Sam Beal

Two New York Giants players that have breakout potential but continue to disappoint

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New York Giants, Sam Beal

Taking a look at two New York Giants players can if they can break out of their current funk:

With DeAndre baker going through the legal system after being accused of armed robbery, the New York Giants are in a state of caution. Of course, nothing has been proven, and waiting until all the facts come out is a necessity, but in the meantime, let’s look at two players who have the potential to break out but have disappointed in recent seasons.

1.) Sam Beal

When Dave Gettleman spent a third-round pick on supplemental draft selection Sam Beal, most were a bit confused at the choice. Beal missed his entire rookie season with a shoulder injury and only played in six games in 2019. While Beal looked good during preseason play, he struggled in coverage during the regular season. He posted a 76.2% completion rate against and allowed one touchdown. On a brighter note, he missed zero tackles out of 26 combined, showing that he had good fundamentals and just needs to improve in coverage.

Having played his first NFL action last season, he might’ve had the jitters, which resulted in poor performances. There is still potential for him to excel in the NFL; he just needs to clear the roadblocks holding him back. Beal is a physical corner at 6-foot-1 and 192 pounds; he has the speed to match up with opposing wide receivers and can track them properly.

If Beal hadn’t been a supplemental draft pick, he is convinced he would’ve been a first-round selection, as he’s self-proclaimed smart, quick, and fast.

“I’m different,’’ he said last season. “I’m smart, I’m quick, and I’m fast at the same time. You can be quick, you can be fast, but I’m quick and I’m fast. And I’m a physical corner. If they put me anywhere, I can play it. I got range out the door. I can get sideline to sideline just as fast as anybody else.”

On paper, Beal has all the physical traits to be a quality player at the NFL level, he just hasn’t managed to put it together yet and remain healthy. Hopefully, in the 2020 season, all of these things can come together.

2.) Evan Engram

Engram always seems to be the storyline around this time of year, considering his last few seasons plagued by injury. In 2019, Engram played in just eight games, having his lowest totals in yards and seeing a downward turn in catch rate. He played in just 42% of offensive snaps, the lowest in three years, once again disappointing fans who expected him to have a fantastic season.

Generally, the hope is that he can finally become an elite pass-catching tight end, but injuries are almost expected at this point. He’s coming off a mid foot sprain that required surgery and is still rehabbing from it. The physicality of the tight end position seems to be too much for Engram, who might be better used in a pass-catching role and limited to a degree. The Giants signed Levine Toilolo to handle blocking duties primarily in 12 personnel sets, so Engram can utilize his strengths without having to be held back.

New York Giants: A look at all the cornerbacks on the roster – who can replace DeAndre Baker?

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New York Giants, Darnay Holmes, Julian Love, Jabrill Peppers, DeAndre Baker, Xavier McKinney, Corey Ballentine

Taking a look at all of the cornerbacks on the New York Giants’ roster and who could be in line to replace DeAndre Baker:

With DeAndre Baker self-sabotaging his career and holding partygoers at gunpoint, the New York Giants must reevaluate the cornerback position and see if a player on the roster is capable of filling in for Baker. Of course, these are all still allegations and not proven, but multiple witnesses told TMZ that Baker was the primary piece in the armed robbery.

Looking to the roster, here are the cornerbacks on the team and if any of them are capable of taking over the number two spot.

Julian Love:

Love didn’t see much playing time until later on in the 2019 season, but when he finally earned starting reps, he didn’t disappoint. Over 15 games started, Love posted 37 combine tackles, five tackles for loss, one forced fumble, three passes offended, and one interception. He posted a 65.5% completion rate against and allowed one touchdown.

Overall, he only played 37% of defensive snaps and still looked good in a diverse role. He featured at free safety, cornerback, and strong safety. While he might be better suited for a safety position, he did play boundary corner at Notre Dame. He could be in line to earn significant reps as the number two corner opposite James Bradberry moving forward.

James Bradberry:

This is a complicated situation for Bradberry, who recently signed a three-year contract with the Giants. Expecting to see a rebuilding team with success in its future, Baker had to go and ruin the party. Bradberry will now have to serve as the number one corner, and likely watches his counterpart struggle a bit while they become acclimated with the position. Nonetheless, at least the Giants have one quality player they can rely on.

Sam Beal:

Beal has been injured for most of his first two seasons in the NFL, and he struggled in coverage last season over three starts. Beal logged a 76.2% completion rate against an allowed one touchdown on 21 targets. The best thing we can pull from his small sample size is his 0.0% missed tackle rate, indicating his technique and efficiency in that category. The Giants need to see more from Beal, who has plenty of potential but has failed to remain healthy to unlock it. This could be his season to break out.

Corey Ballentine:

Ballentine is a former sixth-round draft pick from 2019, and while he struggled significantly last season, there’s potential to be seen. In 13 appearances and over 27% of defensive snaps, he posted a 64.3% completion rate and allowed four touchdowns. He has to decrease the number of touchdowns he allows and must develop in coverage. The Giants moved him interior to the slot position, which likely put him in a difficult position. In the most recent draft, the New York Giants added several slot competitors, which could allow Ballentine to move over to the outside, which would put him in a position to steal reps at the number two corner spot.

Chris Williamson:

Williamson is an athletic corner with tons of potential. His biggest knock is his tackling technique and inefficiency in the area. He has the speed and physicality to match up against wide receivers in the NFL, but he must get better in the tackling category. I wouldn’t expect him to be an influential player in year one, but he could develop moving forward.

Grant Haley:

Haley is more of an interior slot corner with fantastic tackling ability. He is not the best in coverage and will likely serve as a reserve option for the Giants moving forward.

Darnay Holmes:

Holmes is an extremely athletic and high-character player with a sky-high ceiling. He will likely slide into a nickel-corner role rather than playing on the outside. His injection could give Ballentine more opportunity on the outside, where I estimate the Giants will utilize a position battle to find Baker’s replacement.

New York Giants: Three Players Already On The Roster Who Could Replace DeAndre Baker

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New York Giants, Darnay Holmes, Julian Love, Jabrill Peppers, DeAndre Baker, Xavier McKinney, Corey Ballentine

The New York Giants are once again at the forefront of sports media for all the wrong reasons. Last night, disappointing and gutwrenching news broke about Giants cornerback DeAndre Baker. The Miami Police Department issued an arrest warrant on DeAndre Baker. Baker is accused of committing four counts of armed robbery and aggravated assault. With Baker likely to be jailed, the Giants will need to look elsewhere at cornerback and find his replacement. Here are three players that are already on the roster who could potentially replace DeAndre Baker:

Julian Love

Julian Love started five games at safety for the Giants in 2019. He was expected to continue in a rotational safety role in 2020, but expectations have been subverted by DeAndre Baker’s incident. This makes Julian Love a potential option at outside cornerback.

Julian Love played safety as a rookie in the NFL, but he played cornerback in college. At that position, Love recorded 32 pass breakups and 4 interceptions over his last two years at Notre Dame.

“Pure and simple, Love is a cover guy who possesses the feet, hips, instincts and competitiveness you want in a corner.” – NFL.com analyst Lance Zierelein

Sam Beal

The Giants had high hopes when they selected Sam Beal in the third round of the 2018 Supplemental Draft. So far, he has not exactly lived up to expectations. Injuries held Beal back in his first two seasons, but he was not overly impressive when he found the field.

Sam Beal played in 6 games and started 3 games in 2019. In those games, Beal allowed a 76.2% completion percentage when targeted. He allowed opposing receivers to gain 171 yards and 1 touchdown. Opposing quarterbacks recorded a passer rating of 115.4 against Sam Beal. If Beal is going to replace DeAndre Baker, the Giants will need him to improve his performance significantly.

Corey Ballentine

Corey Ballentine, the Giants’ 2019 sixth-round draft pick, could be an option to replace DeAndre Baker. Unfortunately, Ballentine’s situation is similar to Sam Beal’s. If he wants to earn this promotion, he needs to improve his performance.

Ballentine dealt with some injuries in 2019, but he did manage to play in 13 games and start 2 games. While Ballentine’s performance was slightly better than Beal’s, there is still a lot of room for improvement.

Corey Ballentine allowed opposing offenses to complete 64.3% of their passes in his coverage. They totaled 393 yards and 4 touchdowns against Ballentine, too. Ballentine was a rookie, so his struggles are understood. However, if his impressive performances in last year’s training camp and preseason are any indication as to what Ballentine has in store for the future, then there is reason to believe he could earn the job.

New York Giants have one cornerback that needs to break out in 2020 after DeAndre Baker self-sabotage

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New York Giants, Sam Beal

On Thursday evening, New York Giants cornerback DeAndre Baker was reportedly involved in an incident at a party, which included a semi-automatic weapon and another NFL player as an accomplice. Baker had previously lost $70,000 in cash a week prior, and set out to a new party to gamble his lost money back into his pocket. After getting into an argument with another partygoer, he proceeded to flip the table and draw a weapon. He proceeded to rob the party of cash and jewelry, at one point he even instructing a friend to shoot someone who just entered the party.

This is Example A of how to throw away your life and potentially successful career in the NFL. If all of these allegations are, in fact, true, Baker will no longer be on the Giants and will likely be sitting in jail. If the accomplice would have pulled the trigger, Baker could be facing the death penalty in Florida. Luckily, nobody was injured during the incident.

Who will benefit the most on the New York Giants after this disaster?

So, as we look forward to the 2020 campaign for the New York Giants, we can already rule one player out indefinitely. New coach Joe Judge will have a big problem to solve, and he already has a few players on the roster that could fill the role Baker is leaving behind.

Former supplemental draft pick Sam Beal is the player that comes to mind and having spent two seasons doused in injuries, Beal has been forgotten. Last year, in his first live-action as an NFL player, he played in just six games and started in three of them. He compiled 26 combine tackles, one pass defended, and a 76.2% completion rate against. On the bright side, he missed zero tackles. However, his completion percentage was dreadful and that is a category he must improve in if he is going to compete for the No. 2 corner spot.

This is undoubtedly a tough situation for newly signed corner James Bradberry, who is expecting to join a team in the flux of success and in the midst of a rebuild. Now, his cornerback mate will likely be sitting in jail as the Giants try to piece together a solution.

General manager Dave Gettleman spent a third-round pick on Sam Beal two years ago, and so far that decision has been a complete mess. That doesn’t mean Beal can’t step up and rise to the occasion. This will be a fantastic opportunity for him to gain significant playing time and show that his 2019 preseason wasn’t a fluke.

A Look At The New York Giants’ 2020 Secondary After Signing James Bradberry

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The New York Giants made a big splash signing today. Dave Gettleman and company signed cornerback James Bradberry to a three-year, $15 million deal, making him one of the highest-paid cornerbacks in the NFL. Bradberry is 26 years old and was drafted in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft by Dave Gettleman and the Carolina Panthers.

James Bradberry is the Giants’ new number one cornerback. He will be the guy that follows opposing teams’ primary receiver. Bradberry will join a youthful Giants secondary that has received a heavy investment of assets in recent years. The former Carolina Panthers corner will be a big upgrade for the Giants’ secondary.

The Killer B’s

The New York Giants’ cornerbacks in 2020 (barring any more additions) will be as follows: James Bradberry, DeAndre Baker, Same Beal, Corey Ballentine, and Grant Haley. The oldest of the bunch is Bradberry at 26-years-old. Baker and Ballentine will both be entering their sophomore seasons while Beal enters his third pro season.

The Giants have a young group of cornerbacks that will start the 2020 NFL season. Youth, of course, means inexperience, also. That could be New York’s defensive downfall. But hopefully adding a veteran cornerback in James Bradberry helps the rest of the group develop.

The Two Jay’s

Jabrill Peppers and Julian Love will enter the 2020 NFL season as the Giants’ starting safeties (unless the team signs or drafts somebody uber-talented between now and September). The team’s safety duo provides more youthful talent to the defense. Julian Love is 21 and entering his second NFL season. Jabrill Peppers is 24, entering his fourth NFL season and second season with the New York Giants.

Julian Love showed promise filling in as a starter for the injured Peppers in the final five games of the 2019 season. He recorded 37 combined tackles, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, and only 4 missed tackles in 2019. The former collegiate slot cornerback converted to safety as a rookie and allowed only 190 yards and 1 touchdown in coverage.

Jabrill Peppers suffered an injury in 2019 that caused him to miss the final five games of the season. Up to that point, however, Jabrill was performing as possibly the best player on the Giants’ defense. In 11 games, JP totaled 76 combined tackles, 3 forced fumbles, 1 interception, and allowed only 1 touchdown in coverage.

The Giants’ young, talented secondary gives fans a reason to be excited heading into the 2020 NFL season. The youthful unit has all the potential in the world. Expect an impressive turnaround from the Giants’ pass-defense in 2020.

New York Giants: What Will Sam Beal and Corey Ballentine’s Roles Be In 2020?

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New York Giants, Corey Ballentine

The New York Giants invested heavily in their secondary last offseason. New York drafted three defensive backs in the 2019 NFL Draft (four if counting Sam Beal). The Giants drafted DeAndre Baker in the first round, Julian Love in the fourth round, and Corey Ballentine in the sixth round. Sam Beal was selected in the third round of the supplemental draft.

In their rookie seasons, there were some ups, but there were also many downs. It was a particularly rocky season for both Ballentine and Beal. Granted, Ballentine was a sixth-round pick that probably was not meant to be a starter as a rookie. But he did not precisely show promise in that role during the 2019 NFL season.

Sam Beal’s young career has been off to an even shakier start. Beal missed his entire 2018 rookie season with an injury and struggled to get on the field in 2019 too. Once he finally did make his way onto the field, Beal’s performance was disappointing.

Both of these young players will be on the Giants’ roster in 2020. But, after inconsistent starts to their careers, it is hard to determine what their roles might be.

Corey Ballentine’s Role

Corey Ballentine was a surprising standout player in the 2019 preseason. He had some impressive plays in training camp and preseason, including an interception against the New York Jets. While Ballentine’s strong summer provided Giants fans with optimism, his performance did not exactly translate in the regular season.

Ballentine was targeted in coverage 42 times in 2019. He allowed 27 completions or 64.3%. Opposing offenses gained 393 yards against Ballentine and scored 4 touchdowns with a rating of 126.4. He clearly was not prepared for an expanded role as a rookie. 

In 2020, it is highly unlikely Corey Ballentine starts for the Giants. He started in 2 games in 2019, but he will likely be a depth piece for the Giants next season. The team has much money to spend in free agency and is likely to sign a cornerback at some point, diminishing Ballentine’s role further than his performance has.

Corey Ballentine should see the field in some capacity, however. On special teams, Ballentine should see some playing time. In 2019, Corey Ballentine was an effective kick returner. He returned 10 kickoffs for 256 yards, an average of 25.6, which is greater than a touchback. His longest return of the season was an impressive 52 yards. Corey Ballentine should have the chance to return more kicks in 2020.

Sam Beal’s Role

Sam Beal was expected to have a significant role with the Giants in 2019. New York drafted him in the third round of the 2018 Supplemental Draft, which is pretty high for a prospect in the Supplemental Draft. Unfortunately, Beal’s career has been plagued with injuries so far.

Sam Beal suffered a shoulder injury during training camp in 2018 that left him sidelined for the entire season. Beal then injured his hamstring in 2019, which got him placed on injured reserve again. Sam did not make his regular-season debut until November of 2019.

It was good to see Beal finally get on the field, but it was disappointing to see him perform at such a weak level. Sam Beal was targeted in coverage 21 times in the 6 games he played, and 16 of those passes were completed or 76.2%. The opposition gained 171 yards on Beal and scored 1 touchdown. 

Beal is another player whose role is likely to diminish in 2020. His unfortunate injury history and underwhelming performance in 2019 could lead the Giants to replace the young defensive back ahead of the 2020 NFL season.

Can the New York Giants rely on DeAndre Baker in 2020?

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New York Giants, DeAndre Baker

When the New York Giants moved up in the 2019 NFL draft to grab cornerback, DeAndre Baker, they expected him to develop quickly into their top option. His rookie season was a bit more tumultuous than most would have hoped, and after the departure of Janoris Jenkins due to ethical concerns, Baker did step up considerably.

The Giants’ secondary has completely turned over since the 2018 season when they traded Eli Apple to the New Orleans Saints. With Jenkins heading a similar route, Baker has been thrust into the number one corner position. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if general manager Dave Gettleman went out and signed a premium talent at the spot.

The New York Giants are extremely thin in the defensive backfield:

Big Blue also has supplemental draft pick, Sam Beal, who remains a mystery after limited action in 2019. Early reports don’t view him as a starting option for the Giants moving forward, but there is plenty of time for him to continue progressing and refining his abilities. The Giants will enter the 2020 off-season with at least $70 million in cap space, opening up the door for a potential free-agent signing that would put Baker in the number two slot, where he is better off in his sophomore season.

Interestingly, Baker only allowed one touchdown in his 4-year career at Georgia, which amassEd 1019 coverage snaps.

During his senior season, Baker was arguably the best corner in the country, recording two interceptions, nine pass breakups, and a 29.3 forced incompletion percentage while allowing a minimal 40.2 pass a rating to opposing quarterbacks.

While DeAndre did struggle last season, cornerbacks often take more time to adapt to the NFL level. The physicality and speed of the game trump the collegiate level by a large margin, which ultimately puts Baker at a disadvantage right out of the gate. The experience you gain from his rookie season should benefit him ten times over in year two, and we should expect to see him take a significant jump after grading out as one of the worst corners in the league.

New York Giants: 3 players up, 3 players down in win over Washington

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New York Giants, Daniel Jones

The New York Giants weren’t only playing for their fourth win of the season on Sunday against the Washington Redskins; they were also battling for Chase Young in the upcoming NFL Draft. The loser of the game saw their chances of landing the generational pass-rusher increase significantly, and the Giants’ 41-35 victory sealed their fate.

Dropping to the 4th pick in the draft, Big Blue is still in a great position to draft a quality player, but it likely won’t be Young. However, establishing a winning culture and gaining momentum is a positive thing and is more critical to the development of the players than anything else.

Here are three players up and three players down for the New York Giants:

1.) Saquon Barkley – UP

Barkley rushed for 189 yards and caught four catches for 90 yards, reaching the endzone twice. This was easily Barkley’s best game of the season, as his rushing total set a career-high for the sophomore player. After weeks of battling through a high ankle sprain, Barkley finally seems to be back on track, despite being eliminated from playoff contention.

Getting back into the groove of things was the most crucial thing for Barkley in the final two games, and he can now move forward with the satisfaction of momentum.

2.) DeAndre Baker – DOWN

After consecutive weeks of elevating his play, Baker took a step back against the Redskins. He had trouble covering Terry McLaurin as the pass-catcher finished with 86 yards on the day. Baker did finish with ten combined tackles and one tackle for a loss.

With Janoris Jenkins taking his talents to New Orleans via the waiver wire, Baker is not the No. 1 corner and has been matched up against opposing team’s best receivers. His development is essential for the progress of the defense, but there’s little evidence suggesting the Giants can rely on him to be their top dog in 2020.

3.) Daniel Jones – UP

Jones’ first appearance since suffering a mild ankle sprain three weeks ago was fantastic. He returned to post five touchdowns on 352 yards. His 132.1 quarterback rating was perfect, and he continues to put together strong outings to further lead the Giants towards the promised land.

If there’s anything that GM Dave Gettleman has done right in his two years with Big Blue, it’s draft Jones, who’s on his way to becoming an established franchise quarterback in the NFL.

4.) Sam Beal – DOWN

Once again, the cornerbacks for the Giants were torched by less than adequate talent. After Dwyane Haskins was forced out with an ankle injury, Case Keenum thrashed the Giants’ defense for 158 yards and a touchdown. Beal struggled to impress in week 16, but he did manage to display his toughness after suffering a shoulder injury that he subsequently returned from.

5.) Lorenzo Carter – UP

Carter finished the night with 1.5 sacks, recording his first of the season in the category. He also had four QB hits. Carter has been a ghost for the majority of the season, but he proved his quality against Washington. If he can piece together a memorable performance against the Eagles in week 17, the Giants will be looking to replicate their strategy in opening up his game.

6.) Corey Ballentine – DOWN

Another cornerback in the down section, what a surprise. Ballentine cost the Giants a chance to win the game in the waning moments when he drew a defensive pass interference call on 4th and 1 with seconds remaining on the board. The penalty gave Washington a new set of down and an easy score on the following play. The Giants need ample help in the secondary, and it starts with the cornerback position.

Honorable mentions:

-Kaden Smith

-Riley Dixon

Could the New York Giants shut down Daniel Jones for the rest of 2019?

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New York Giants, Daniel Jones

With the Miami Dolphins proving to be just a roadblock and nothing more against an inspired New York Giants team, they will push forward against the Washington Redskins in week 16. The release of Janoris Jenkins seemed to motivate the young rookies who were battling for playing time.

There’s no question head coach Pat Shurmur told both DeAndre Baker and Sam Beal to go out and earn the No. 1 corner position, as they both played well. Beal recorded 11 combined tackles with eight solos, and also came up big with a tackle in the endzone resulting in a safety.

Baker, on the other hand, had two pass breakups and 11 total tackles. Despite their success, Dolphins’ DeVante Parker finished the day with 72 yards and two scores, displaying the youthfulness of the Giants’ secondary. However, while the defense is littered with rookies, veteran passer Eli Manning remained under center for the second-consecutive week.

Should the New York Giants play it safe with Daniel Jones?

One could make the argument that the Giants should sit rookie passer Daniel Jones for the remainder of the season, considering his mild high ankle sprain and the success Manning has had through two weeks (not including the three INTs against Miami).

Risking further damage to Jones’ ankle might force the Giants to stick with the two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback for the remaining two games of the season, and it makes sense if his injury isn’t healed to a point where there’s no pain present. If Jones is still feeling discomfort, they should not push him to play, especially with the amount of time he’s had to develop and gain essential film.

Jones was never expected to become the consistent starter this season, and earning 11 week’s worth of experience and film will give him a great foundation to build off of. He’s already racked up three 4-score games in his young career, a number that should spur optimism moving forward.

New York Giants: It’s Unknown Territory For The Secondary

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New York Giants, Janoris Jenkins

The New York Giants secondary could be in for a long year in 2020 – they came into the league as one of the youngest, following an offseason where the Giants drafted DeAndre Baker, Corey Ballentine, and Julian Love in addition to getting Sam Beal back from various injuries which had kept him from making his NFL debut during his rookie season. Eli Apple and Landon Collins are gone and Janoris Jenkins was supposed to be the veteran leader to help show these players the ropes.

Jenkins is now off the team after his outspokenness caught up to him, although his most recent controversy isn’t the only reason why he was waived. Jenkins had been on the trading block the whole season up until the trade deadline – many believed that Jenkins getting traded might as well be a done deal, even though nothing came of it in the end with the Leonard Williams deal being the only one made by the Giants around the time of deadline day.

The player had been the subject of speculation since even last year. He didn’t help himself by highlighting his own statistics despite the terrible record of the team and the fact that the Giants haven’t been able to get wins during his best individual performances. Now that the differences between the two sides grew to be too great and Jenkins was released, however, the Giants are left without something they desperately need – a leader for the young secondary.

“Rabbit was more like a coach than just a teammate. He didn’t have to stand there and coach me up as a rookie at practice. He didn’t have to tell me to sit by him at meetings, but he did,” Sam Beal told the New York Daily News. “He made me come over in the meeting room and sit by him just because he’d coach me up.”

He said that Jenkins being released was tough for him.

“Even this offseason I’m gonna try to get with him and figure out where he’s working so he can keep coaching me up.”

Beal isn’t the only member of the secondary that might suddenly find themselves without a leader – DeAndre Baker has been criticized a lot for his play this season but will be under even more pressure now that Jenkins won’t be playing opposite of him. It used to be clear that Jenkins was the number one cornerback and Baker was the number two. The arrangement, however, may as well have been scrapped completely.

The breakup between Jenkins and the Giants had to happen, but don’t think that the secondary will start improving just yet – the departure of Jenkins without getting anything in return, which could have happened if the Giants traded Jenkins at the deadline rather than waiting for things to break down further, has simply made the secondary a bigger need than it was before.

There’s a lot of raw younger players in that position group and only one question left at this point: who will be brought in to lead them?