Four Giants Vets Who Sit on the Bubble

These four vets really need to pull out the stops if they're to survive the final cutdown date.

As we enter the third and final week of the preseason, there are many questions about who will be on the initial Giants 53-man roster.

Among the decisions to be made will be some involving familiar names of guys who contributed in years past but who now face being pushed off the roster by new and/or up-and-coming talent

Giants head coach Brian Daboll has a pretty good idea of who will make his very first roster as a head coach, but some spots are still up for grabs.

“Are there certain players that you know will be on the team? Sure," he said this week.

"But I think a lot of the other spots--and I’m not giving you specific spots--there’s certainly a lot of competition out here that we’re interested to see here this next week with our guys.”

There are some intriguing battles at receiver where you could really see several combinations emerge after the final cuts, including a receiver being added from another team.

We know for certain that Kenny Golladay, Kadarius Toney, WanDale Robinson, and Sterling Shepard will make up most of this unit.

At running back, age and special teams ability might be the deciding factor in which players stick after cutdowns.

Here is a look at four veterans who can help themselves with big performances in the preseason finale against the Jets on Sunday.

WR Darius Slayton

The fourth-year receiver has to be concerned that he might be on the outside looking in. If you look at his performance last season, he has not done much to prove that the problem left with the old regime.

Slayton is in the final year of his rookie contract, and the Giants can save $2.5 million by cutting him. That kind of money would go a long way for a cap-strapped team who may need offensive line or linebacker help with recent injuries.

Slayton is battling it out with receivers who offer similar skill sets, many of whom contribute on special teams, which he does not. For all of the goodwill that Slayton built as a rookie, it might not be enough to save him if they deem him expendable.

OLB Quincy Roche

Roche has not performed terribly this summer, but he is at a position where this new regime has believed they have upgraded through free agency and the draft.

There are only so many spots for outside linebackers, and one such spot is likely going to Cam Brown, a long and athletic special teams core member.

Oshane Ximines has also performed well on special teams and as a third-round pick, so the team may not be ready to move on from his potential yet. This puts Roch in a vulnerable place as he's been buried behind Ximines, Brown, and newcomer Jihad Ward.

WR/Returner C.J. Board

Board has not been bad, but he did fumble a return this preseason. The biggest issue for Board is that rookie free agent Jashaun Corbin seems capable of assuming some return duties and adding dynamics as a third running back.

Richie James can perform as a returner, but he also has proven that he could be a viable option as a fourth receiver in an offense, especially as a guy who can back up Wan'Dale Robinson and Kadarius Toney.

Board could end up as the easiest to say goodbye to while saving a few bucks they would use to grab some guys off the waiver wire once teams start trimming players.

RB Gary Brightwell

Brightwell has not been bad, but the signing of Matt Brieda has dramatically slanted this competition because fans have not seen him perform in game action. Antonio Williams and Jashaun Corbin have both had opportunities to showcase abilities during preseason games.

Brightwell only played in the first game, and when you factor in that both Breida and Williams are familiar with this offense from their time in Buffalo and Corbin's ability to be a special teams returner, it makes the ice Brightwell is skating on pretty thin.

The deciding factor may be if the Giants believe that Brightwell can be a bigger special teams factor than Corbin.

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