The Giants brought in defensive tackle Barry Cofield for a workout this week, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). A nine-year veteran, Cofield has been on the free agent market since being released by Washington back in February.
Cofield, who started his career with the Giants, suffered his first major injury in 2014, as he missed about half the season after an ankle injury forced him onto the injured reserve list with the designation to return. While the defensive lineman returned to action for Washington in November, he only started three of eight games for the season, marking the first time since 2007 that he appeared in a game he didn’t start.
Based on various reports over the last several months, it’s hard to know exactly how healthy Cofield is now. In July, he told SiriusXM NFL Radio that he was healthy and waiting for a call, but a report a week later suggested he’d be ready to go in another four to six weeks. A September report indicated the 31-year-old would likely sign with a contending team in October, when he fully recovered from offseason hip surgery. Cofield has since worked out for the Colts, and now the Giants, so presumably he’s ready to return at this point.
In addition to trying out Cofield, the Giants also auditioned English rugby star Tom Burgess today as a tight end, tweets Adam Schefter of ESPN.com. While we’ve seen Jarryd Hayne open the door for rugby players to earn spots on NFL rosters, Burgess will almost certainly have to wait for an offseason deal, if New York – or another team – wants to add him.