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New York Giants Finalize Practice Squad

The Giants practice squad is set for now.

Patricia Traina

New York Giants Finalize Practice Squad
New York Giants Finalize Practice Squad /
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The excitement of learning the New York Giants' 53-man roster is over, but now comes the really fun part.

The 53-man roster set on Tuesday will change as waiver wire claims are awarded, and players are moved on and off the 53-man roster to other lists such as injured reserve, the practice squad, etc.

Of particular interest will be the 16-man practice squad. Most of the players that will land on this all-important unit will be players who were with the Giants this summer. There will also be a few new faces sprinkled in as well.

Practice squad players can be elevated to the game-day roster three times before being subject to waivers. The minimum weekly salary for practice squad players (which counts against the salary cap) is $12K for players with less than two seasons of accrued experience and between $16.1K and $20K for those with more than two years of experience.  

Here is the complete Giants 16-man practice squad.

Practice Squad 

DL Ryder Anderson: Anderson missed most of the summer with a triceps injury, but he wasn't waived/injured, which was a positive sign. The coaching staff spoke highly of Anderson, who added bulk to better hold up in the trenches. Being on the practice squad should help him continue adjusting to his new girth and refining his technique.

QB Tommy DeVito: With DeVito having gone unclaimed, he will get a chance to continue his fine summer showing on the Giants practice squad, where perhaps as soon as next year, the New Jersey native will get an opportunity to compete for the backup quarterback spot behind starter Daniel Jones if he continues to progress.

ILB Dyontae Johnson: Johnson quietly had a nice camp but was swept up in the numbers when Isaiah Simmons arrived. Johnson is a physical linebacker who showed himself capable of holding his ground and creating piles. He'll bide his time on the practice squad for the time being.

S Alex Cook: Cook might not have elite speed, but his run-defense instincts are second to none. He took a slew of smart angles and finished well in his tackle attempts, finishing second on the defense this summer with 13 tackles, one behind team leader Gervarrius Owens. Cook got lost in the numbers shuffle, but there is something there with which to work.

TE Ryan Jones: Jones flashed as a tight end this summer, but with the team only keeping three, he'll head to the practice squad to continue his transformation to the position.

ILB Darrian Beavers: Beavers was a surprise cut by the team, a move that might have been due in part to the arrival of Isaiah Simmons. That said, SBeavers is still coming back from a torn ACL, an injury that can take some guys as long as two years to fully recover from, so he'll get that chance while sitting on the practice squad.

WR Dennis Houston: Houston, 6-foot-1 and 198 pounds,  signed with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2022 out of Western Illinois. He appeared in two games last season for the Cowboys, catching two of six pass targets for 16 yards.  

DB Kaleb Hayes: Hayes, 5-foot-11 and 194 pounds, was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Jaguars out of BYU. Hayes, who also played part of his college career at Oregon State, displayed 4.31 speed and a 40-inch vertical at his pro day workout and is a good athlete who was a quarterback in high school. He recorded 26 pass breakups over his collegiate career but did not haul in an interception.

OT Jaylon Thomas: Thomas, 6-foot-5 and 311 pounds, was signed as an undrafted free agent out of SMU by the Ravens. At SMU, he was a full-time starter and has experience playing all five offensive line positions from games played last year. As a sophomore and junior, he primarily played left tackle. As a freshman, he played at right tackle. 

Practice Squad - Veteran

OLB Oshane Ximines: Ximines's spot on the 53-man roster was doomed when the team added Boogie Basham. It didn't help his cause that he had issues against the run, but he'll get a chance to continue working on his game.

WR Cole Beasley: Beasley has been slowed this summer by a leg injury, but he'll get a chance to hang around as insurance if Wan'Dale Robinson isn't ready to start the season or if there is an injury to any of the slot receivers.

DB Amani Oruwariye: Oruwariye was given a fresh start with the Giants after fizzling in Detroit. But the veteran's summer was far from impressive. He played so far off the ball in coverage that he was a non-factor. His saving grace is that he's a decent enough tackler when he's not diving at guys' ankles. Still, the Giants seem intent on letting him revitalize his career.

RB Taiwan Jones: Jones, 35 years old, is a former fourth-round pick by the Raiders in the 2011 draft who spent the 2017-2018 and 2020-2022 seasons with Buffalo. He's played in 137 career games (no starts) and has 223 rushing yards on 53 carries.

Practice Squad Exception

A player who receives this designation is someone who has no more than two years of total service time, regardless if they were active on gameday for more than nine games in either of their first two years on the team. 

OLB Tomon Fox: Fox, who made the 53-man roster last year as an undrafted free agent last year, saw his snaps decrease down the stretch. But he still has some intriguing potential to give as an outside linebacker, even though he was swept up in the numbers game.  

OL Jalen Mayfield: Mayfield, 6-foot-5 and 320 pounds, is an interior offensive lineman who has played left guard and both tackle spots for the Falcons. In 2021, he appeared in 16 games with 16 starts, all at left guard.

TE Tyree Jackson: Jackson, who spent the summer with the Eagles, is a former quarterback transitioning to the tight end position. Jackson, who spent the 2019 off-season with Buffalo, began transitioning to tight end from quarterback with the Eagles in 2021. Jackson played in nine games for Philadelphia in 2021 with three starts and caught three out of seven pass targets for 22 yards and one touchdown. Jackson is a solid athlete with good size (6-foot-7, 249 pounds), speed and hands. 

Other Transactions

The Giants terminated the practice squad contracts of DB Gemon Green and OT Tyre Phillips. They also waived cornerback Zyon Gilbert with an injury settlement.

Waiver Wire Moves

The Giants were not awarded any waiver claims, though it's unclear if they put in any claims. Also, none of the Giants who were cut were claimed by other teams.

Field Yates of ESPN reported that the Giants did put a waiver claim in for former Bills guard Nick Broeker, who was awarded to the Texans after also being claimed by the  Cardinals, Titans, and Giants.

Former Giants on the Move

Published
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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