Giants Morning Run: What You Need to Know

A look at some of the developing Giants headlines to start your week off.

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Good morning Giants fans. Here are a few things you need to know after the long weekend off from Giants football.

Report: Giants Set to Re-sign WR Bennie Fowler

Although the Giants are projected to be getting several of their skill position players back this week, one guy they're unlikely to have for a while is receiver Sterling Shepard (concussion).

With there no clarity on when--or if--Shepard, how in the concussion protocol for the second time this season, will return to action, the Giants are reportedly bringing back Bennie Fowler, who was one of two roster moves made by the team a couple of weeks ago (receiver TJ Jones being the other) when they had to make room for receiver Golden Tate and linebacker Josiah Tauaefa.

Fowler appeared in four games with two starts for the Giants this season and caught 12 passes for 99 yards.

Saquon Barkley Returning Soon?

That's what the Giants' star running back is hoping for, though how soon remains to be seen.

The good news is that Barkley has shown himself to be a fast healer. Two weeks ago, he was running and changing direction, and last week he was even able to take some limited practice reps during a session that was said to be held at partial speed.

Barkley was injured int he Week 3 win over the Bucs, and reports initially projected that he'd miss anywhere from four to eight weeks.

If he is cleared to return this Sunday against the Cardinals, even if it's for a partial workload of game snaps, Barkley will have missed just three weeks with his injury.

Sam Beal Eligible to Begin Practicing

Second-year cornerback Sam Beal, who was placed on injured reserve at the start of the year, is eligible to practice starting this week. The Giants will then have two weeks to assess whether Beal is healthy enough to be returned from the injured reserve list.

Beal, who has missed large chunks of his first two years in the NFL due to injury, told me two weeks ago that he was feeling ready to go and was hoping to convince the coaches and medical staff that he's over the hamstring injury that not only cost him most of the summer but which also landed him on IR.

With some of the Giants cornerbacks still having their share of struggles, it would be interesting to see if the coaching staff sees Beal, their third-round pick in the 2018 supplemental draft, as an option even though he's missed such large chunks of time.