A 2018 second-round pick has inked a non-guaranteed futures contract. The Giants announced today that they’ve inked defensive end Breeland Speaks to a reserve/futures deal.
Speaks was selected by the Chiefs with the 46th-overall pick in the 2018 draft. The Ole Miss product had a solid rookie campaign, appearing in all 16 games (with four starts) while collecting 24 tackles, three tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and one forced fumble. Speaks also appeared in a pair of playoff games during his rookie season, compiling a pair of tackles.
He missed the 2019 season due to a knee injury, and while sitting on IR, he was suspended four games after violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy. Speaks was reinstated late during the 2019 campaign and landed back on IR, and he ultimately won a ring after the Chiefs defeated the 49ers in Super Bowl LIV.
Speaks was waived at the end of the 2020 preseason, and he jumped around the NFL a bit during the regular season. Following a stint with the Raiders practice squad in October, the 25-year-old ended the season on the Cowboys’ taxi squad.
Speaks will sit on the Giants’ 90-man offseason roster with a non-guaranteed deal, and the pact guarantees that he won’t be scooped up by another squad. Teams are only allowed to use reserve/futures deals on players who weren’t on an active roster at the end of the 2020 regular season.
Article mistakingly says he was drafted by the Giants, should be the Chiefs.
he is indeed speaking in the header image.