isaac yiadom

New York Giants trade CB Isaac Yiadom to the Packers

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New York Giants, Isaac Yiadom

Prior to the start of the 2020 season, the New York Giants traded a seventh-round pick for Denver Broncos cornerback Isaac Yiadom. Drafted in 2018, Yiadom was a former third-round selection but fell out of favor with Denver and eventually made his way to New York.

After adding Adoree’ Jackson in free agency on a big contract, the Giants didn’t feel it necessary to have Isaac as a depth piece. After drafting Aaron Robinson and Rodarius Williams this off-season, Big Blue decided to trade Yiadom to the Green Bay Packers, according to Matt Lombardo of Fansided.

Last season, Yiadom played in 634 total snaps, recording of 52.1 overall coverage grade, according to PFF. Yiadom enjoyed his best game of the season against the Arizona Cardinals, recording at 77.2 overall grade, including three tackles, and giving up just one catch for 8 yards. However, he was rather inconsistent and adding Jackson to solve the CB2 spot made him expendable.

The Giants will likely add a draft pick in return or a roster bubble offensive lineman who could be a scheme fit. At the end of the day, the Giants just have too many secondary pieces, and instead of cutting him straight up, they added capital instead.

New York Giants have plenty of depth in talented secondary

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New York Giants, James Bradberry, logan ryan

The New York Giants had a top-ten defense in the NFL last season. New York’s defense won with a strong interior of defensive linemen and a dynamic secondary full of young, talented defensive backs. There should be more of the same in 2021.

The Giants doubled down this offseason and made some upgrades in their already top-tier secondary. They made a splash signing in free agency this offseason, inking outside cornerback Adoree’ Jackson to a three-year, $39 million deal. This move potentially gave the Giants another elite starting cornerback opposite of James Bradberry.

But the New York Giants are no longer top-heavy in the secondary. They do not just have talented starters in their secondary. The Giants now have a secondary with talented depth.

Depth in the Giants’ secondary

The safeties

The New York Giants have a talented trio of safeties that will see significant playing time this season. Jabrill Peppers and Logan Ryan will build on what they started last season as the starting safeties. Ryan, that rangy ball-hawking free safety, and Peppers, that tough run-defending box safety. But the Giants also have Xavier McKinney entering his second season in the NFL. McKinney provides a nice blend of skills that would help him thrive in the box or in deep coverage. Expect to see the Giants run a lot of three safety sets this season to maximize the talent on their roster.

Julian Love will be the Giants’ depth piece for the safeties. Love got starting experience in his rookie 2019 season when Jabrill Peppers went down with an injury. Love was impressive and established himself as a perfect utility player for the Giants’ defense. Julian will provide depth in the Giants’ secondary as a safety, but he also has the skills and experience to fill in at slot and outside cornerback, too.

The outside cornerbacks

James Bradberry and Adoree’ Jackson could be one of the elite cornerback duos in the NFL this season. Bradberry played at an elite level last season, breaking up a career-high 18 passes with 3 interceptions and his first-career Pro Bowl selection. Jackson, however, barely saw the field in 2020.

Adoree’ dealt with a knee injury last season that kept him sidelined most of the year. This was his second significant injury in two years. Adoree’ Jackson is one of the best outside cornerbacks in the NFL when he is healthy. Since 2018, Jackson has the fourth-highest coverage grade when lined up outside according to Pro Football Focus with a grade of 85.6. But his injury history does motivate the Giants to load up on depth behind him.

The Giants still have Isaac Yiadom on their roster. There were times where Yiadom was a liability in the Giants’ secondary last season. Isaac Yiadom might not be capable of being a full-time starting corner, but he does have experience and familiarity with the Giants’ scheme, making him a quality depth piece.

In the 2021 NFL Draft, the Giants once again prioritized the secondary. They drafted two cornerbacks this year: Aaron Robinson out of UCF and Rodarius Williams out of Oklahoma State. Robinson is likely to compete for the starting nickel corner position, but he has the versatility to contribute on the outside as well.

Rodarius Williams, though, is an outside cornerback that will begin his career as a quality backup. Williams forced 30 incompletions in his career (PFF). He has the aggression to play press-man on the outside, something of which the Giants want to do a lot more. Williams is a high-character, quality guy that will enter the Giants locker room. Check out our exclusive interview with him here.

Slot cornerbacks

The Giants are bound to have a competition at slot cornerback this summer. Darnay Holmes looked impressive in that role as a rookie in 2020. But New York added another slot corner in this year’s draft, Aaron Robinson. The two corners are both physical and have a knack for getting their hands on the football.

Regardless of who gets the start in the slot, the Giants have a good problem on their hands. They have two talented players that might be deserving of a starting role. That means that they have a lot of talent at the slot cornerback position and, of course, quality depth.

The Giants know the importance of having depth in the secondary. When Darnay Holmes and James Bradberry were both absent against the Cleveland Browns last season it was a long night on the field for New York. Baker Mayfield had his way with the Giants’ defense during that primetime matchup. Now the Giants have a deep secondary filled with young playmakers on the defensive side of the ball.

New York Giants CB Isaac Yiadom takes $1M pay cut to stay on team

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New York Giants, Isaac Yiadom

The New York Giants have been moving on from players to save cost this offseason, but at least one player is going to take less money as a willing measure. That player is the one that spent much of the year as the number two corner, Isaac Yiadom.

Yiadom joined the Giants in 2020 after a trade with the Broncos and was mainly brought on due to the Giants cutting DeAndre Baker in the offseason. That ended up being something of a mistake, as Baker was cleared of wrongdoing in the offseason drama he was wrapped up in. But the Giants had already made their choice, and were left without a reliable second cornerback.

Yiadom was never the long term option at the spot and now that the Giants are heading into the draft as well as adding Adoree’ Jackson into the mix, it looks like something had to change to keep him on the roster. That change came in the form of restructuring his deal, after the Giants spent up much of their cap space in the free agent spending spree that brought Jackson and others to East Rutherford.

He’ll miss out on about $1M in profits thanks to the restructuring, but has a better chance of avoiding getting cut.

While most didn’t think Yiadom would hold on to the CB2 spot long term, he does have potential as a backup and many will be happy to see him agree to stay with the Giants for less money. He was, after all, good enough to last the season after getting to the Giants while putting on some good moments in his role next to James Bradberry.

New York Giants: Julian Love likely to fill in at outside cornerback in Week 15

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New York Giants, Julian Love

The New York Giants‘ cornerback position is in a dire circumstance at the moment. Elite cornerback James Bradberry has been placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list and will be out on Sunday night. Additionally, starting slot cornerback Darnay Holmes was out last week and is expected to be out again this week, as he has not practiced this week.

This leaves the Giants with few options at cornerback. Isaac Yiadom is healthy and will continue to start on the outside. But on the opposite side of Yiadom is a huge question mark. The Giants are likely to move rookie safety Xavier McKinney inside to play slot cornerback this week. However, the second outside cornerback position might also be played by a safety.

The Giants have a few talented safeties who could shift outside to cornerback this week. One intriguing option is second-year safety, Julian Love. The Giants drafted Julian Love in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft and he has been an excellent depth piece for them since last season.

Julian Love at outside cornerback

When the New York Giants drafted Julian Love last offseason, he was actually designated as a cornerback. Love played the cornerback position in college at Notre Dame. He occasionally played safety at the collegiate level but moved to the back end full-time once he was in the NFL.

Love is not the fastest guy by any means, which is why he is a better fit on the back end. But with few options outside this week, Julian Love could move back to his collegiate position against the Cleveland Browns.

Most of the beat reporters are predicting that Julian Love will play outside cornerback in Week 15. Upon being drafted, Julian Love had this to say about his alignment on the defense:

My skillset allows me to play outside or inside. Wherever they need me I’m going to compete. – Julian Love via the Giants on Twitter

According to Pro Football Focus, Julian Love played 8 total snaps at wide cornerback in his rookie season. This season, he has played only 6 snaps out wide. The majority of Julian’s snaps have come at free safety this season (453 snaps).

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com stated that “Love’s cover talent, intelligence, and ball skills give him a good shot at succeeding outside or from the slot,” prior to the NFL Draft. Finally, Giants fans might actually get to see Julian Love put those skills to use on the outside.

Giants vs. Eagles: The three major keys for the Giants to come up with the win

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New York Giants, Evan Engram

This is the biggest game for both teams up to this point. The Philadelphia Eagles are in first place with a 3-4-1 record, and the New York Giants are in third place with a 2-7 record. The Giants can split the series against the Eagles if they can do a few things correctly. The three major keys for the Giants this weekend will include Daniel Jones, Evan Engram, and Isaac Yiadom.

Daniel Jones needs to protect the ball

The New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones has to be on target this weekend. Jones can not afford to force a turnover against the Eagles. DJ was not perfect last week, but he did not force a turnover. DJ fumbled twice in the game. The first fumble ended up going out of bounds, and the second fumble DJ jumped on to retain possession.

If Daniel Jones can protect the ball and throw the ball away when he has to, then the Giants can control the game on offense and with field position.

Last week’s game against Washington was the first time this season that DJ did not turn the ball over, the Giants came out on top. DJ and the entire offense needs to do the same thing as they did last week to have the best chance to win this game.

Evan Engram needs to catch the ball

The New York Giants tight end Evan Engram has been consistently dropping passes week in and week out. The last time the Giants and the Eagles played each other this season, Engram dropped a ball on third down that would have sealed the game for the Giants. The Giants were forced to punt and gave the ball back to Carson Wentz and the Eagles. The Eagles ended up winning this game against the Giants. What is in the past is in the past. All Giants fans hope for is that Engram can hold on to the ball, especially on third down.

Engram is a miss-match for most linebackers in the NFL, and DJ knows that. DJ just needs to find ways to get the ball into Engram’s hands in open space.

Isaac Yiadom needs to step up

In last week’s game against Washington, Isaac Yiadom allowed a perfect passer rating to Alex Smith when passes were thrown to Yiadom’s side of the field. If the New York Giants want to beat the Eagles this weekend, this simply can not happen this weekend. Wentz will attack Yiadom every time he gets.

The way that James Bradberry has been playing this season, Yiadom is going to see a lot of attention week in and week out, which isn’t going to change this weekend.

Outcome if all goes well

This is a lot to ask for, but if the Giants are able to pull this off against the Eagles, they could find themselves in a rhythm. On offense, DJ has to play a clean game, and Engram needs to catch the catchable balls. On defense, Yiadom will see the ball thrown his way a bunch this weekend. He needs to play just good for the Giants to come out with a big win and compete in the NFC East once again!

New York Giants still suffering from CB2 problems

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New York Giants, Ryan Lewis

The New York Giants won their Week 9 matchup against Washington behind a dominating, five turnover performance from their defense. New York forced three interceptions as the secondary managed to contain Washington’s passing attack.

Despite this, there was still a familiar struggle within the Giants’ pass defense. The secondary cornerback position, this week manned by Isaac Yiadom, has been a consistent area of weakness for the Giants all season. The Giants have rotated the likes of Corey Ballentine, Isaac Yiadom, and Ryan Lewis in that position.

This week, Terry McLaurin was the lone bright spot on the Football Team’s offense as he totaled 7 receptions for 115 yards and 1 touchdown. James Bradberry managed McLaurin and any other receivers he lined up against, but Isaac Yiadom struggled severely.

Cornerback Isaac Yiadom allowed a perfect 158.3 passer rating against Washington on Sunday, according to Pro Football Focus. James Bradberry, on the other hand, was only targeted in coverage one time. Washington made a conscious effort to avoid Bradberry and attack the Giants’ second cornerback position.

Ryan Lewis seemed to be the answer to the Giants’ cornerback problems. But, after he was placed on injured reserve, Isaac Yiadom was put back into the starting lineup. After this disappointing performance, it will be interesting to see who the Giants roll out there in Week 10 versus Philadelphia.

Additionally, Xavier McKinney could return to the Giants’ defense sometime this month. His addition to the lineup could move Logan Ryan over to cornerback two, or even Julian Love. New York, fortunately, has solid depth at the safety positions, but the cornerback position will need to improve.

New York Giants trade for Denver CB Isaac Yiadom

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New York Giants, Isaac Yiadom

The New York Giants made a value trade on Wednesday evening, sending a 2021 seventh-round pick to the Denver Broncos in exchange for former third-round pick, Isaac Yiadom.

Yiadom won’t become a Giant until he passes COVID-19 protocols and a physical, but if he evidently joins the team, the Giants will now have another player to compete at cornerback.

At 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, Isaac is going into his third season in the NFL. Formally a Boston College stand out, he has played in 29 games with nine starts over two seasons. He has a total of 55 tackles, one interception, and seven passes defended.

In 2019, he enjoyed eight starts and 16 appearances, earning 38 tackles, four passes defended, and five special teams tackles.

How will the New York Giants utilize the young corner?

Worst case scenario, he becomes a valuable special-teams player, but his ability to play cornerback fits well with the mold head coach Joe Judge is trying to implement.

The Giants are currently trying to supplement the loss of DeAndre Baker and Sam Beal at the CB2 position, so Yiadom will join the ranks and try to earn starting reps immediately.

Nonetheless, he has a tall task ahead of him as the Giants recently signed Logan Ryan to a one year, maximum $7.5 million deal.