rhett ellison

What are the New York Giants’ needs on offense and how can they address them?

March 13, 2020 by Alexander Wilson

This off-season for the New York Giants will be tailored around bolstering the defensive side of the ball. With coronavirus potentially setting back the new league year, general manager Dave Gettleman will have more time to evaluate incoming free agents and players in the NFL Draft. Ultimately, with a new head coach in Joe Judge, this is a positive thing for the team as they continue to rebuild and retool both sides of the ball. While defense remains the biggest hole, the offense still needs more resource allocation to reach his potential finally.

With tight end, Rhett Ellison announcing his retirement last week, finding another blocking TE to pair with Evan Engram, Kaden Smith, Garrett Dickerson, and C.J. Conrad will be a priority. Both Engram and Smith more skilled in the passing game but failed to be significant impacts in run blocking efficiency.

I anticipate the Giants and Gettleman going out and finding a replacement for Ellison. One decent option is former Green Bay Packer Jimmy Graham. Graham, who is 33 years old, is coming off a decent season with the Packers. He posted 447 yards and three touchdowns in 16 games. Having spent the last two seasons in Green Bay, he will be looking to join a new team, and his ability in the run blocking game could pay dividends for a team like the Giants.

Graham’s usage won’t be tailored towards receiving abilities, but rather a big body who can hold his own on the line of scrimmage. The big question here might be Graham’s contract, but considering his age and coming off two lackluster seasons, the Giants could land him for $5–6 million per season on a one or two year deal. It could be worth it for the sake of Saquon Barkley’s productivity inefficiency in the run game.

The New York Giants must find a new right tackle:

Aside from the tight end position, right tackle remains a significant void, especially since Mike Remmers seems to be hitting the free-agent market without any consideration of retention. Jack Conklin remains the best option in free agency for Gettleman, but his price tag will likely be far too high considering his issues in pass protection. The Giants are better off allocating a draft pick in the first or second round to the position in hopes that they can develop a player into their starter for the foreseeable future.

Aside from tight end and right tackle, the Giants could be in the market for a new center after Jon Halapio tore his Achilles tendon toward the end of the 2019 season. Lions’ Graham Glasgow could be an option in free agency as well — the trend here revolves around Daniel Jones and ensuring he has ample protection.

New York Giants Tight End Room Takes A Hit With Rhett Ellison Retirement

March 10, 2020 by Cay North

Rhett Ellison may have never been a dominating player during his career, but that doesn’t mean the tight end wasn’t important for the New York Giants. He backed up Evan Engram, but since Engram isn’t the most reliable player and has missed time over the past couple of seasons with injury, and hasn’t always played the best when he is on the field and healthy, backup tight end has been a somewhat relevant position for the Giants over recent years.

It’s one of the primary reasons why Rhett Ellison started 12 games in 2018 and 7 in 2019 – during both seasons, the Giants had big expectations for Engram, who let down in both of them with 8 and 6 starts respectively and three touchdowns on the year both times.

The Giants also released Scott Simonson this offseason, removing from the roster a player who was seen at times when neither Ellison or Engram were on the field.

The fact that there’s no Simonson on the team now makes Ellison’s retirement due to concussion hit the Giants’ tight end room harder – in 2020, if they don’t add anyone else, they’ll have to rely on Evan Engram and Kaden Smith. The latter only joined the team in 2019 and had the same amount of touchdowns as Engram in less games. He could be a game changer, but it’s hard to know. We don’t have a sample size, and other teams will have more film on Smith this year.

The other player is Evan Engram. Despite being eternally promising, we have yet to see Engram repeat his rookie season. It was hard for Engram to even stay on the field last season with injury trouble hitting him hard, which is why it was somewhat strange that the Giants have shown a commitment in keeping him instead of moving on before it’s too late to get something good in return.

Assuming the Giants don’t add anyone else to their roster, they’ll have to go into this season with just Engram and Smith as their main options, and will just have to deal with the inconsistency of the former and the inexperience of the latter. Of course, Smith was promising in the games he did play last year – this could be a great chance for a step forward for him.

But the Giants don’t have Ellison waiting in reserve to fill in for either player if they can’t perform to standard or if injury strikes once again for Engram – and that might have a bigger impact than Ellison’s numbers would suggest.

New York Giants: Rhett Ellison announces retirement from the NFL

March 9, 2020 by Alexander Wilson

The New York Giants are down another tight end in 2020 as Rhett Ellison has officially declared his retirement from the NFL.

Ellison was signed by the Giants in 2017, playing three seasons in blue before calling it quits. Ellison suffered a concussion on Nov. 10 against the New York Jets, which forced him out for the remainder of the 2019 campaign (six games). Over 10-games, he posted 167 yards and one score.

Ellison stated, per the New York Giants website:

“The past few weeks, it’s kind of been an emotional rollercoaster,” Ellison said. “But the overwhelming feeling I have is gratitude. Just thinking back to all the people in my life, even before I put pads on, that were able to nurture and grow the gifts God put into me and make this career possible. I think that was the biggest thing that was the fun part about the retirement process, which is reflecting on those people, thanking those people, reaching out and just the lessons they taught me, the tools they gave me for my life after football.”

Report: Giants TE Rhett Ellison Considering Retirement

February 27, 2020 by John Fennelly

New York Giants tight end Rhett Ellison is considered to be on the top of the team’s ‘cap casualty’ list this offseason but was not included in the first round of cuts this week along with linebackers Alec Ogletree and Kareem Martin.

That is because Ellison is rumored to be ‘mulling retirement’ after missing the last six games of the 2019 season with a concussion. Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post is reporting that several sources believe that Ellison’s career could be over.

That would change the dead cap charge the Giants would be responsible for this season had they released him instead:

Ellison, 31, signed a four-year, $18 million free-agent contract in 2017 but was supplanted as the starter only six weeks later when the Giants drafted Evan Engram. The sure-handed blocking-first Ellison has 67 catches for 674 yards and four touchdowns in 40 games with the Giants, after spending five seasons with the Vikings.

Ellison’s contract calls for a $7.18 million cap hit this season – not in line with his role – but $5 million in savings and only $2.18 million dead money if he is released or retires.

Ellison’s role was taken over by rookie Kaden Smith, who showed some red zone and blocking capability. He can also block, which was Ellison’s forte when he signed with the Giants in 2017.

The Giants are currently $73.3 million over the salary cap as they ready for what should be a wild free agency period beginning March 18.

New York Giants: Ogletree and Martin Cut- Who’s Next?

February 26, 2020 by Anthony Rivardo

The New York Giants made two major roster moves today. New York freed up $13.05 million in cap space after cutting linebackers Alec Ogletree and Kareem Martin. These cuts were expected to be made all offseason but are now official.

The Giants will save a nice chunk of cap space by letting Ogletree and Martin go. But they likely are not going to stop there. Here are a couple more veteran players the Giants might soon cut from the roster:

Rhett Ellison

The New York Giants signed Rhett Ellison in 2017. Since then, he has served as the second-string tight end behind Evan Engram. Engram has been used as the team’s receiving tight end since his speed and athleticism make him a bit of a matchup nightmare. But Ellison, on the other hand, has been used primarily as a blocker.

The Giants signed Ellison to a four-year deal worth $18 million. He has been making $4.5 million on average annually. 2020 is the final year on Rhett’s contract. New York can save $5 million in cap space if they cut Rhett Ellison this offseason.

Ellison has not had a huge role in the offense the past few years and it seems like the Giants have found a sound replacement in Kaden Smith. It would be a wise move to release the 31-year-old tight end.

Antoine Bethea

If the Giants cut Antoine Bethea like they are expected to, he will be a “one-and-done” player. Dave Gettleman and the Giants signed Bethea last offseason. Antoine’s performance in 2019 was disappointing, to say the least.

The Giants signed Antoine Bethea to a two-year, $6.5 million deal last year. Cutting Bethea this offseason would save the Giants $2.75 million in cap space for the 2020 season.

The Giants might already have Antoine’s replacement on the roster in Julian Love. Regardless, Bethea is 35-years-old and looks like a shell of his former self. The Giants are likely to move on from the veteran safety in the coming weeks.

New York Giants: 3 sure-fire cut candidates to add cap-space

February 6, 2020 by Alexander Wilson

With the New York Giants in need of an influx in defensive and offensive line talent, we can expect GM Dave Gettleman to be active in the free-agent market this offseason.

The demise of left tackle Nate Solder and overall poor performance from the defense in 2019 will justify allocations of both cap-space and draft capital. Whether or not the Giants can lure any big-name free agents to New York is a different story, but new head coach Joe Judge has received plenty of glowing reviews to advocate for Giants’ future.

Big Blue will need to clear more cap-space before diving into the FA pool, as they currently sit at $61.88 million.

Here are three sure-fire cut candidates for the New York Giants:

1.) LB Alec Ogletree

Ogletree has been one of the more disappointing players for the Giants in recent years, and his $11.75 million cap-hit in 2020 should be catapulted off the books. If cut, the Giants would add $8.25 million, but they would eat a $3.5 million in dead cap. This should be an easy decision for a team that can use the capital elsewhere to inject more talent into specific positions.

Gettleman must cut ties with Ogletree this offseason after trading for him from the Rams in 2018. The return of Ryan Connelly and Isaiah Simmons likely being available with the 4th pick should present the Giants with a way to boost the linebacker corps.

2.) TE Rhett Ellison

Ellison’s injury in 2019 forced rookie Kaden Smith into an expanded role, which ultimately wrote the veteran tight end off the script for the future. Ellison’s $7.188 million cap-hit isn’t worth the value he brings to the team anymore, and the $5 million the team would save if cut presents more opportunity.

3.) S Antoine Bethea

This is an easy decision for the Giants after seeing Bethea fail to make a difference in the defensive backfield. He played well against the run but was putrid as a free safety in the secondary. His $2.875 million would be written off almost entirely if the Giants elect to cut him this offseason ($2.75 million saved).

Bethea remains a great veteran presence in the locker room, but he’s not a great football player anymore at his current age.

New York Giants: Possible Cap Casualties This Offseason

January 17, 2020 by John Fennelly

The New York Giants are in for another wild offseason with the very unpredictable Dave Gettleman as their GM. The currently have in the excess of $69 million in usable salary cap space heading into free agency and that number could grow if they decide to release some veterans.

Here are a few ‘cap causalities’ that we could see over the next two months as we get ready for the league new year on March 18. The NFL waiver system for 2020 begins on February 3. Here’s a quick list of candidates for release from my colleague Chris Bisignano of The Giant Insider.

Four Giants who are in serious danger of getting the axe:
Alec Ogletree …….Dead $3.5 Cap savings $8.25 mill.
Rhett Ellison……….Dead $2.1 Cap savings $5 million
Kareem Martin……Dead $1.1 Cap $4.8
Antoine Bethea…..Dead $125,00 Cap $2.75

— The Giant Insider Newspaper & Podcast (@GiantInsider) January 16, 2020

Ogletree is way overpaid at this point and incoming head coach and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham will have other ideas about the schemes hey want to run and about the inside linebacker position, which would make Ogletree expendable.

Ellison is coming off a season marred by injury and missed the last six games of the regular season with a concussion. The emergence of rookie Kaden Smith and the steadiness of Scott Simonson as a blocker give the Giants a reason to part ways with Ellison.

Martin has been a non-factor since he was brought in before the 2018 season. His main purpose was to help with the transition to James Bettcher’s system. How did that go?

Bethea will turn 36 right before camp. He played fairly well at times but with all the young bucks in the secondary with a year of service under their belt, he may not be needed going forward. They can always re-sign Michael Thomas if they need an veteran voice in the mix.

Outside of that, there’s no other big ticket names for the Giants to futz with. They are pretty much locked into Nate Solder for one more season (he has a 2020 dead cap hit of $13 million) and Kevin Zeitler and Golden Tate are two players they plan on keeping in the fold for now.

New York Giants news, 12/23 – The Giants might have found their long-term answer at tight end

December 23, 2019 by Alexander Wilson

Good Morning, New York Giants Fans!

The tight end position for the New York Giants has been a question mark for years now, considering the lack of health from Evan Engram. The best ability is availability, so they say, and Engram has been unavailable for almost an entire year’s worth of games over the last two seasons.

The Giants’ offense has a focus on the tight end position, and Engram’s inability to block makes him a single-faceted player. Having to waste another roster spot on a blocking tight end that allows defenses to better decipher run plays only decreases the overall efficiency of the team.

However, the Giants might have found their long-term solution in rookie, Kaden Smith, who hauled in two touchdowns, including the game-winning score, against the Washington Redskins on Sunday.

Smith’s final stat-line was six catches for 35 yards and two scores.

DJ ➡️ Kaden Smith = touchdown

(via @Giants) pic.twitter.com/oKkynyrqz2

— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) December 22, 2019

It's over! Kaden Smith FTW

(via @Giants) pic.twitter.com/YxPUENeNBi

— Giants Videos (@SNYGiants) December 22, 2019

Rookie quarterback Daniel Jones has developed reliable chemistry with Smith, who will make Rhett Ellison expendable after the 2019 season. Releasing Ellison will open up $5 million in cap space. It also puts Engram’s value in question, as his absence has given Kaden a chance to steal the starting spot right out from under him.

The New York Giants have until May 5 to accept Engram’s fifth-year option on his rookie deal, and with Smith emerging, it decreases the probability. I would take one final look at Smith against the Eagles to gauge his potential and then decide on Engram’s future. Letting him walk after his fourth season in Blue might make the most sense, especially if his price-tag is excessive.

Nonetheless–

Your top news of the day:

Dan Benton – Giants beat Redskins: Winners, losers and those in between

Anthony Rivardo – The New York Giants Need To Extend Markus Golden

Jordan Raanan – Daniel Jones’ big day hurts Giants’ chances to land Chase Young

Chris Pflum – Five things we learned as the Giants beat Washington in overtime

New York Giants Twitter – Pat Shurmur recaps victory

New York Giants news, 11/30 – How much time has Evan Engram missed in three years?

November 30, 2019 by Alexander Wilson

Good Morning, New York Giants Fans!

At 25-years-old, New York Giants tight end Evan Engram is in his physical prime, and he has shown versatility on the offensive side of the ball with his elite speed and athleticism. However, as many NFL athletes suffer a similar fate, Engram has been plagued by injuries since his inception into the league.

Over 44 games, Engram has featured in just 34, which indicates a 10 game differential of active/inactive status. Engram is also scheduled to miss a week 13 matchup against the Green Bay Packers, making this his eleventh missed game in three years and his fourth this year.

Some believed GM Dave Gettleman would trade Engram at the trade deadline, maximizing his value considering his injury history. Gettleman could still look to deal him next offseason, as the Giants still have two more years of control over the tight end. Alternatively, they will keep him as a weapon on offense and continue forward despite his issues.

Realistically, keeping Engram seems like the more likely option, as his cap-hit remains low, and he can play an essential part on the offense if the team manages to take a big step forward in 2020.

In the absence of Engram, Big Blue will feature Scott Simonson and Kaden Smith in a more prominent role. Smith, who played in his first NFL game in week 12 against the Chicago Bears, recorded his first touchdown pass on a solid game as a pass-catcher. I can see the youngster becoming a more active part of the offense, especially if he progresses as a blocker.

The New York Giants also have Rhett Ellison on the roster, but he will also miss Sunday’s game with a concussion.

Nonetheless–

Your top news of the day:

Jordan Raanan – Keeping Leonard Williams with Giants not all about the money

John Fennelly – Phil Simms: Giants Can Fix Daniel Jones’ Fumbling Issues

Paul Schwartz – The bad old days have returned for the Giants

Nick Falato – Film study: Giants’ Julian Love did a lot of good things in first extended action

Ed Valentine – Giants vs. Packers: 5 things to watch on Sunday

New York Giants news, 11/29 – Giants preparing to let go of two longest tenured players

November 29, 2019 by Alexander Wilson

Good Morning, New York Giants Fans!

The New York Giants saw numerous players take Wednesday’s practice off due to injuries, including Evan Engram (foot), Rhett Ellison (concussion), Jabrill Peppers (back), Golden Tate (concussion), and veteran long-snapper, Zak DeOssie (wrist/knee).

DeOssie, who’s the longest-tenured player on the Giants alongside Eli Manning, could be in the final year of his career with the Giants. That would leave Janoris Jenkins as the most tenured player.

The Giants will likely put DeOssie on injured reserve, ending his season at 2-9. This would finalize his tenure in New York and guarantee his retirement from the NFL. Last weekend against the Chicago Bears in week 12, DeOssie had a disastrous snap, rolling the ball back to the place-holder and forcing a missed kick by Aldrick Rosas.

Other injury news:

Evan Engram, who has a mid-foot sprained, stated last week he was ahead of his 2-4 week recovery timetable, but will likely miss more time. Considering the New York Giants are in a lost season with little to prove, they can begin to take precautions with their more influential players.

I expect to see more action from Kaden Smith, who secured a touchdown pass in his first action in the NFL against the Bears.

Golden Tate, who smashed his head on the turf after a touchdown pass from Daniel Jones on 4th-and-18 during the second half of the loss to Chicago, sat out at well this week. His availability against the Green Bay Packers is questionable, which would designate more targets to Darius Slayton, rookie out of Auburn.

The New York Giants re-signed Da’Mari Scott to the roster to supplement the waiving of Bennie Fowler and the injury to Tate.

Nonetheless–

Your top news of the day:

Paul Schwartz – Zak DeOssie’s amazing Giants run ends with sad injury

Alexander Wilson – Would the New York Giants consider signing Amari Cooper next offseason?

Ryan Dunleavy – Behind Giants’ unusual plan to fix DeAndre Baker

John Fennelly – Could Kaden Smith be a long-term answer at TE for Giants?

Matt Lombardo – Giants’ offensive line has regressed despite makeover | How much can they be blamed for Saquon Barkley’s struggles?