New York Giants

The New York Giants might have a big problem at left guard

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New York Giants, Shane Lemeiux

In just the first week of training camp, the expected starting offensive guard for the New York Giants, Shane Lemieux, suffered a knee injury that has kept him out ever since. Slowly rehabilitating and working his way back from the injury, Lemieux is still projected to be the Week 1 starter against the Denver Broncos. However, the knee issue he is facing is far more significant than originally reported.

Head coach Joe Judge indicated that Lemieux’s injury wasn’t notable and that the team had dodged a bullet. Nonetheless, it was discovered that Lemieux was dealing with a partially torn patellar tendon, which doesn’t bode well for the second-year player who struggled considerably during his rookie season. Shane is still committed to starting the regular season and fighting through the injury, despite the pain and the potential for a complete tendon tear.

Last season, Lemieux allowed five sacks, 14 QB hurries, and 25 pressures as one of the worst graded pass-blocking linemen in the NFL. The Giants trusting him with a starting job and injecting minimal competition was optimistic, to begin with, which led to them trading a fourth-round pick for Baltimore Ravens interior guard Ben Bredeson, a 5th round and 7th round pick.

Bredeson played in just five games last year, with all but one snap coming at in-line tight end. However, the fourth-round pick from 2020 out of Michigan had a stellar preseason at right guard, allowing just two hurries and two pressures over 182 offensive snaps.

The former Michigan stand-out has experience playing right and left guard, giving him a bit of versatility for a team that is still looking for a bonafide starter on the left side.

The Giants have a big decision to make in less than two weeks: either starting an injured player who struggled in his rookie season or plugging in a newly acquired lineman who doesn’t even know the playbook. The Giants will have to provide him with a crash course to prepare to potentially make a Week 1 appearance.

Ideally, the Giants will have Lemieux start against Denver, and Bredeson prepare for Week 2 against Washington, as the Giants play that upcoming Thursday night on a short week.

The issue at left guard is a bit more strenuous than previously thought, especially with the news regarding Lemieux’s injury. The Giants seem to be scrambling but at least have a long-term fix. There’s no guaranteeing Bredeson will pan out. The front office might’ve been a bit too confident considering the turnover they just experienced in the trenches.

New York Giants: David Sills V being signed back to practice squad

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david sills, new york giants

It looked like the New York Giants were parting ways with wide receiver David Sills, but more recent news indicates the team will stay with the player. This comes after Sills was initially waived in some of the most recent roster cuts. Despite that fact, it looks like he will remain with the organization in some way as the Giants sign him to the practice squad.

Ending up on the practice squad instead of becoming a free agent is the reward that Sills receives for putting on a good preseason performance where he was one of the leading receivers through the first two games. The Giants chose to rest most of their starters for those games, and Sills was one of the backup players who received significant time to play and undergo evaluation by the coaches.

While Sills was the most promising receiver of the preseason, it’s not hard to see why that performance only carried him to the practice squad. This is a season when the Giants have a number of additions at the position, as well as returning talent.

The Giants added Kadarius Toney, Kenny Golladay, and John Ross – and they bring back Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton, top names from previous seasons. On a crowded roster like this, there’s just not much room for players like Sills who might have a spot further down the rotation on shallower teams.

While the practice squad isn’t a prestigious spot, Sills might not be there for long. The Giants are dealing with injuries at receiver right now, and if they lose any more players or if these injuries extend into the regular season, they may have a need at the position.

If that happens, Sills will almost certainly be on the shortlist of players to call up.

New York Giants: Who should start at left guard in Week One?

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New York Giants, Shane Lemeiux

The New York Giants had one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL in 2020. In 2020, according to ESPN, the Giants’ pass-block win rate ranked dead-last in the NFL at 46%. Their run-block win rate ranked 18th at 70%, which is about average or slightly below. Despite this, the team made no major moves to upgrade their offensive line in the 2021 offseason until just this week.

The Giants made a couple of key moves on the offensive line this week. They traded for two interior offensive linemen in Billy Price and Ben Bredeson. It was extra important that the Giants add depth to the interior after Shane Lemieux suffered a knee injury during training camp. Two Giants offensive guards also retired this summer.

Shane Lemieux is working back from an injury but is still the projected starter for Week One. The second-year left guard out of Oregon started eight games last season. But, with his injury in consideration, the case could be made for newly-acquired Ben Bredeson to start ahead of Lemieux.

The cases for and against Shane Lemieux

Shane Lemieux started the final eight games of the 2020 season for the New York Giants as a rookie. The Giants would like to keep some continuity across the offensive line this season. Starting Lemieux would allow the team to accomplish that goal.

Shane Lemieux is a young, developing player. He worked extremely hard this summer, sometimes showing up to the facility prior to 6 am to prepare for practice. An improved version of Lemieux was expected to hit the field this season after he struggled in 2020.

In 2020, Shane Lemieux earned a 32.2 overall PFF grade. He was a liability in pass protection, allowing 25 pressures and 5 sacks in eight games.

Shane Lemieux has worked hard to improve his game this offseason and the Giants want to keep that continuity. However, Lemieux is dealing with a partially torn patellar tendon. The team could consider giving Shane some extra time to heal and starting one of their newly-acquired linemen instead.

The cases for and against Ben Bredeson

If the Giants are going to start one of their newly acquired offensive linemen, Ben Bredeson is far more likely to start than Billy Price. Billy Price is mainly a center and the Giants feel comfortable with Nick Gates at that position.

Ben Bredeson, however, is traditionally an offensive guard. He is also coming off of an impressive 2021 preseason. Ben Bredeson was the 11th highest graded guard of the preseason (80.8), per PFF. Bredeson actually played the most snaps (182) among all guards this preseason.

It might be a bit short notice for Ben Bredeson to start for the Giants. They acquired him with under two weeks to go until the start of the regular season. Bredeson is not going to have the same level of chemistry with his teammates or the same depth of knowledge in the playbook that Shane Lemieux has.

Ben Bredeson might be the better, more established, and healthier player between the two. However, it might be a bit short notice for him to start a game for his new team. The New York Giants offensive line struggled greatly in the preseason and is a cause for major concern as the regular season begins. The Giants are going to have to make a confident decision and hope for the best at the left guard position.

New York Giants claim 3 players off waivers, what do they bring?

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quincy roche, new york giants

The New York Giants made several waiver claims on Wednesday afternoon, adding two defensive players and one of the tallest wide receivers in the NFL. Not a single Giants that was released was picked up by another team, indicating how weak their depth was at specific positions, notably on the offensive line. In addition, the players they cut at wide receiver were also passed on, which means David Sills could end up back on the practice squad. The Giants have already resigned multiple players, including Niko Lalos, Brett Heggie, Matt Cole, and Damion Willis.

New York Giants claim three players off waivers:

1.) LB: Quincy Roche

Quincy Roche finished the preseason with the Pittsburgh Steelers with six total tackles and two sacks. At 6’3″ and 245 pounds, Roche has a few physical limitations but posted solid grades this preseason.

Per Lance Zierlein of NFL.com:

Roche has packed the stat sheets for the better part of four years, but he’s very average athletically and doesn’t have the mass to consistently hold up at the point of attack. He’s tight in his lower half, which limits his ability to corner sharply when attacking the pocket. However, he’s limber in his upper body, which creates opportunities to slide off of blocks and make plays at awkward angles. His production should matter, but the athletic profile might push him down the board.
Roche can be a solid developmental player on the back end of the roster, and with a great defensive coaching staff, they could unlock some hidden talent. However, the Giants must be preparing to move a player to the injured list, which will likely be Elerson Smith.

2.) WR: Collin Johnson

The Giants also claimed former Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Collin Johnson, who was a fifth-round draft pick in 2020 out of Texas. Johnson is a big 6’6″ receiver who closely mirrors Kenny Golladay’s frame and skill set. The Johnson pick-up is a solid move in the instance that Kenney suffers an injury, and they need to supplement his loss with a similar style of player. While Johnson is nowhere near the quality that Golladay provides, he is known for his 50/50 balls and red-zone catch radius.

Per The Draft Network:

Big physical WR that displays good overall athleticism for the position. He uses excellent length and excellent catch radius in contested catch situations. He shows sufficient play speed on 8 and 9 routes while also displaying good tracking ability to locate the football in the air. He will use his big body to catch a 6 route and absorb contact. Displays good willingness and courage to give up his body to secure off targeted throws. Very good competitiveness to make difficult catches at critical moments in the game. He will be a red-zone nightmare for defenders due to his big body and ability to go get the football anywhere on the field.

3.) LB: Justin Hilliard

Another player with a solid off-season was former Ohio State linebacker, Justin Hilliard. As an undrafted free agent this year, Hilliard picked up 15 tackles and eight stops over 110 total snaps this preseason with the San Francisco 49ers. Clearly, the Giants view him as a potential developmental piece at LB and considering their lack of depth there, this is a solid pick-up that could pay off in dividends down the road.

Hilliard is also known for his coverage abilities and versatility, which is a major bonus for a team that doesn’t have a traditional coverage-based linebacker.

New York Giants injury update | 2 players the team could claim after roster cut-downs

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New York Giants, Saquon Barkley

The New York Giants trimmed their roster down to 53-men on Tuesday, but that doesn’t mean moves won’t be made over the next week. With every NFL team cutting players, the Giants will scour the waiver wire and free-agent market for potential solutions at positions of weakness, notably on the offensive line and tight end groups.

In the meantime, some of their own players are working their way back from injury and preparing for Week 1 against the Denver Broncos.

New York Giants injury update:

The Giants held a walk-through practice on Tuesday while the team was cutting players and executing trades to bring in more OL talent. Head coach Joe Judge indicated that they will likely place a few players on the PUP list ahead of the season, which would force them out until Week 7.

Luckily, the Giants had several players participate in practice, including Saquon Barkley, Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney, and John Ross. Judge said that the team wouldn’t have a decision on Barkley until game week, which is only a few days away.

As for Golladay, they will see where he is next week, but the good news is that they still have time on their side. As per Dan Duggan of The Athletic, left guard Shane Lemieux has a partially torn patellar tendon, but he is fighting through and trying to avoid surgery. That is a primary reason the Giants traded for Ben Bredeson, formerly of the Baltimore Ravens.

Toney is slowly working his way back from Covid related stamina issues, but he is expected to be available for the team’s Week 1 matchup against Denver.

Two players the Giants could claim:

TE: Jacob Hollister

With Evan Engram suffering a calf injury in the final preseason game against the New England Patriots, the Giants could target former Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots TE Jacob Hollister. Hollister spent this off-season with the Buffalo Bills and was surprisingly released on Tuesday afternoon. At 6’4″ and 245-pounds, Hollister has recorded 558 yards and six touchdowns over his last two seasons in Seattle. Having played in 27 games, starting in eight, he is an experienced tight end that could offer value as the TE4 on the Giants behind Engram, Kaden Smith, and Kyle Rudolph.

OL: Carson Green

One player who will be sought after on the waiver wire is Houston Texans’ offensive tackle Carson Green. The 6’6″, 320-pound undrafted free agent had a solid preseason, playing in 87 snaps and allowing just one QB hit and one pressure.

With the Giants trading for Billy Price and Bredeson, they are in the market for more tackle depth, and Green could offer them a solid developmental player who’s looked good this preseason. Green is primarily a right tackle, a position that is unresolved as Nate Solder and Matt Peart are both gunning for starting reps against Denver.

New York Giants: Evan Engram’s status unclear going into opener

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The end of the preseason came with not just a loss for the New York Giants, but also a couple more injuries to add to the team’s already high tally.

This time the injured player is another receiving target, tight end Evan Engram. Engram is out right now with a calf injury and his status for week 1 of the regular season is looking uncertain because of that. With only a short break between the team’s final preseason game and the start of the regular season, Joe Judge couldn’t confirm that the Giants will have Engram available when they take on Denver.

“In terms of Evan, he’s still going to see a doctor, they’re going to look at some things and kind of measure the severity of whatever it may be,” Judge told reporters on Monday.

“Obviously, (we’re) two weeks out. It leaves a little bit of a different window than it normally would be in the preseason track as far as getting ready for the opener, so we’ll have to see where he’s at in terms of how we manage him.”

A plethora of injuries on offense

Engram isn’t the only player that was injured in the loss. Wide receiver Darius Slayton is dealing with an ankle injury, and Judge left his status open ended while revealing that the trainers have yet to evaluate the player.

Both injuries are another blow to a Giants offense that is already missing its first round draft pick as well as its highest profile free agent addition. Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney are both expected back for week 1, but after not seeing them all preseason, it’s unknown how rusty their skills will be.

In the case of Engram, his injury isn’t a particularly big deal in isolation. However, it will bring back bad memories for some due to his injury prone history from 2018 and 2019.

Many have questioned if Engram can stay on the field for long enough to reach his full potential, and with his status unclear for an important week 1 game, those questions will almost certainly come up again in fan discussions.

New York Giants trade for OL Ben Bredeson from Baltimore, what does he bring?

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new york giants, ben bredeson

The New York Giants understand they need more offensive line support, especially after cutting Kenny Wiggins, Jackson Barton, Jonotthan Harrison, and Brett Heggie before the deadline at 4 PM on Tuesday. Instead, they sought out a trade, connecting with the Baltimore Ravens for Michigan lineman Ben Bredeson.

Bredeson was drafted last year out of Michigan in the fourth round. He made five appearances, with three of them coming in the latter portion of the 2020 season. All of his snaps came as an in-line tight end, so he didn’t get any legitimate work as a traditional lineman. However, he is composed of solid tangible traits, with solid size and discipline. He stands at 6’5″ and 320-pounds.

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com dropped this scouring overview back in 2020 before he was drafted by Baltimore in the 4th round:

Four-year starter who will get dinged for some athletic limitations, but possesses the body type, leadership and toughness necessary to play in the league. Bredeson is best-suited firing out in a power-based rushing attacking where his disadvantages in space can be mitigated. There are correctable elements in his game that should forge continued improvement, but there will be some bumpy roads against interior quickness. He should become an average starter.

While Bredeson has short arms and athletic limitations, he is a fundamentalist that will fit Jason Garrett’s mold. He can operate in the power gap scheme and offer depth behind Shane Lemieux and Will Hernandez to start the season, a position the Giants desperately needed support in. However, he’s also capable of playing outside of tackle, giving Big Blue even more versatility.
Overall, this was a good move for a Giants team that saw their depth in the trenches struggle during the preseason and training camp. Considering Baltimore has such a strong offensive line, Ben is a good pick-up. The Giants gave up a 2022 4th round pick for Bredeson, a 2022 5th-rounder and 2023 7th rounder pick.

New York Giants 53-man cut tracker | 2021

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joe judge, new york giants

The New York Giants and every team in the NFL must cut their rosters from 80-men to 53-men on Tuesday at 4 PM. Some players will end up on the practice squad and some will see their NFL dreams take a major hit. However, the Giants have major needs at multiple spots, so despite the roster being cut down, several moves could be made to supplement positions. The offensive line stands out the most.

New York Giants 53-man roster cutdown tracker:

-OL Chad Slade (practice squad candidate)

-CB Madre Harper (practice squad candidate)

-WR Matt Cole

-LB Niko Lalos

-TE Nakia Griffin-Stewart

-WR David Sills

-QB Brian Lewerke

-WR Damion Willis

-RB Corey Clement

-WR Alex Bachman

-WR Austin Mack

-LB Devante Downs

-OL Jonotthan Harrison

-OL Kenny Wiggins

-DE Ifeadi Odenigbo

-OL Brett Heggie

-DB/S Jordyn Peters

-OL Jackson Barton

-S Chris Johnson

-TE Jake Hausmann

-DL Willie Henry

-OL Ted Larsen

New York Giants should target former Dolphins center on the waiver wire

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matt skura, new york giants

The New York Giants need all the offensive line support they can get, especially with roster cuts due on Tuesday at 4 PM. As the Giants begin to filter out their 53-man roster, it is likely they retain nine offensive linemen, but I wouldn’t guarantee their spots until waiver claims go through.

The Giants have already begun making moves to upgrade the depth on the OL, trading defensive linemen BJ Hill to the Cincinnati Bengals in return for versatile center Billy Price. The Giants also included a seventh-round conditional pick in the deal.

Price, however, is an experienced NFL player, spending the last three years with Cincinnati. Having played left guard, center, and right guard, Price can move around the line if need be, but his best position is center.

By no means is Price considered an above-average player, but he can fill a necessary role if injuries or inconsistencies arise, which the Giants already have in the trenches prior to Week 1 of the regular season. It is possible a change of scenery could spur improvement for Billy, who is a former first-round pick out of Ohio State. The 25-year-old is still young and has solid, tangible traits but simply falters in the fundamentals category.

The New York Giants should consider Matt Skura as a waiver claim:

However, there is another option that hit the market late on Monday that could be of interest for the Giants. The Miami Dolphins released Matt Skura, a 6’3″, 313 pounds center, formally of the Duke Blue Devils. Having been drafted in 2016, Skura could very well know Daniel Jones. As a former undrafted free agent, Skura spent his first four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens before latching on with the Miami Dolphins in 2020. Last year, Skura allowed just one sack and 10 pressures over 661 snaps.

Skura enjoyed a few solid performances to start the 2020 season against Cleveland, Houston, and Kansas City but was mainly inconsistent throughout the campaign. He’s played a total of 3,304 snaps in his career, giving up five sacks and 67 pressures. The majority of his time has been spent at center but played right guard during his rookie campaign in Baltimore back in 2017.

As an experienced lineman, Skura is only 28 years old, offering another younger solution. Considering how weak the Giants’ depth in the trenches is, the backend of the unit could be interchangeable in the coming days, despite roster cuts.

New York Giants: Daniel Jones describes ‘bad decision’ on interception

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New York Giants, Daniel Jones

The New York Giants wrapped up the preseason without a win, but it’s the performance of Daniel Jones that many will focus on rather than the overall result of their final game. Jones was one of the Giants starters who appeared in the preseason finale after resting the first two games, and appeared to put on an inferior performance to his rookie counterpart from the Patriots.

The most glaring mistake came in the form of a goal-line interception, where Jones fired the ball into traffic and cost the Giants a chance to come away with points. The interception mars a performance where Jones had 17 completions on 22 attempts, albeit only with an average of 6.1 yards per completion.

What did Jones have to say about the interception?

“I look at that play independently, like I look at all of them,” Jones said when asked about his view on the interception. “Obviously, a bad decision there. I gotta be smarter and throw the ball away in that situation, third-and-goal at the one. So, I look at each play independently and learn something from each of them.”

It’s a media friendly answer but not one that there’s a lot of patience for right now. With the Giants having a week 1 game against Denver coming up soon, and Daniel Jones still looking like an unpolished quarterback, the decision to rest Jones until the third preseason game looks more questionable.

Furthermore, much of the Giants offense remains an unknown factor going into week 1. With injuries keeping out Kadarius Toney and Kenny Golladay right now, we have little to go off of when judging the chemistry between Jones and his new targets.

One thing is sure, however, and that is the pressure ramping up for Jones going into his third season. Being outplayed by Patriots rookie Mac Jones isn’t a good look, and failures at the quarterback position and on the offensive line may undo an offseason of PR efforts from Dave Gettleman and Joe Judge.

It’s a known fact that the preseason doesn’t mean much in isolation, but if the Giants and Jones specifically don’t pick things up in the break between now and week 1, the question of just how much the team has improved will quickly arise.