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Evan Neal a Forgotten Man? | New York Giants News Briefs

Evan Neal has dressed for two games but has not played a snap.

Patricia Traina

Aug 24, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants offensive tackle Evan Neal (73) after the game at MetLife Stadium.
Aug 24, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants offensive tackle Evan Neal (73) after the game at MetLife Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
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SEPT. 20: EVAN NEAL A FORGOTTEN MAN. First, it was losing his starting right tackle job in the summer to veteran Jermaine Eluemunor. More recently–and lost in the shuggle of last week’s loss to the Washington commanders–New York Giants offensive tackle Evan Neal has lost his spot on special teams.

Neal, the Giants’ first-round pick in 2022, has twice now dressed for games but has not seen the field, this after getting some preseason work on the Giants' PAT and field goal teams. Instead, the team has turned to Joshua Ezeudu for that role.

This week, special teams coordinator Michael Ghobrial was asked about this decision to by-pass Neal, who played 21 snaps on special teams in the preseason, for a role.

“We train multiple players at different positions. Evan (Neal) is certainly a guy who can play all those positions, but certainly so is (Joshua) Ezeudu. We're going to put out what we feel is going to give us the best chance to be able to connect on these kicks with our best 11 (men).”

It’s been a rough road for Neal, the seventh overall pick in the 2022 draft. Injuries and a lack of consistency have derailed what was hoped to be a promising career, leaving his future with the team in doubt. 

Offensive line coach Carmen Bricillo was asked about Neal’s progress and if there might be a role for him as an extra blocker.  

“Evan definitely excels in run blocking, and he's doing a good job of working himself back into this mix and getting the rust off,” Bricillo said. 

“It's been a long hiatus in those injuries, and he's doing a good job. Given an opportunity, I'm sure he'll be able to help us.” 

SEPT. 18: ELI MANNING ONE STEP CLOSER TO PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME -- Retired New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning was among one of 167 modern-era players nominated for the Class of 2025, and one of 16 among those in their first year of eligibility

The two-time Super Bowl MVP ranks in the top 10 in career passing yards, completions and touchdown passes. He is one of seven other Giants who made the cut, including running back Tiki Barber, tight end Jeremy Shockey, guard Chris Snee, defensive end Justin Tuck, linebacker Jessie Armstead, and punters Jeff Feagles and Sean Landeta.

The next step for Manning and the rest of the legacy Giants will be to make the cut to 50, as selected by a Screening Committee, the results of which will be announced in mid-October.

After that, the full 50-person Hall of Fame Selection Committee will reduce the list of 50 to 25 semifinalists. Then, the list will be reduced to 15 finalists from whom the Class of 2025 will be selected.

SEPT. 17: GIANTS-COWBOYS TRADE A DONE DEAL. The New York Giants trade made toward the end of training camp that sent defensive lineman Jordan Phillips and a 2026 seventh-round draft pick to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for the Cowboys’ 2026 sixth-round pick is now official.

The trade was based on Phillips's being on the Cowboys’ 46-man roster for two games. With that condition being met, the rare trade between division rivals is in the books. 

Sept. 15: GIANTS WEEK 2 INACTIVE LIST-- The New York Giants have scratched offensive lineman Jake Kubas, outside linebacker Boogie Basham, and safety Anthony Johnson for this week’s game against the Washington Commanders.

Tommy DeVito will be the emergency quarterback. Cornerback Nick McCloud (knee) and inside linebacker Darius Muasau (knee), who were scratched on Friday.

Cornerback Cor’dale Flott will get the start at cornerbak opposite Deonte Banks. McCloud made the start there last week, but he’s inactive today due to a knee injury.

Washington's inactives are cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr., safety Darrick Forrest, linebacker Dominque Hampton, defensive end Jamin Davis, guard Chris Paul, and receiver Jamison Crowder. Sam Hartman is the emergency quarterback.

Sept. 14: TWO GIANTS FINED FROM WEEK 1--The NFL fined New York Giants cornrback Adoree' Jackson $9,804 for unnecessary roughness on a play occuring with 1:09 remaining in last Sunday’s secnd quarter loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

Rookie LB Darius Muasau was also fined $4,696 for a hip-drop tackle in the third quarter of that game, a play that wasn't flagged by the officials.

Sept. 11: BARKLEY EARNS NFC OFFENSIVE POTW--As if New York Giants co-owner John Mara doesn’t have enough worries with his own team’s issues to cause sleepless nights, now comes word that running back Saquon Barkley, now with the Philadelphia Eagles, has been named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his three-touchdown performance in the Eagles’ Week 1 regular-season win against the Green Bay Packers in Brazil.

Mara, who on the Hard Knocks series famously told general manager Joe Schoen that he would have trouble sleeping at night if Barkley were to sign with the Eagles in free agency, has likely been having some restless nights even before this news hit after seeing the Giants, on the day in which they honored the franchise’s 100 best players at halftime, lay an egg against the Minnesota Vikings. 

That performance raised even more questions about the long-term future of quarterback Daniel Jones, who in his first game back from a torn ACL since Week 9 of last year, picked up where he left off in terms of shoddy play. Jones threw two interceptions, including a Pick-6, and finished 22 of 42 for 186 yards, taking five sacks, three of which a case could be made he walked himself into.

Head coach Brian Daboll is sticking with Jones for the team’s upcoming game against the Washington Commanders, but clearly if Jones continues to flop his way through games, the team is going to have to decide sooner than later whether to stay with him or move on to backup Drew Lock.

Sept. 10: GIANTS TWEAK PRACTICE SQUAD—The New York Giants dropped offensive tackle Marcellus Johnson from their practice squad and replaced him with interior offensive lineman Cade Mays.

Mays, 6-6 and 325 pounds was originally a sixth-round pick by the Panthers in the 2022 draft (pick 199) out of Tennessee. He appeared in 11 games with two starts as a rookie.

Last season, Mays appeared in 16 games with five starts for the Panthers. He was with Carolina this summer but was part of their final roster cuts to get down to the 53-man limit on August 28,2024.

Sept. 10: GIANTS LEGENDS REVEAL THOUGHTS ABOUT SUNDAY'S EMBARRASSING LOSS TO VIKINGS—The New York Giants might be on to Washington. Still, the stench of their 28-6 opening game loss to the Minnesota Vikings on a day in which the franchise’s all-time legends were being honored still resonated strongly with the legacy players.

The New York Giants might be on to Washington. Still, the stench of their 28-6 opening game loss to the Minnesota Vikings that took place on a day in which the franchise’s all-time legends were being honored still seemed to resonate strongly with the legacy players.

Former linebacker Carl Banks, who was among the 100 legends honored at halftime during Sunday’s debacle, shared part of his conversation with the great hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor, voted the No. 1 overall best player in franchise history, as the Giants were getting walloped by the Vikings en route to an embarrassing 28-6 loss.

Banks spoke of how Taylor, known to legions of Giants fans by his initials “LT” doesn’t watch many football games these days, but he was horrified by what he saw in the first half of the Giants’ Week 1 game.

“He looked at me–and this is a true story, folks–if you wanna know what we were thinking at halftime,” Banks said. “He looked at me and he said, ‘Carl, I can pick 22 of us right now and go out and play better than these guys.’ And the youngest guy in that line was probably 50 years old.”

Banks. A member of the Giants broadcast team, is a two-time Super Bowl champion (XXI and XXV), a first-team All-Pro (1987) a Pro Bowler (19870 and a member of the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team. 

Banks has never been shy about sharing his opinions on what he sees from the current group of players, and at times has been flat-out blunt with his perspectives. 

He was at a loss for words over the product that the Giants put out there on the field Sunday.

“To start your season looking the way you did..when you’re playing a team in your weight class and they look like they took the next step and you’re still stuck in 2023…” he said, shaking his head in disbelief. 

The Giants get a chance to make things right on Sunday against the Washington Commanders, a team they have had success against over the last five years.

Sept. 8: GUNNER OLSZEWSKI SUFFERS SETBACK IN PRE-GAME WARMUPS. New York Giants punt returner Gunner Olszewski, who has been slowed down this summer due to a groin injury, suffered a setback during pre-game warmups and was declared out of Sunday’s regular-season opener against the Minnesota Vikings.

The Giants didn’t announce who will replace Olszewski as punt returner, but among the candidates are cornerback Adoree’ Jackson, receiver Darius Slayton, and receiver Wan’Dale Robinson. Jackson is the most likely candidate to get the role.

Sept. 6: JAKOB JOHNSON RELEASED FROM PRACTICE SQUAD. Fullback/tight end Jakob Johnson is probably starting to feel like a human yo-yo when it comes to his tenure with the New York Giants.

Johnson was released from the team's practice squad to make room for the signing of inside linebacker Carter Coughlin, who was dropped from the 53-man roster on Thursday.

Johnson, originally signed by the Giants on August 16, did not make the initial 53 man roster when cuts were announced on August 27, but he was one of the vested veterans added to the team's practice squad the next day.

Then on August 29, he was promoted to the 53-man roster after offensive lineman Austin Schlottman landed on injured reserve with a broken leg. Schlottman's stay on the roster was short-lived as his contract was terminated two days later, on August 31. 

He was then re-signed to the practice squad on September 2, lasting just four days until the latest transaction.

The Giants have been engaging in roster gymnastics this week so it's certainly possible that Johnson will be back at some point.

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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