually will be shut down for the rest of the season, sources told The Post. Jones likely missing a third straight game was first reported by The Athletic.

The rest of the season, fortunately, isn’t long. The Giants only have four games left at this point, guaranteeing that we won’t have to see much more of them without Jones regardless of what happens.

Looking ahead to if Jones is shut down

If Jones is shut down for the year, it brings up some interesting prospects for the Giants come the offseason. Mainly, it will intensify the current debate about acquiring a new quarterback. Whether it’s because Jones isn’t the franchise player in the long term or because more depth is simply needed, it’s looking harder for the Giants to not address the position next year.

After all, Jones has missed games for injury related reasons in all of his NFL seasons so far. And, especially if the offensive line doesn’t take a big step up, the organization shouldn’t expect that to just change next year. Picking up a quarterback in the draft, likely after the first round, may be on the table even if the Giants intend to keep Jones as the starter.

Of course, spending a second or third round pick acquiring a backup QB, or one to give Jones competition going into his fourth season, would be a controversial move. Before Jones, the Giants didn’t have the best record drafting quarterbacks to sit behind Eli Manning. Davis Webb and Kyle Lauletta come to mind as players drafted for this reason who never ended up doing something meaningful with the team.

Still, despite this track record, we’ve seen from this season that having Mike Glennon waiting in the wings isn’t enough. But what the Giants will do to resolve that may depend on who is selected as the next GM in 2022.