scott simonson

New York Giants release TE Scott Simonson to start free agency

February 24, 2020 by Alexander Wilson

New York Giants, Scott Simonson, Rhett Ellison

While the New York Giants sit happily with $61 million in cap space, a bevy of cuts will ensue in the coming days to open up more space. An anticipated $80-85 million in available salary will put the Giants in a good place this free agency period, allowing them to pursue some of the best talents on the market.

To start free agency, Big Blue released tight end, Scott Simonson, who was more of a reserve option in recent seasons. After suffering a high ankle sprain during pre-season play in 2019, he failed to make an impact on the season, resulting in his departure.

The Giants will save just $331K in cap space by releasing him.

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 get huge offensive boost against Chicago Bears

November 24, 2019 by Alexander Wilson

The New York Giants have battled injuries on both sides of the ball this season, with essential players missing ample time with individual ailments. Rookie linebacker Ryan Connelly suffered a torn ACL in week four against the Washington Redskins in the waning moments, and wide receiver Sterling Shepard has suffered two concussions this season, forcing him out for multiple games.

While Connelly is out for the remainder of the year, Shepard has teased the injury report numerous times with full-participation statuses, despite not making it to the active roster on game-day. However, the BYE week did the Giants’ top receiver well, giving him enough time to heal correctly from concussion symptoms and practice fully for the entire week.

Shepard will finally be activated against the Bears, giving the Giants their best pass-catcher back and rookie quarterback Daniel Jones an essential weapon. Shepard’s return doesn’t come without bad news, though, as starting right end Evan Engram will miss Sunday’s game, along with backup, Rhett Ellison.

Engram’s inability to remain healthy has plagued his career, as he’s already missed time this season. A mid-foot sprain is the latest culprit, suffered in week ten against the Jets. Engram did state he was ahead of schedule in his 2-4 week timetable for return, but he did not practice this week.

In his absence, Scott Simonson, who was recently re-signed to the team, will get the start. Simonson suffered an ugly ankle sprain during the pre-season, which justified his release from the Giants, but the slew of injuries at the position gave them a reason to bring him back.

Having already been familiar with the offense, Simonson should slot right in as the primary tight end. He’s a capable blocker and pass-catcher.

The New York Giants need Daniel Jones to build a rapport with Sterling Shepard:

Shepard and Jones haven’t spent much time together on the field. In his three games active with Jones under center, he has recorded 195 yards and one score on a 70.4% catch-success rate (pro-football-reference). His chemistry with Jones is essential for the Giants’ offense to operate at a high level, especially considering Shepard’s ability to create separation, something the wide receivers have struggled with this season.

Getting him on the field and catching passes from Jones will only benefit the offense in the long-run.

New York Giants news, 11/24 – 3 keys to beating the Chicago Bears

November 24, 2019 by Alexander Wilson

Good Morning, New York Giants Fans!

Overcoming the Chicago Bears will be a challenge for the New York Giants, especially considering their inability to beat teams like the Jets, who were arguably worse before week 10. The Jets were coming off a disappointing loss to the winless Miami Dolphins, and the Giants were expected to perform better than they subsequently did.

The Bears represent a far more significant challenge, despite quarterback Mitchell Trubisky’s struggles this season.

Here are the three keys to beating the Bears in week 12:

1.) The offensive line

The front five for the Giants has been decimated with poor play the past few weeks, and against the Jets, they were without center Jon Halapio, right tackle Mike Remmers, and left tackle Nate Solder left the game early with a concussion. This week, they will gain back both tackles, which should open up the door for a better run game and more time for Daniel Jones in the pocket. However, even when the line was healthy, they were still playing poorly.

Khalil Mack will line up opposite the Giants offensive line this Sunday, which will be bad news for Jones. They must step up and show they can play as a cohesive unit for the sake of their rookie quarterback.

2.) The pass-rushers

Only Markus Golden has shown any support in the pass-rushing department, as he’s logged 6.5 sacks and 15 QB hits this season. Putting Trubisky under pressure is a priority, so we should expect an array of blitzes from defensive coordinator James Bettcher. However, the outside linebacker must come to play against Chicago, or their offense will find its rhythm, similar to the Minnesota Vikings, who were stalling before pummeling the Giants defense.

3.) The tight ends

With Evan Engram and Rhett Ellison both scheduled to miss week 12, the Giants were forced to bring back Scott Simonson, who was cut after suffering a high ankle sprain during preseason.

Simonson is a capable blocker and pass-catcher, but he doesn’t have the elite speed Engram does to open up the middle of the field. We can expect him to garner a good percentage of offensive snaps and play a significant role in the run game, but his average skill-set will be the most he has to offer. I expect the Giants to work around him and focus on both Sterling Shepard, who’s returning from concussions symptoms, and Golden Tate.

Nonetheless–

Your top news of the day:

Paul Schwartz – Why Giants aren’t pushing the DeAndre Baker panic button

Anthony Rivardo – New York Giants: Can Darius Slayton Develop Into A No. 1 Receiver?

Matt Lombardo – Golden Tate creating explosiveness in new ways for Odell Beckam-less Giants

Mike Lupica – It’s just wrong for the Giants to be this bad for this long

Matt Citak – Giants vs. Bears Preview: 10 Things to Watch

New York Giants: Five Players Who Will Be Hard To Release

August 29, 2019 by Christian Morell

In 2018 the New York Giants turned over so much of their roster they didn’t have many difficult decisions to make. Fast-forward one year and there are some very tough decisions now that the roster is improving under new GM Dave Gettleman. Here are 5 players who would be very tough to say goodbye to:

BJ Goodson

The inside linebacker hasn’t been super impressive in his career, now going into his fourth season. While he’s left a lot to be desired he’s a step above the available inside linebackers on the market. BJ Goodson will most likely be picked up by another team quickly, but he hasn’t out-produced his in-house competition in Tae Davis and Ryan Connelly.

If the team doesn’t plan on keeping four inside linebackers, which is a tall task, they will be forced to release BJ Goodson. Keeping an extra inside linebacker would be a luxury for a team who has uncertainty at the position but the team most likely won’t have room for luxuries.

Scott Simonson

Scott Simonson has been a blocking specialist for the Oakland Raiders, Carolina Panthers, and most recently, the New York Giants in 2018. Before last year he caught 1 pass in his first 3 years but caught 9 passes from Eli in 2018. He proved to be a functional pass catcher when given the opportunity, along with adequate blocking ability, but the team has plenty of depth at this position.

Evan Engram and Rhett Ellison are a lock to make the team, leaving one more spot for a tight end. Simonson faces tough competition in Garrett Dickerson and CJ Conrad who have both looked more impressive than Simonson throughout training camp. There’s a chance the coaching staff feels differently about his summer performance and keeps Simonson, but if they do move on from him, it will not be an easy decision.

Bennie Fowler

This may surprise some people since Bennie Fowler has been running with the first-team throughout the summer. While that’s true, guys like Sterling Shepard, Golden Tate, and Darius Slayton have all missed significant amounts of practices. Fowler suited up for the New York Giants for 10 games last year, but the team has a ton of depth at this position going into 2019.

Not to say the position has improved overall without you know who, but the depth of the position looks much stronger compared to last year. Fowler started his career as a Denver Bronco and was a backup receiver for the team. He never broke 400 receiving yards and his average yardage per reception never even reached 9 yards.

One of the major knocks on Fowler is the dropped passes which have been an issue here an there this summer. Fowler’s combination of size and speed is impressive but there are too many sure-handed receivers to pick from on the roster to trust Fowler going into a new season.

Brittan Golden

Brittan Golden was injured for most of the training camp but his recent performance should make the coaching staff take a 2nd look at him. After seeming destined to be axed this Saturday, he took the field against the Bengals and returned a punt 68 yards for a touchdown. That’s a skill the team has been seeking for a long time. But for Golden to make the roster, the team would need to be willing to designate an entire roster spot to a return specialist.

Golden did catch a nice pass from Daniel Jones about 30 yards down the field, but the top three receiving spots have been decided already. He would also have guys like Darius Slayton, Russell Shepard, and Alonzo Russell to compete with for targets. Golden probably got healthy too late in the summer to make a name for himself. If Jabrill Peppers is gassed after playing defense more often than not and Golden Tate’s age starts to dull his explosiveness, the team might wonder what could’ve been with the potential return specialist.

TJ Jones

Another wide receiver who has flashed throughout the preseason will probably be sent packing on Saturday. TJ Jones was added to the team after camp already started, but he’s done well enough to possibly carve out a spot on the roster. The problem is, he’s not the only one.

One of the deepest positions on the roster is at wide receiver and there’s a handful who have guaranteed spots. Sterling Shepard, Golden Tate, Cody Latimer, and Darius Slayton will all be on the team. Only leaving 2 more spots for guys like Russell Shepard, Alonzo Russell, Bennie Fowler, Brittan Golden, and TJ Jones.

The team is very likely to keep Russell Shepard, giving the team 3 receivers who are primarily slot-receivers. This would make it hard to keep a fourth slot-receiver in TJ jones instead of an outside receiver. While he has the talent to stick on rosters around the league, the Giants have no shortage of slot-receiver talent.

This coming Saturday is oftentimes a coach’s most dreaded weekend of the year. Sometimes they have to send valuable players packing for one reason or another. The Giants have a few positions where they will need to shed adequate depth which isn’t easy to do. While it’s not always easy, it’ll be much harder to do than last year, indicating improvement of the team overall.

New York Giants: Tight end unit may take an interesting turn this offseason

July 11, 2019July 10, 2019 by Alexander Wilson

The New York Giants have plenty of talent at the tight end position, so much so, they’re likely to cut at least one player to address other positions of need.

Having Evan Engram, Rhett Ellison, Scott Simonson, and rookie CJ Conrad at tight end is rather unnecessary. All of them serve a different purpose, while Conrad is the only true dual-threat (potentially). Ellison is capable of catching passes and holding value in that sense, but he’s a primary blocker that serves mainly a single purpose.

I’m really intrigued by Conrad and what he has to offer coming out of Kentucky. He’s a big body in the run game and can be an impact player in the passing game — I believe he will steal starting time away from Ellison and Simonson.

Ellison is my cut candidate from the group as he holds the biggest cap hit and is seemingly becoming less of a necessity as the Giants add youth to the position. Counting $5.75 million against the cap, Rhett also has a $2.5 million dead cap hit, so the team would save $2.75 million if they cut him, a nice chunk of change that could make a difference at a weaker spot.

How will the tight ends factor in for the New York Giants offense?

Engram, a primary receiver, will be a frequent flyer on the offense as per usual. His consistent injuries pose a problem and I’m convinced he will miss more time during the season as he’s currently dealing with a hamstring issue. His injuries will give options like Simonson and Conrad more time to develop and play with the first team.

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Again, I see Conrad making an impact this season after earning 318 receiving yards and three touchdowns in 2018. He was Kentucky’s primary threat through the air but opposing defenses allocated a ton of resources towards limiting his production. He was one of two players to earn reps with the first team this offseason, Darius Slayton being the other.

The Giants could use a good amount of two tight-end sets this season, as head coach Pat Shurmur will look to cause confusion in the defensive secondary and unpredictability with receivers out of the slot. It will be interesting to see how the offense operates without Odell Beckham Jr.

New York Giants News, 6/27 – CJ Conrad can surprise us all

June 27, 2019 by Alexander Wilson

Good Morning, New York Giants Fans!

If there’s any player capable of surprising us all, it’s Kentucky tight end CJ Conrad. The undrafted player was unable to participate at the combine due to a heart ailment that was previously undiagnosed. However, he passed physical tests and is able to play at the NFL level.

The Giants might have secured a steal with the versatile tight end, given his size and speed off the line of scrimmage. He was one of two players, the other being Darius Slayton, to earn first-team reps during mini-camp OTAs.

While his size is certainly exciting, it’s his offensive capabilities that have been excited. He was one of Kentucky’s top targets in 2018, hauling in 30 passes for 318 yards and three scores. He has the skill-set to be a fantastic red-zone target and potentially steal playing time away from Scott Simonson. He could also prove to be the catalyst in the cutting of Rhett Ellison if he continues to show improvement this offseason.

Conrad is a player to keep your eye on as he’s a very talented athlete with plenty of potential. I would love to see him earn playing time in 2019 and showcase his abilities with the first team. Eli Manning could use a tight end that can do it all, it’s been awhile.

Nonetheless–

Your Giants top news of the day!

Dan Benton (Giants Wire) – Giants have found stability, are on the upswing

Paul Schwartz (New York Post) – The huge concerns surrounding the Giants’ linebacker corps

Anthony Rivardo (Empire Sports Media) – New York Giants: Can Ryan Connelly Steal Playing Time At Linebacker?

Dan Schneier (247 Sports) – Contrary to popular belief, analytics has shaped the 2019 Giants

Matt Lombardo (NJ.com) – Giants WRs insist ‘vibe’ hasn’t changed without Odell Beckham Jr.

Check out the best news from yesterday!

New York Giants News, 6/26 – Ereck Flowers finally helping the Giants

New York Giants tight end Scott Simonson fighting for his life

June 14, 2019 by Alexander Wilson

The tight end position has a ton of positional quality for the New York Giants, but will they keep all of them?

With Evan Engram sitting out with a hamstring injury, a song sang all too frequently, the other tight ends on the team have reaped the benefits.

Undrafted rookie CJ Conrad has made a big splash since joining the team several weeks ago, but one of the quieter options on the unit, Scott Simonson, has made his fair share of impressive plays.

The Giants’ final practice of four OTAs closed out with Simonson showing his worth in the passing game. He was resigned this year to a one year, $895K deal.

New York Giants close up OTAs–

On Thursday, he kicked off the final practice with a tough touchdown catch at the goal line, with rookie quarterback Daniel Jones threading the needle. He placed the ball only where Simonson could make the grab, a quality throw from the Giants’ future signal caller.

Several players later the pair connected again for a big gain on the left side of the field. The development of chemistry between Jones and the starting players is essential, especially if he’s to take over in 2020.

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The one thing I like about the fifth-year tight end is his ability to play in the run and passing game. He’s a quality blocker that can stand tall and fend off edge rushers to allow Saquon Barkley to break into the open field. I anticipate head coach Pat Shurmur utilizing him in a similar fashion this upcoming season, as he gathered nine receptions for 86-yards and a score. He played in all 16 games, starting in just four of them.

That’s an indicator of his usage in the run game and what he’s capable of on the line of scrimmage. The Giants could use a lot of two-tight-end sets on the offense, as they have multiple players at the position with all different qualities. However, cutting Simonson would only cost the team $90K in dead-cap, so it’s safe to say he’s fighting for a place on the team this offseason.

New York Giants gained a steal of a tight end in C.J. Conrad

May 26, 2019 by Alexander Wilson

The New York Giants signed Kentucky tight end C.J. Conrad as an undrafted free agent.

Some believed that Kentucky tight end C.J. Conrad was one of the top seven tight ends in the NFL Draft, expected to be taken in the first five rounds. However, the New York Giants grabbed him as an undrafted free agent later in the process and may have gained a steal at a position where they have plenty of depth.

The Giants feature Evan Engram, a primary pass-catching tight end, Rhett Ellison, a premium blocker, and Scott Simonson, a dual option that can equally block and catch passes. A solid blend of alternatives opens up the offense for quarterback Eli Manning and head coach Pat Shurmur. Ellison and Simonson played integral roles in 2018 helping Saquon Barkley break 2,000 all-purpose yards.

Why did CJ Conrad fall out of the draft?

During the NFL Combine Conrad was diagnosed with a heart ailment during his pre-combine medical examines. This reality hurt his stock significantly, but it didn’t take him out of contention for the NFL and he’s preparing to show why he’s more than capable of success.

Conrad sacrificed plenty of personal gain by playing with a young Wildcats offensive line last season. Although, he caught 30 passes for 318 yards and three scores. He will act as a developmental prospect for the Giants early on in his career, but there’s hope he can blossom into something more. He has a solid frame to aid his growth – 6’4″, 248-pounds.

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How will the New York Giants utilize Conrad?

Being an elite blocker should earn him some minimal playing time to get a sense of where he’s at in terms of production and value on the field as a rookie. With three solid players in line before him, there’s little evidence that points towards playing time, but I imagine Shurmur will want to see all of his rookies play in limited roles at the very least.

In addition to his tangible traits, Conrad is also a leader and positive voice in the locker room. He’s extremely intelligent and will bring that new sense of success-driven culture the Giants are so keen on adopting. An instinctual player with heightened athleticism and a knack for being a good all-around person, the perfect fit for the Giants.