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Ex-Giant Corner Nick McCloud Lands with 49ers | News Briefs

The Giants cut McCloud after refusing a pay cut.

Patricia Traina

Jul 25, 2024; East Rutherford, NY, USA; New York Giants cornerback Nick McCloud (44) participates in a drill during training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center.
Jul 25, 2024; East Rutherford, NY, USA; New York Giants cornerback Nick McCloud (44) participates in a drill during training camp at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. / Lucas Boland-Imagn Images
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NOV. 11: EX-GIANTS CORNERBACK NICK MCCLOUD LANDS WITH 49ERS. Cornerback/special teams ace Nick McCloud, who was cut by the Giants last week after he refused to accept a pay cut, is signing with the 49ers practice squad.  

McCloud was with the Giants since 2022 as a reserve corner and special teams core staple, where he developed into one of their solid gunners. He appeared in 38 games with 16 starts for the Giants and recorded 85 tackles and one interception.

On defense, McCloud was versatile enough to play both outside corner and inside the slot. This past summer, he competed with Cor’Dale Flott for the starting cornerback spot opposite Deonte Banks.

The Giants signed the 26-year-old McCloud to an original RFA tender worth $2.97 million. The Giants, wrestling with cap issues again this season, approached McCloud to take a pay cut, but he refused and was let go by the team. This move didn’t go over well with a few teammates in the locker room.

NOV. 9: GIANTS ACTIVATE K GRAHAM GANO. The New York Giants have activated kicker Graham Gano from injured reserve following a seven-week absence due to a strained hamstring suffered in Week 2 against the Washington Commanders on the opening kickoff.

Gano's 21-day window opened this week, hoping he would be ready by Sunday. During his absence, the Giants had Greg Joseph (now on IR with an abdominal strain) and rookie Jude McAtamney handle the place-kicking duties.

The two kickers combined with 14 of 17 field goals made (82.3%) and 2 of 2 on PATs during Gano’s absence.

The Giants also made two standard practice squad elevations: receiver Isaiah Hodgins, who will provide depth at receiver with Darius Slayton (concussion) having been ruled out, and linebacker Curtis Bolton, who will work on special teams where the Giants, after cutting Nick McCloud and with linebacker Matt Adams ailing, will give them some depth.

This is Hodgins’s third elevation front on the practice squad this season. He was activated for Week 5 against Seattle and Week 6 against the Bengals, the latter against whom he caught his lone pass target for five yards.

This is Bolton's first practice squad elevation. Bolton is a 6-0 228-pound linebacker in his fourth NFL season and on his third NFL team (Detroit and Las Vegas are the other two).

The moves also mean that punter Jamie Gillan, who has been sidelined with a hamstring strain to his kick leg, will be available to punt on Sunday. Matt Haack, who had been on the roster while Gillan rehabbed his injury, was added to the Giants’ practice squad this week.

NOV. 6: GIANTS SIGN OL BRYAN HUDSON TO PRACTICE SQUAD. The New York Giants have signed offensive lineman Bryan Hudson to their practice squad.

Hudson, 6-5 and 305 pounds, originally signed as an undrafted free agent with the Detroit Lions after completing his college career at Louisville, where he played for three seasons after spending his first two at Virginia Tech. 

He played the majority of his college snaps (2,696) at center, but also gained experience at right guard (715 snaps) and left guard (21 snaps).

After landing with Detroit, Hudson played 114 snaps at center this past summer, including 35 against the Giants in the Lions’ Week 1 preseason game. He allowed two pressures and zero sacks in his preseason snaps with Detroit but was still unable to crack into their lineup, given the depth the Lions had at the position.

Hudson, who is the third undrafted rookie offensive lineman signed by the Giants to the practice squad this week, was most recently on the Patriots practice squad.

NOV. 5. GIANTS TERMINATE P MATT HAACK’S CONTRACT. The New York Giants have terminated punter Matt Haack's contract. 

The 30-year-old Haack was signed on October 12 after Jamie Gillan developed a late-week hamstring injury. In four games, Haack punted 21 times for 988 yards, a 47.0 gross average, with a net average of 39.0. He also had one touchback and put nine kicks inside the 20-yard line.

He also served as the holder on place-kicks during his short stint with the Giants.

Haack’s removal from the roster means that Gillan is, as head coach Brian Daboll said on Monday might be the case, ready to return to his punting duties. Gillan was never placed on injured reserve by the Giants, so the team doesn’t have to open a window on him.

Next. No Deal. No Deal! Giants Stand Pat at 2024 NFL Trade Deadline. dark

NOV. 4: QB DANIEL JONES REMAINS GIANTS' STARTER. New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, part of a team that is 2-7 after nine games and that is stuck in a four-game losing streak, will remain the starting quarterback for the team’s Week 10 game against the Carolina Panthers in Munich, Germany this weekend, head coach Brian Daboll confirmed on Monday.

Jones, per Pro Football Focus, recorded a season-high 91.5 overall grade in the 27-22 loss to the Washington Commanders. He also completed a season high 76.9% of his pass attempts (20-of-26), threw for two touchdowns for the fourth time this season, and had an average depth of target (ADOT) of 10.3, also a season high.

In addition to his contributions in the passing game, Jones put his toughness on display during a fourth-quarter touchdown run in which his 2-yard score made it a 24-16 game at the time, the ensuing 2-point conversion failing. 

Questions regarding Jones’s future continue to intensify with each loss the team racks up, mainly due to the $23 million injury guarantee that Jones has in his contract next year. Jones will be guaranteed $12 million of his $30 million base salary if he is on the roster as of March 15; if he is unable to pass a physical, that number jumps up to $23 million, which would be a hefty amount for the team to swallow if it plans to move on from Jones in the off-season.

Jones, who is in a make-or-break campaign, has had an up-and-down season where at times he’s played just fine and then at others, he’s failed to step up and make the plays that an upper echelon quarterback needs to make on a consistent basis, such as what was the case in the team’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers last Monday.

But there are on-going concerns given Jones’s injury history, which has included two neck injuries over a three-year period (the first of which ended his season early) and the torn ACL that ended his season early last year. 

That plus Jones’s penchant for showing off his toughness whenever he can and the fact that the Giants’ 2024 season has all but slid down the drain have sharply divided opinion as to when (if at all) the Giants should bench Jones for the rest of the season to avoid further risk of triggering that injury guarantee.

Jones is set to count for $41.605 million against the cap next season if he remains on the roster and if the team doesn’t adjust his contract to gain more space.

OCT. 30: GIANTS SIGN OT GARRET GREENFIELD TO PRACTICE SQUAD. The Giants have signed offensive tackle Garret Greenfied to their practice squad. Greenfield fills the opening that became available when the team cut former seventh-round draft pick Gervarrius Owens from the practice squad on Tuesday.

Greenfield originally signed with Seattle as an undrafted rookie free agent out of South Dakota State. While in college, he participated in two FCS National Championships (2022 and 2023) and was named a three-time first-team FCS All-American and a First-team All-MVFC.

Greenfield, 6-7 and 320 pounds, played 1,809 career snaps at left tackle and 1,450 at right tackle for the Jackrabbits. During his six-season college career, he allowed eight sacks as part of the 62 pressures surrendered for a 97.6 pass-blocking efficiency rating.  

In other practice squad moves, the Giants signed offensive lineman Marcellus Johnson to the practice squad and released fullback Jakob Johnson from the practice squad. Johnson was with the Giants practice squad earlier in the year, but was let go.

Jakob Johnson is expected to be back after some additional shuffling.

OCT. 29: GIANTS CUT 2023 DRAFT PICK FROM PRACTICE SQUAD. Per the daily league transaction wire, the New York Giants cut safety Gervarrius Owens from their practice squad.

Owens was a seventh-round draft pick in 2023 out of the University of Houston. The 6-0, 200-pound defensive back appeared in three games last season, all on special teams, where he played in 37 snaps.

Owens was in camp this past summer, but a knee injury cut into his practice reps. He was cut from the 90-man training camp roster on August 29.

OCT. 25: CB DEONTE BANKS WILL NOT BE BENCHED. On Friday, New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll told reporters he doesn’t intend to bench second-year cornerback Deonte Banks for even a part of Monday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Banks has come under fire of late for his lackadaisical play this season. He was first called out by Giants passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach Jerome Henderson for his lack of a full effort against Cowboys receiver CeeDee Lamb on a 55-yard touchdown reception.

Then last week against the Eagles, there were at least two instances where Banks turned into a spectator rather than an aggressor on a play, the most notable of one being on a long third-down scramble by Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts that went for a first down and drew a visibly ticked off Henderson down the Giants sideline to chew out the young defender.

The Giants’ injury report lists three corners – Adoree Jackson, Cor’Dale Flott, and Tre Hawkins–with ailments. Jackson missed last week with a neck issue. Flott, who is dealing with a groin injury, is a longshot of being ready, and Hawkins, who has an ankle issue, will likely be questionable for Monday night.

Without mentioning Banks by name, Giants defensive lineman and team co-captain Dexter Lawrence II told reporters on Thursday that a lack of effort on every play won’t be tolerated and that the veterans had addressed the matter.

Defensive coordinator Shane Bowen also expressed disappointment in Banks's effort.

"We expect these guys every snap to play full speed to the tackle. Making sure they're running the ball and doing all those things. That's the expectation," he said Friday.

"That's the standard we want to have here across the board. Something we got to continue to coach. We've addressed it as a coaching staff and with the unit and everybody else. Hopefully, moving forward, we can continue to see some progress and some growth in that regard from all our guys, too."

OCT. 24: GIANTS SIGN OLB BOOGIE BASHAM TO PRACTICE SQUAD. The New York Giants signed outside linebacker Boogie Basham to their practice squad on Thursday.

Basham had been waived on Wednesday to make room for the team’s signing of defensive lineman Armon Watts, who had been on their practice squad. Watts had reportedly drawn interest from another team, and with the Giants apparently not wanting to lose him, they made the move to add him to the 53-man roster at the expense of Basham, who has been a regular name on the weekly inactive list.

Basham was originally a second-round draft pick by the Buffalo Bills in 2021. The Giants acquired him along with Buffao’s 7th-round pick in 2025 in exchange for the Giants’ sixth-round pick in 2025 but never did find a steady role for him.

OCT. 23: GIANTS AGM BRANDON BROWN DELIVERS SPECIAL MESSAGE TO COLORADO BUFFALOES. New York Giants assistant general manager Brandon Brown is looking for new talent for the team. His most recent travels have taken him to Boulder, Colorado, where he was set to scout the Colorado Buffaloes.

Brown, who, per our Colorado Buffaloes On SI colleague Jeff Hauser, was joined by Giants Director of Player Personnel Tim McDonald and one other unidentified Giants scout, delivered a pep talk to the student-athletes

Brown shared some insight into what NFL executives prioritize during the draft process and conveyed to the players how they should best approach every aspect of their preparation, noting that scouts see everything, even when it looks like they’re not paying attention.

Brown also shared the nuances that go into scouting beyond practices and games, such as drill work, special teams, how they conduct themselves on and off the field, and how they handle adversity.

According to Reach the People Media, which had a video compilation of Brown’s speech and that of other NFL executives,  "When you think nobody's watching, somebody's watching," Brown said.

"We take inventory of who you are at every step," Brown added, revealing that scouts keep notes on every player from the first time they set foot on campus until they leave.

He concluded his pep talk by urging the players to “never waste a day or a rep.”

The Giants are currently slated to draft ninth in next year’s draft, thanks to their 2-5 record. Barring a turnaround the rest of the way, the Giants seem destined to have their third top-10 draft pick under general manager Joe Schoen in the last four years.

The Giants’ emerging needs are quarterback, receiver, interior defensive line, and cornerback.

Colorado’s quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, has received some pre-draft buzz as a potential top-10 pick who could be one of, if not the first quarterbacks off the board next spring.

Travis Hunter, a two-way player for the Buffaloes at receiver and cornerback, is also projected to be a first-round prospect. 

OCT. 22: GIANTS WAIVE OLB BOOGIE BASHAM. The New York Giants have waived outside linebacker Boogie Basham. Basham was scouted by current Giants general manager Joe Schoen while he was in Buffalo and was a second-round draft pick by the Bills in 2021.

Basham was acquired via trade with the Bills along with Buffao’s 7th-round pick in 2025 in exchange for the Giants’ sixth-round pick in 2025.

Basham never quite seemed to fit in with either defense as run by Wink Martindale and Shane Bowen. Basham appeared in just 14 games for the Giants–one this season–and logged 12 tackles and one pass breakup in that span. 

The Giants filled the open roster spot by signing DT Armon Watts from their practice squad.

OCT. 19: GIANTS ELEVATE TOMON FOX FOR WEEK 7 CLASH WITH EAGLES. The New York Giants have elevated outside linebacker Tomon Fox ahead of Sunda’s Week 7 game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Fo, who is being elevated for the second time, gives the Giants some reinforcement at outside linebacker, with starter Brian Burns (groin) ailing. Burns, who has been dealing with a groin issue since Week 3, is listed as Questionable on the team’s injury report, but it’s expected that he will be able to play against the Eagles. 

Fox was last elevated from the practice squad for the team’s Week 2 game at Washington. He appeared in 19 snaps, all on special teams, and didn’t record any stats. 

OCT. 18: SHANE BOWEN TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR LONG JOE BURROW TD-RUN

New York Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen took full responsibility for making an errant call on quarterback Joe Burrow's 47-yard touchdown run in last week’s loss to the Bengals.

Bowen called for man coverage on the 3rd-and-18 play with the ball spotted at the Giants’ 47-yard line. Cincinnati recognized it and ran their receivers to one side of the field which opened up all sorts of territory for Burrow, operating out of the shotgun, to find daylight and score the game’s opening points. 

When the Giants realized what happened, it was too late for anyone to catch up to Burrow.

“Yeah, I shouldn't have called it. It's on me,” Bowen said on Thursday. “I should have made a better play call there, third and long. Kind of that fringe field goal territory. Tough call. He got ran 47 yards. We didn't catch him before he got to the end zone.”

The Giants would eventually tie the game in the third quarter on a 1-yard touchdown run by Tyrone Tracy, Jr., but that was the extent of the Giatns’ scoring on the night, as Cincinnati took the lead for good with 41 seconds left in the third quarter on a 37-yard field goal by Evan McPherson.

OCT. 17: GIANTS “COULD” ADD VET TACKLE. By all accounts, the New York Giants are pleased with the development of young offensive linemen Joshua Ezeudu, who is expected to fill in for Andrew Thomas at left tackle for the foreseeable future and Evan Neal. But that won’t stop the team from potentially adding another veteran for insurance.

Head coach Brian Daoll told reporters prior to the team’s Thursday practice that the team could potentially add a veteran tackle.

It’s unclear if a signing is imminent or if the Giants have someone in mind, but adding a veteran to the group to fill Thomas’s roster spot would make all kinds of sense if the coaches believe that Evan Neal isn’t fully ready to take snaps on offense after only six weeks of practicing following his return to full health from ankle surgery.

A veteran would give the Giants added insurance in the event that Ezeudu struggles or if there is an injury to either Ezeudu or right tackle Jermaine Eluemunor.

OCT 15: GIANTS SIGN FORMER VIKINGS DRAFT PICK TO PRACTICE SQUAD. The New York Giants signed defensive tackle Armon Watts to their practice squad. Watts, a six-year pro, played his college ball at Arkansas. He was a sixth-round draft pick by the Minnesota Vikings in 2019, where he was groomed by Andre Patterson, currently the Giants defensive line coach.

Watts spent three seasons with the Vikings before moving on to the Bears in 2022 and then splitting last year with the Steelers and the Patriots. He landed on IR late in his rookie season, and then again at the end of training camp this year with the Patriots for an undisclosed injury. He was waived with an injury settlement on October 1.

Watts, 6-5 and 307 pounds, has appeared in 72 career games with 22 starts and has 140 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, 18 quarterback hits, and 8.5 sacks.

New York released cornerback Duke Shelley from its practice squad to create an opening for Watts.

OCT. 10: GIANTS ELEVATE HODGINS, MILLER FROM PRACTICE SQUAD. The New York Giants have elevated running back Dante Miller and receiver Isaiah Hodgins from their practice squad ahead of Sunday’s Week 5 game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Miller and Hodgins were elevated last week and will fill in for running back Devin Singletary (groin) and receiver Malik Nabers (concussion) again this week. Singletary, who had been listed as questionable for Sunday’s game, was downgraded to out.

OCT. 9: PANTHERS POACH IOL CADE MAYS OFF GIANTS PRACTICE SQUAD. The Carolina Panthers signed offensive lineman Cade Mays of the NEw York Giants practice squad earlier this week.

Mays was originally a sixth-round draft pick by the Panthers in the 2022 NFL draft out of Tennessee, where he was for the 2020-21 seasons after beginning his college career at Georgia. 

The 25-year-old Mays appeared in 27 games with seven starts for the Panthers over the 2022-23 seasons. Carolina released him on Aug. 28, 2024, and signed with the Giants practice squad on Sept. 10.

OCT. 8: GIANTS SIGN OLB BENTON WHITLEY TO PRACTICE SQUAD. The New York Giants have signed outside linebacker Benton Whitley to their practice squad. Whitley had been cut from the 53-man roster last week when the Giants activated linebacker Matthew Adams off injured reserve before their Week 5 game against Seattle.

Before being cut from the 53-man roster, Whitley appeared in just two defensive snaps and 42 snaps for the Giants. He didn't record any tackles on either unit.

SEPT. 30: GIANTS WORK OUT QUARTERBACK C.J. BEATHARD. According to NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero, the New York Giants hosted veteran quarterback C.J. Beathard for a workout on Monday.

Beathard, the grandson of longtime NFL general manager Bobby Beathard (Washington and San Diego), is a six-year veteran who spent the first three years of his career with the San Francisco 49ers, who selected him in the third round of the 2017 draft out of Iowa. 

He spent the last three seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He has appeared in 32 games with 13 starts and has completed 340 of 563 pass attempts for 3,886 yards and 19 touchdowns to 14 interceptions.

While Beathard’s workout is sure to raise some eyebrows, it is our understanding that it was just a routine workout to help with working out pass catchers and to determine if there might be further interest on the part of the club to add him to the team’s shortlist of candidates in the event of an emergency or at the end of the year, when the Giants typically sign a slew of free agents to reserve/futures contracts. 

Aaron Wilson also reported that the Giants worked out wide receivers Kearis Jackson, Joseph Ngata, Joseph Scates, Bryan Thompson, and Seth Williams, and defensive backs Lamar Jackson and Greg Stroman.

SEPT. 29: GIANTS, JETS MAKE WRONG KIND OF HISTORY IN WEEK 4. Week 4 of the NFL season wasn’t kind to the New York Giants or the New York Jets. Both teams not only lost their respective games but did so without either offense scoring a touchdown, which is believed to be the first time that has happened to each team at home.

The Giants lost a 20-15 decision to the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday night, their scoring coming thanks to kicker Greg Joseph’s five field goals. 

Meanwhile, the Jets lost a heartbreaker of their own on Sunday to the Denver Broncos by a score of 10-9, their points coming thanks to three field goals by kicker Greg Zuerlein.

The Giants fell to 1-3 on the season, while the Jets fell to 2-2. Next week, both teams will be taking long plane rides for their respective Week 5 games. 

The Giants will head to Seattle for a Week 5 date with the currently undefeated Seahawks, and the Jets will head to London, England, where they will face the red-hot Minnesota, who, with ex-Jets quarterback Sam Darnold at the helm, is 4-0.  

SEPT. 28: DEXTER LAWRENCE II DISPUTES PFF’S ASSESSMENT OF HIS PLAY. New York Giants defensive lineman Dexter Lawrence II wanted to set the record straight about Pro Football Focus's assessment of how his game against Dallas Cowboys center Cooper Beebee went.

According to the popular analytics site, Beebee, a rookie, yielded zero pressures to Lawrence in 22 pass-blocking snaps. 

Ah, but looks can be deceiving. According to NextGen Stats, Lawrence, who finished with two tackles and one quarterback hit against Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, was double-teamed on 20 of his 25 pass rushes (80.0%) on Thursday night, tied for the highest double-team rate in a single game since at least 2018 (min. 25 pass rushes). 

Lawrence is highly regarded around the league as one of the top interior defensive linemen in the league. 

NextGen Stats also noted that Lawrence has generated just one pressure (6.3% pressure rate) when aligned from the zero technique (nose tackle) spot this season after leading the NFL with 24 pressures from such alignments in 2023. 

However, Lawrence also has faced a higher double team rate this season (56%) when aligned as a zero technique compared to last year (44%), a clear sign that opponents’ respect for his play has greatly increased to where they prioritize sending additional resources against him to slow down his pass rush. 

SEPT. 27: MALIK NABERS SAYS HE’S “ALL GOOD.”  New York Giants receiver Malik Nabers gave Giants fans everywhere quite the scare Thursday night when, with 3:30 left in the game, he suffered what was eventually announced as a concussion and was declared out for the remainder of the game.

Afterward, Nabers was seen in the locker room speaking with teammates in what was considered a positive sign. He did not appear to be woozy in any way, though when teammate Brian Burns yelled across the locker room to see how Nabers was, he said at that time he wasn’t okay.

After the game, Nabers offered a more positive update on his condition.

Nabers and the Giants have ten days before their next game, a West Coast trip to Seattle. He will be in of the league’s protocol for the coming week, but there was some early optimism that he would be cleared in time for that next game.

SEPT. 24: RETIRED GIANTS DE OSI UMENYIORA TO RECEIVE SPECIAL CAREER HONOR. The NFL announced that retired New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora will be part of a two-man class inducted into the league’s inaugural London Games Ring of Honor next month.

Umenyiora, who ranked 32nd on the Giants’ Top 100 players in franchise history, is one of two members of the initial class who will be inducted during halftime during the New York Jets-Minnesota Vikings game on October 6 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. He will be joined by retired Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen.

The NFL London Games Ring of Honour ceremony recognizes those who have contributed to the growth and development of football in the U.K. and Ireland, both on and off the field.

Honorees will make brief remarks on-field and will be recognized with banners paying homage to their careers. The banners will be displayed at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium throughout the 2024 NFL London Games, and in future NFL seasons.

The London-born Umenyiora was drafted in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He spent 12 seasons with the Giants and was among the founders of the league’s International Player Pathway (IPP) program. He has also sought to expand the league’s reach for talent in Africa, where he spent part of his childhood in Nigeria.

SEPT. 22: OLB BRIAN BURNS GOOD TO GO FOR WEEK 3 GAME VS. BROWNS. New York Giants outside linebacker Brian Burns is expected to be active for Sunday’s Week 3 game against the Cleveland Browns.

Burns was added to the Giants injury report on Friday after being limited in that practice. He was given a “questionable” injury designation, raising concerns about his availability.

It’s unknown whether Burns’s injury will put him on a pitch count, but his presence in the lineup is a plus, given that the Giants are facing a banged-up Cleveland Browns offensive line.

SEPT. 21: GIANTS DEFENSE CATCHING BREAK VS. BROWNS? If ever there was a week for the New York Giants' defensive pass rush to come alive, it was Week 3.

The Cleveland Browns, who host the Giants on Sunday, will be without offensive tackle Jack Conklin for a third straight week. Conklin, listed as questionable on Friday’s injury report, has been downgraded to “out” for Sunday’s game.

Jedrick Wills, the Browns’ other offensive tackle, remains listed as questionable for Sunday’s game. Wills is dealing with a knee injury.

Outside linebackers Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns are both looking for their first sacks of 2024. 

Through two weeks of play, they have combined for 11 tackles, three quarterback hits, two tackles for a loss, and zero sacks against offenses that have chipped them to slow them down.

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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