New York Giants

New York Giants: Could Ifeadi Odenigbo be a surprise cut?

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ifeadi odenigbo, New York Giants

The New York Giants have wrapped up their preseason after their loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday. Now, with the preseason in the rear-view, NFL teams are focused on finalizing their rosters. Teams need to trim their rosters down to 53-men by 4 pm tomorrow. As the New York Giants make their final cuts, could pass-rusher Ifeadi Odenigbo be one of the team’s surprise cuts?

Could Ifeadi Odenigbo be cut?

The Giants signed Ifeadi Odenigbo this offseason to a one-year $2.5 million contract. His contract, though, only came with a $1 million dead cap hit. So if the Giants decide to cut or trade Odenigbo tomorrow, they can free $1.5 million in salary-cap space.

The signing of Ifeadi Odenigbo was once thought to be a signing of great value. In 32 career games (15 starts), Ifeadi has registered 10.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 28 quarterback hits, one safety, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, and one defensive touchdown to go with his 59 tackles (34 solo).

Despite this, Odenigbo could be cut tomorrow. The Giants have a crowded group of outside linebackers on their roster, some of which have had impressive summers. Ifeadi Odenigbo, however, has not stood out as much as most hoped he would.

In the Giants’ first unofficial depth chart of the year, Odenigbo was listed third string, behind Trent Harris and Lorenzo Carter. Seeing an established player like Odenigbo so far down the depth chart was surprising, but might foreshadow an early exit from New Jersey.

Trent Harris has had an excellent summer, standing out in training camp and the preseason. The Giants need to add more depth at other positions of greater need. Odenigbo has failed to make a major impact this summer. Because of this, the Giants could cut Ifeadi Odenigbo and reinvest that money elsewhere.

BREAKING: New York Giants trade for former first-round OL Billy Price, what are they getting?

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new york giants, billy price

Oddly, the New York Giants sat interior defense of lineman BJ Hill on Sunday against the New England Patriots in the team’s final preseason game. Hill, who has been a productive pass rusher for the Giants the past few years was traded on Monday afternoon to the Cincinnati Bengals for former first-round pick, Billy price.

Price, who has 1,354 offensive snaps to his name, has struggled since being drafted in 2018. He posted a 29.4 pass-blocking grade, per PFF last season. He has given up five sacks, 31 hurries, and 41 pressures in his career, but has the versatility to play at left guard, center, and right guard.

This gives the Giants a bit more versatility in how they construct their lineup in the trenches. For example, if Shane Lemieux were struggling at left guard, the Giants can either kick Nick Gates to that position or put Price in. It will take him some time to get acclimated with the Giants’ offensive scheme, but his ability to play multiple spots is beneficial. He earned his best grades during his 2018 rookie season playing specifically at center, so he might prefer to stay at that spot rather than shift around to the guard positions.’

Overall, the Giants had plenty of depth and talent on the defensive side in the trenches, but their OL has been spotty all offseason, and adding more talent was a necessity.

New York Giants: Evaluating each starting offensive lineman’s performance in final pre-season game

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new york giants, daniel jones

The New York Giants might’ve walked away from their final preseason game of the off-season with more questions than answers. The starting offense was without several key playmakers, including Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney, Saquon Barkley, and Kyle Rudolph. With that being the case, quarterback Daniel Jones once again operated with less than stellar starting talent, but it was the offensive line that put him in harm’s way more often than not.

With the OL being the biggest concern, it was disappointing to see several poor performances that led to Jones either running from pass rushers or being thrown to the ground. There were some positives in the trenches, but two glaring weaknesses at tackle stand out.

Evaluating each starting offensive lineman in New York Giants’ final pre-season game:

LT: Andrew Thomas

Most entered Sunday’s game against the Patriots with a common belief, Andrew Thomas had taken a step forward this off-season. While some might stand by that assessment, Thomas was completely destroyed in pass protection, allowing a sack, a quarterback hit, one QB hurry, and three pressures over 39 snaps. Altogether, Thomas looked choppy and hesitant with his technique, indicating he was trying to stay square for as long as possible before kicking out to the edge.

“Started off a little slow. [There are] some things I’ve gotta improve on: hand placement, staying wide on my set to [create] the depth of the pocket. I’m confident. I’ve made improvements, but there’s still things I need to work on.”
This was not the encouraging performance we wanted to see from Thomas heading into the regular season, especially as Von Miller waits for him against Denver. Hopefully, he learns a thing or two and bounces back in a strong way, as most Giants fans are trembling in fear.

LG: Ted Larsen

With Shane Lemieux still sidelines, the Giants rolled with Ted Larsen at left guard to start the game. Larsen allowed a sack, QB hurry, and two pressures over 39 snaps. The 34-year-old guard will likely be supplemented by Lemieux in Week 1, but gaining essential chemistry during the preseason is necessary for positive growth. The Giants can’t possibly rely on Larsen as a starting guard, so this evaluation views him as a depth piece and nothing more.

C: Nick Gates

While the negative performances undoubtedly littered the field, center Nick Gates had a solid outing, dominating as a run blocker primarily. Per PFF, Gates was hit with two QB hurries and two pressures recorded, but he looked solid nonetheless.

Gates is one of the more consistent linemen for the Giants, and they expect him to lock down the center role for the 2021 season. Gates improved as the 2020 campaign went on, so I expect something similar moving forward as the regular season is just two weeks away.

RG: Will Hernandez

Of all the offensive linemen for the Giants on Sunday, Will Hernandez looked the best. He earned an 87 overall grade, per PFF, declining to give up a sack, QB hit, or pressure. Overall, he was the best looking lineman for the Giants and would’ve been for most teams. You never want to hear an offensive lineman’s name too often during a contest, and Hernandez was essentially a ghost. Putting together a few performances like this will get the coaching staff excited, but unless the rest of the OL can take a developmental step forward, they’ll once again be pulling Daniel Jones under pressure.

RT: Nate Solder/Matt Peart

Nate Solder enjoyed 20 snaps at right tackle in the loss to the Patriots, and during that time, he allowed a sack and pressure. While he served adequately as a run blocker, this was Solder’s first action of the preseason, and he was always going to experience a few bumpy snaps.

Overall, the right tackle spot is currently enjoying a position battle between Solder and the Peart. At this point, I would give Peart the slightest advantage, having allowed one QB hit and pressure over 32 snaps. The Giants would prefer to have their youngsters starting a tackle come Week 1, but they need to be comfortable with the idea that Daniel Jones may be under a bit of pressure at times.

New York Giants lose 22-20 in preseason finale to the New England Patriots

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New York Giants, Daniel Jones

The New York Giants and New England Patriots faced off tonight in Week Three of the 2021 NFL preseason. The New England Patriots came out victorious. FINAL SCORE: 22-20.

Key stats and takeaways

New York Giants

  • QB Daniel Jones: 17/22, 135 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
  • WR Damion Willis: 3 receptions, 70 yards, 1 TD
  • LB Trent Harris: 4 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sack

The New York Giants’ starters played the first half of tonight’s game. Daniel Jones got his first action of the preseason and turned in a very Daniel Jones performance. He had some nice plays, including a Danny Dime down the seam to Kaden Smith for a 23-yard touchdown. But Jones also struggled to keep the ball out of harm’s way, throwing a terrible interception in the red zone.

Tight end Evan Engram picked up a calf injury and was out for the rest of the game. The severity of the injury is currently unknown. Wide receiver Darius Slayton also suffered an injury. Neither injury is believed to be significant, though the team will undoubtedly be cautious with two of its starters on offense.

The Giants’ defense enjoyed a number of impressive individual performances. Blake Martinez had an incredible interception deep downfield. Dexter Lawrence also got a sack and a tackle for loss. The starters seem to be picking up where they left off from last season. The reserve defenders also turned in some decent performances.

Trent Harris, who has had a great summer competing for a roster spot, continued his positive trend with a nice performance on Sunday. Harris totaled 4 tackles with a sack and a tackle for loss. Rookie sixth-round pick Rodarius Williams also capped off an excellent summer with an impressive performance today. The rookie looked good in tight man coverage and had 4 sacks and a pass breakup.

The Giants’ running game was efficient as the backs totaled 96 yards on 22 attempts (4.4 avg). Fullback Elijah Penny led the team with 35 yards on 4 carries.

The New York Giants offensive line was a major topic of discussion during today’s game. The Giants let up 4 sacks in today’s contest. Daniel Jones was under constant pressure during the first half. Tackles Andrew Thomas and Matt Peart struggled in pass protection and put their quarterback in harm’s way more than once today.

Giants News: Positive Kadarius Toney injury update, two receivers battling for roster spot

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new york giants, kadarius toney

New York Giants’ 20th overall pick Kadarius Toney has found himself in an interesting position ahead of the first regular-season game on September 12. Having yet to take any live reps during practice and appear in a preseason game, Toney is still reportedly dealing with COVID-19 drawbacks, having recovered but not fully gained his stamina back.

Toney has endured a bumpy first training camp in the NFL, but according to Tom Rock of Newsday, the Giants are optimistic he will be available for their Week 1 matchup against the Denver Broncos.

The number of things the Giants can do with Toney on offense is not even conceivable. Lining him up next to Saquon Barkley in the backfield or utilizing him as a gadget player are just two creative ways the Florida product can make an impact moving forward.

Last season with the Gators, Toney recorded 1,145 yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns. With a unique center of gravity and unexplainable balance, Toney runs like Alvin Kamara but catches passes like a true receiver. The versatile pass-catcher is an extremely unique style of player, and most would look at the Giants’ offensive scheme and wonder how on earth they will manage to extract the most value from the rookie.

However, all we can do is wait and see after the Giants hired Russ Callaway from LSU and elevated Freddie Kitchens to a senior advisor role on offense. Hopefully, that was enough to spur a bit more creativity and imagination with the playbook.

To overcome a strong Denver defense, the Giants are going to need all of their premium weapons. The expectation that Kadarius will be available is a huge bonus for Daniel Jones. After 2020’s embarrassment, Jones can use all the moving pieces he can possibly muster.

The Giants have one position battle unfolding:

Speaking of pass-catchers and weapons, two receivers who are battling for a roster spot are Dante Pettis and David Sills. Two different styles of catchers, Pettis offers a more speedy option compared to Sills, who stands at 6’4″ and has presented himself as a great red zone threat this off-season. Pettis is the only one of the two to have legitimate experience in the NFL, with 652 yards and a touchdown to his name over three seasons. He played two games with the Giants toward the end of the 2020 campaign, hauling in four receptions for 76 yards and a score.

Sills, on the other hand, followed Daniel Jones around the country this off-season, presenting him with a pair of hands to connect with. That type of work ethic is noticed by head coach Joe Judge, who commended him for his desire to improve.

At this point, Sills has a slight advantage over Pettis, but Sunday’s preseason game against the New England Patriots should give us a final answer. Luckily for both receivers, Kenny Golladay, Toney, and Kyle Rudolph will all be absent, giving secondary options more reps to work with.

New York Giants: James Bradberry unconcerned by who plays around him

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New York Giants, James Bradberry, logan ryan

The New York Giants moved to improve their secondary this offseason, but injury has thrown a wrench into what the team is building up. Adoree’ Jackson was added to play number two to James Bradberry at corner, but his status is questionable after an ankle sprain and it remains to be seen whether Jackson will be back for week one of the regular season.

It also looks like Jackson will almost certainly sit against the Patriots, leaving open the question of who will get playing time in his place as the Giants bring out more of their starters for the final preseason game.

However, number one cornerback Bradberry isn’t concerned by that development. According to him, the Giants have enough talent at the position that it’s not worth worrying about.

Bradberry not worried about missing Jackson

“I’m confident in whoever they put out there. I was confident last year in whoever they put out there, so I’m going to be confident this year,” Bradberry said on Friday when asked about maybe starting the season without Jackson. “My job is to play well, but also help the guy that I’m playing beside whether he’s a young guy or a veteran. I’m going to try to help whoever they put out there.”

Isaac Yiadom, the cornerback that spent much of last season playing number two, is now with the Green Bay Packers. Darnay Holmes, who is entering his second season, is a candidate to take Jackson’s place. Also in the running is Josh Jackson, who the Giants received in the trade that sent Yiadom to Green Bay.

Bradberry was also asked about what may happen if the opposing quarterback in week 1 targets the opposite side of the field from him. That scenario is another one that didn’t seem to bother Bradberry much.

“I watch a lot of film, so whatever I see on film, I’m going to try to tell the other guy that’s playing opposite me so they can make plays as well. We’re not really worried about what he’s going to see. We’re worried about what we’re going to do on the defense, honestly.”

The Giants should get Jackson back relatively soon. It looks like they dodged a bullet on his injury, as it doesn’t appear to be a long term one. Despite this, it still remains a concern that the Giants have a number of current injuries as they approach week 1. And not all of these players are guaranteed to make it back in time for the regular season.

Headed into the last preseason game, it’s still unclear just what the lineup will look like when the Giants take the field against Denver next month.

New York Giants could make a cost-efficient decision on the defensive line

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New York Giants, BJ Hill

The New York Giants have plenty of depth on their defensive line. The Giants have invested a multitude of assets into their defensive line to build it up as one of the best units in the NFL. Dexter Lawrence and Leonard Williams are a sweet starting tandem backed up by the likes of BJ Hill, David Moa, and Raymond Johnson III.

In his 2018 rookie season, BJ Hill racked up 5.5 sacks, an incredible number to reach as a rookie interior defensive lineman. Since then, Hill has been somewhat buried on the depth chart as the team has accumulated more talent on the interior.

BJ Hill is entering his fourth season in the NFL and is slated to earn over $2 million with a cap hit of $2,440,379. Some might view this as a hefty price to pay for a second-string interior defensive lineman. Considering the other names listed on the roster, the Giants could make a cost-efficient decision and move on from BJ Hill before the start of the season.

Why the Giants might move on from BJ Hill

BJ Hill has been an excellent second-string defender for the Giants over the past couple of years. But his expensive cap hit could encourage the Giants to move on from Hill. The Giants have a slew of young defensive linemen on the roster that could challenge BJ Hill for his position.

David Moa and Raymond Johnson III are two young defensive linemen that have impressed this summer. Both players are pushing for a roster spot. The Giants could consider keeping one or both of these players on the roster and moving on from BJ Hill. This would be a cost-efficient strategy.

Cutting or trading BJ Hill would free up $2,183,000 in salary cap space. This extra cash could be invested in New York’s offensive line or another position of need. David Moa has a cap hit of only $663k and Raymond Johnson’s cap hit is only $670k. These two players can be kept around at a much cheaper price tag than BJ Hill. Considering BJ Hill is not even a starter on the Giants’ defense, this is a roster move that the Giants should heavily consider.

BJ Hill is a great player, so he might garner some trade interest from another team. It would also make sense for the Giants to keep Hill as quality depth. But the need to add talent at other spots on the roster might compel the Giants to free some cap space by moving on from BJ Hill.

What are your thoughts on BJ Hill? Should the Giants look to move on from Hill and give Moa or Johnson III a shot at the roster?

3 things to watch in New York Giants’ final pre-season game against New England

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new york giants, joe judge

The New York Giants are gearing up to take on the New England Patriots in the final preseason game of the 2021 off-season. Having lost their first two preseason games, the Giants will feature the first-team offense and defense in preparation for Week 1 against the Denver Broncos. However, the Giants will be without several key pieces on offense, including Kenny Golladay, Kyle Rudolph, Kadarius Toney, and Saquon Barkley.

We will get a good view and look at some of the Giants’ reserve pieces, including running back Devante Booker and potentially several back-end receivers gunning for a roster spot. Both Dante Pettis and David Sills are competing to make the roster, and with Pettis showing out against the Patriots during joint practices, things could be closer than they appear.

Three things to watch in the New York Giants’ final pre-season game against New England:

1.) The performance of the offensive line

First and foremost, the performance of the offensive line remains a question mark heading into the regular season. With starting left guard Shane Lemieux working his way back from a knee injury, working with trainers at the Giants’ facilities instead of traveling to New England, getting a look at him this weekend will be essential.

A lack of continuity and experience plagues Daniel Jones’s protection scheme, but the hope is they can gradually improve as the season moves along. Last year, the line struggled to get anything going in the first half of the season, which led to the firing of OL coach Marc Colombo.

Left tackle Andrew Thomas has reported they look great during training camp and during joint practices and will get a bit more action against the Patriots on Sunday. Creating chemistry between Thomas and Jones during live action is essential, but the right tackle spot is also up for grabs. Both Matt Peart and Nate Solder are battling it out. This is a position battle work keeping an eye on.

2.) Daniel Jones’s pocket presence

Of course, one of the Giants’ biggest weaknesses has been Daniel Jones’s pocket presence over the first two seasons of his career. Heading into year three, Jones has spent ample time improving his drop-back and muscle memory when it comes to clutching the football with two hands in the pocket. Jones has 29 total fumbles over the past two seasons and will be looking to lessen the number as his rookie contract quickly approaches a danger zone. The front office is clearly confident he will take a big step forward, but his success is directly correlated to the offensive line, which has brewed little optimism thus far during camp.

The starters will have the first half at least to get some important work in, and hopefully, Jones put together a positive performance.

3.) The secondary

With Adoree Jackson suffering a low ankle sprain, the Giants will likely have a few rotational pieces next to James Bradberry in the secondary on Sunday. Expect to see Julian Love, Rodarius Williams, and a few others compete at CB2 for starting snaps. Judge stated on Friday that Williams has done enough to prove he’s capable of being a good player, so he’s all but a lock to make the 53-man roster.

Luckily for the Giants, they escaped anything serious with Jackson’s ankle, as he was moving around freely with trainers during Friday’s walk-through practice. He’s expected to be available for Week 1 against Denver but will miss the first unit’s opportunity to get on the field during a real-game setting this weekend.

New York Giants: Barkley and Rudolph out, others will be game time decision

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New York Giants, Saquon Barkley

The New York Giants are dealing with a number of injuries right now, and it’s unclear which players are in a position to return for the final preseason game. We do know, however, that two anticipated returns won’t happen in this game after Joe Judge ruled out the possibility already.

Those players are Saquon Barkley and tight end Kyle Rudolph, both of whom have mounting pressure to play in week 1. Judge confirmed on Friday that neither player will take the field against New England.

“He will not play in this game, no. We’ll dress him out. He’ll go through warm up. We’ll continue him on through ramping up. He won’t play. Him or Rudolph won’t play in this game,” Judge told reporters when asked about Barkley.

But more encouragingly, Judge also claimed that the Giants are still making decisions on some players.

Some decisions are still being made

“The other players – there’s a lot of guys where there’s still decisions being made. We’ll see how they come out today and even some tomorrow. We’ll see how they’re going to look for the game. So, I can’t give any final answers on a lot of guys,” Judge said.

The list of injuries includes three wide receivers – John Ross, Kadarius Toney, and Kenny Golladay.

With Toney being the team’s first round draft pick and Golladay being their biggest free agent signing, this has caused some reasonable concern that Daniel Jones won’t get a chance to build chemistry with his most important targets in a game situation before week 1.

But as the Giants generally rested their starters for the first couple of preseason games, it’s clear the staff aren’t prioritizing preseason experience for their key players.

We know Jones will play one half in the final game, but as of now, it remains to be seen if his new weapons will be there on the field with him.

Giants’ Daniel Jones details his excitement for his most lethal weapons to return

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New York Giants, Daniel Jones

The New York Giants‘ offense struggled to get going during Thursday’s joint practice with the New England Patriots. After starting off 11V11’s with two straight 3-and-outs, the unit bounced back as Jones connected with wide receiver Dante Pettis on a long completion that would’ve been a touchdown in a real game.

Overall, Jones unofficially completed 23 passes on 29 attempts, showcasing one of his better practices of the off-season. However, despite Jones’s success, he’s still working without the majority of his top weapons on offense, barely getting Saquon Barkley involved for the first time on Thursday.

Barkley enjoyed just a few snaps to get his legs moving and a feel for live-action, hauling in several passes. Hopefully, Big Blue activates Barkley more in the receiving game this upcoming season, as, during his rookie campaign, Barkley posted 91 receptions for 721 yards and four touchdowns.

Coordinator Jason Garrett shouldn’t just rely on Saquon as a check-down option, but design plays to get him open in space and active in the passing game. In fact, they should take a look at the New Orleans Saints from last season and copycat some of their plays to mimic Alvin Kamara’s production.

Nonetheless, Jones is ecstatic about the return of some of his weapons, including Barkley and Kyle Rudolph. However, he knows players like Kenny Golladay and Kadarius Toney are working their butts off to return as soon as possible.

“I know those guys are working hard to get back and are working with the trainers every day to get better,” said Jones. “We’re focused on improving as a group and getting ready for Week 1.”

Rudolph made his first appearance on the football field during Wednesday’s practice after starting the off-season on the PUP list. Rehabilitating from a foot injury, Rudolph spent time before last week’s preseason game against Cleveland catching passes before kick-off. Clearly, he was feeling confident in his foot and is slowly ramping up to live action after missing the past few months of conditioning.

“Good to see him out there,” said Jones. “He’s worked so hard to get back and he’s been behind the scenes a lot helping all of us, helping me, helping the tight ends, and it’s been good to have him out there.”

The Giants’ offense will play the first half against the New England Patriots this upcoming Sunday, but Jones will still be without some of his major pieces. Hopefully, they will be available for him against the Denver Broncos come Week 1 on September 12.