Giants Notes: Gano, Jackson, Ryan, Workouts
Graham Gano is underway in his fourth Giants campaign. His play so far this season (3-for-5 on field goal tries) has not lived up to his previous success, but past performances led to an extension before the campaign began.
Further details on the 36-year-old’s deal are in, courtesy of The Athletic’s Dan Duggan. Gano received a $5MM signing bonus, and his base salaries this season ($1.25MM) and next ($3.1MM) are guaranteed in full. He will also see a $2MM roster bonus in 2024, which is guaranteed at signing. Gano’s cap hit fell to $4.3MM in 2023, meaning it created a bit of breathing space for this season. His cap charges will rise to $7.2MM in 2024, then $5.8MM and $5.7MM the two years after that. The team is banking on continued high-level play deep into Gano’s career given their latest investment in him.
Here are some other Giants notes:
- Cornerback Adoree’ Jackson has seen plenty of time in the slot this season, following through on the Giants’ plans of moving him inside to allow rookies Deonte Banks and Tre Hawkins to log starting roles on the perimeter right away. That alignment was foreshadowed in the summer, but it was not something thought of exclusively in 2023. The Giants first considered playing Jackson as their nickel corner last year, as detailed by Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post, but that plan had to be scrapped due to his knee injury. The 28-year-old’s play on the inside will go a long way in determining his free agent value in the spring, since he is playing out the final year of his contract.
- A resolution has emerged in the Logan Ryan injury grievance, which was filed last April. The veteran defensive back contested the $3MM which was guaranteed for injury in his 2022 compensation should have been paid out owing to his postseason finger surgery. He ultimately received $2.7MM of that total, Duggan notes. The Giants carried a cap charge of $1.2MM last season with the case remaining unresolved at the time; they will be on the hook for $1.5MM in 2023.
- New York hosted a group of wideouts on free agent visits recently, and return specialist Andre Roberts was among them, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. The 35-year-old spent last season in Carolina, making three appearances. His limited time has no doubt hindered the three-time Pro Bowler’s ability to find a new home for what would be a 13th season played in the NFL. Fifth-round rookie Eric Gray has handled both kick and punt return duties for the Giants so far, recording 16 yards on his lone kick return and eight yards per runback on punts.
- In addition to Roberts, the Giants brought in James Proche for an audition, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. The former sixth-rounder was among the Ravens’ final roster cuts after spending his first three seasons with the team. Proche found himself as the odd man out of Baltimore’s new-look receiving corps, leaving him in search of a new opportunity. He has also worked out for the Jets, but as is the case with his Giants visit, that endeavor has yet to produce a contract offer.
Saquon Barkley Suffers Ankle Sprain; Giants RB Facing Multi-Week Absence
SEPTEMBER 21: While previous reports indicated the contrary, Barkley confirmed tonight that he did indeed suffer a high ankle sprain, per Thursday Night Football’s Taylor Rooks (h/t Pat Leonard of New York Daily News).
The running back admitted that his injury isn’t as serious as it could have been, and he said that his absence from tonight’s game was more due to pain tolerance. Barkley also pointed out that New York’s next game is in 11 days, so he’ll have some extra time to get right before Week 4. While Barkley wouldn’t guarantee only a one-game absence, it certainly sounds like he’s leaving that door open.
SEPTEMBER 20: Although Brian Daboll stopped short of ruling out Barkley earlier this week, the Giants have done so Wednesday. Barkley will at least miss one 49ers game, but Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com confirms the sixth-year veteran is not battling a high ankle sprain. That stands to shorten his time away.
The Giants will also be without Andrew Thomas for a second straight game, and left guard Ben Bredeson‘s concussion will keep him out of Big Blue’s Thursday-night tilt. Outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari will also be down for the Giants.
SEPTEMBER 18: Saquon Barkley was sidelined for the final offensive play of the Giants’ Week 2 comeback victory, and it was feared after the game he would be dealing with a serious ankle injury. The worst-case scenario has been avoided, but he is nevertheless set to miss time. 
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that an MRI revealed an “ordinary” ankle sprain for the Pro Bowl back. As a result, Barkley is expected to miss roughly three weeks. At a minimum, that will keep him sidelined for the team’s upcoming Thursday night contest against the 49ers.
Barkley played all but one snap in New York’s surprise win against the Cardinals, proving his importance to the team’s offense. Given his heavy workload, replacing him will be a tall order for the Giants as they look to rebound from the struggles suffered in the first six quarters of their season. That task will fall to Matt Breida, Gary Brightwell and Eric Gray.
After initially representing the team’s higher priority with respect to a long-term extension, Barkley saw quarterback Daniel Jones ink a four-year, $160MM pact in March. That allowed the Giants to use the franchise tag on the former No. 2 pick, though extension talks continued through to the deadline for players hit with the one-year tender. No deal materialized, with Barkley turning down offers which increased in AAV at the expense of guarantees.
In the end, a training camp holdout was avoided with the parties agreeing to a small incentive package which allows Barkley’s 2023 compensation to max out at $11MM. Individual statistical performances, along with team success, is required for his earnings to reach the maximum value, though, so any missed time is signficant from a financial outlook.
With Barkley unavailable for the time being, the Giants’ ground game will look much different. He leads the team in rushing yards with 114, putting him slightly ahead of Jones. Breida and Brightwell have combined for 19 yards on four carries, but an increased role for at least one of them will be necessary moving forward. An IR stint for Barkley is unlikely given his recovery timeline, but New York will no doubt proceed with caution with the 26-year-old given his status as an offensive focal point.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/21/23
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Chicago Bears
- Re-signed: QB Nathan Peterman
Houston Texans
- Signed to active roster: DE Derek Rivers
Minnesota Vikings
- Placed on IR: WR Jalen Nailor
New Orleans Saints
- Signed to active roster: LB Ty Summers
New York Giants
- Promoted from practice squad: OL Jaylon Thomas, OLB Oshane Ximines
San Francisco 49ers
- Released: CB Anthony Brown
- Promoted from practice squad: WR Chris Conley, CB Shemar Jean-Charles
The Bears released Peterman on Wednesday, but Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times notes the team was planning to use the roster spot to poach a player off a another team’s practice squad. Chicago’s effort did not produce a signing, however, leaving Peterman’s spot vacant. When a team makes an effort to sign a player off another club’s P-squad, the team can promote the player to its 53-man roster to keep him from being poached. The seventh-year QB, who is in his second season with the Bears, again give the team three active-roster QBs — along with Justin Fields and rookie Tyson Bagent.
Giants Audition G Justin Pugh
Justin Pugh said recently he was interested in rejoining the Giants. Issues along New York’s offensive line now have the team looking into a reunion.
The Giants brought in Pugh for a workout Wednesday, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Since they are stationed in Arizona after their Cardinals matchup — due to the Thursday assignment in San Francisco — Pugh made for a logical workout, as the five-year Cardinals guard still lives in Arizona.
Pugh, 33, last played for the Giants in 2017, closing out a five-year tenure with the team. The Giants drafted Pugh in the 2013 first round but let him walk during the 2018 free agency period, when he signed with the Cardinals. Working as a full-time guard starter in Arizona, Pugh saw his on-field run in the desert end after an October 2022 ACL tear. The Syracuse alum has been cleared and said he had been in talks with a handful of teams last month. The 10-year veteran has made 119 career starts.
Big Blue declared left guard Ben Bredeson out due to a concussion he suffered against the Cardinals on Sunday. The Giants had benched veteran right guard Mark Glowinski prior to the Bredeson injury, inserting the untested Marcus McKethan into the lineup. The Bredeson setback led to Glowinski returning. The Giants will face the 49ers without Bredeson or left tackle Andrew Thomas, who will miss a second straight game due to a hamstring injury.
Pugh played both tackle and guard while in New York, settling in as an inside blocker toward the end of his tenure with the team. The Cardinals gave Pugh a five-year, $44.8MM deal in 2018. After helping the Cardinals snap a playoff drought in 2021, Pugh considered retirement. But he returned for the final year of his contract last season. That campaign ended after five games.
The Giants held a lengthy three-way guard battle in camp, pitting Glowinski, Bredeson and Joshua Ezeudu against each other for the two starting spots. With the likes of Nick Gates and Shane Lemieux out of the picture, the Giants went with Bredeson opposite Glowinski. But Bredeson suffering a concussion during a game in which the team benched Glowinski — a 2022 free agency addition — does not paint the picture of stability up front for the team. Ezeudu, a 2022 third-round pick the team expected to win one of the guard jobs, replaced Thomas at left tackle in Week 2.
NFL Injury Updates: Burrow, Richardson, Barkley, Thomas
Bengals fans have been plenty frustrated with the team’s return on investment from quarterback Joe Burrow‘s record-breaking extension. Through two games, Burrow has averaged 152 yards per game while throwing two touchdowns and an interception. People were concerned about the calf injury that forced him out of practice early in training camp this summer and how it would affect him as the season began. Burrow has pointed to that injury as a big reason for some of his early struggles, according to Jay Morrison of Pro Football Network.
Morrison noted that Burrow spoke “with a level of concern” after today’s game when addressing his right calf. He claimed to have tweaked his calf in today’s loss to the Ravens. Not only did he consider it a factor today, and likely last week, but he also thought there was a chance that it could end up being a tight rope that he is forced to walk for the remainder of the season.
It’s not difficult to see that the Burrow we’ve seen so far this year has been far from what we’re used to seeing in recent years. It will be interesting to see how the Bengals move forward with the handling of Burrow’s calf. Pushing him too hard could result in an extended absence, while a short reprieve of a week or two could help him get on top of a recovery that seems to be troubling him. There’s a lot of season left to go, and the Bengals will be keeping a close eye on Burrow in the days and weeks to come.
Here are a few other updates from around the NFL:
- Colts rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson got off to a hot start in the second game of his NFL career, rushing for two touchdowns early in today’s divisional matchup with the Texans. Richardson had to exit the game in the first half, though, after sustaining a concussion that would hold him out for the remainder of the contest. Richardson was replaced by backup quarterback Gardner Minshew, who helped secure the team’s first win of the season. Richardson will need to go through concussion protocols in order to return to the field. This season, the protocols for return take about five days to get through, meaning Richardson absolutely has a chance to return for Week 3 if he can pass the necessary tests. If not, Minshew will continue to play in relief.
- Giants running back Saquon Barkley was injured in the final two minutes of today’s win over the Cardinals. He was obviously kept out of the remainder of the game but was visibly upset on the sideline while surrounded by trainers. They taped Barkley’s ankle, but he continued to walk with a significant limp. According to Jordan Raanan of ESPN, an x-ray was performed after the game, while Barkley was still experiencing some swelling and discomfort. It has now been reported as a sprained ankle, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, meaning New York may have dodged a giant bullet, forgive the pun. While this bodes well for Barkley’s season-long prospects, the short week will not be his friend. Expect the Giants to exercise caution and, barring a miracle recovery, hold Barkley out for their Thursday night matchup against the 49ers. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Barkley will undergo an MRI tomorrow in order to determine the severity of the injury and gain an idea of just how much time he may miss.
- Joining Richardson above, Commanders tight end Logan Thomas left the team’s win over the Broncos today with a concussion that he sustained after getting clobbered over the middle by Denver safety Kareem Jackson. Jackson was ejected for the hit. Backup tight ends John Bates and Cole Turner both got significant run in Thomas’ absence and will continue to do so if he isn’t able to return next week.
- Bears wide receiver Darnell Mooney (knee), Cowboys right guard Zack Martin (ankle), and Ravens wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (ankle) all sustained injuries today that kept them out of their respective games. Reports from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Jane Slater and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tell us that none of these injuries are considered serious.
Giants Did Not Look Into High-Priced FA Guards; LT Andrew Thomas Out For Week 2
SEPTEMBER 17: Thomas is indeed inactive for Sunday’s game, as the Giants will play it safe with their blindside blocker. An improved performance compared to Week 1 will be needed up front for New York, but their O-line will be shorthanded against the Cardinals.
SEPTEMBER 14: First- or second-round picks are stationed at both tackle spots and center along the Giants’ offensive line, but middling guard investments join the Andrew Thomas–Evan Neal–John Michael Schmitz trio. Against the Cowboys, the Giants’ O-line plan did not hold up.
Dallas’ top-tier pass rush sacked Daniel Jones seven times and tallied 15 quarterback hits in the 40-0 drubbing Sunday night. ESPN’s pass block win rate metric graded both Neal and right guard Mark Glowinski in the bottom three at their respective positions in Week 1, ESPN’s Jordan Raanan notes.
The team used Glowinski and Ben Bredeson as its guard starters. This came after a lengthy competition, one that featured 2022 third-round pick Joshua Ezeudu vying for a role. The Giants expected Ezeudu to beat out Bredeson, a 2021 trade acquisition, for the left guard job, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post notes. This optimism helped influence the Giants to not pursue a notable free agency guard addition. The team had been mentioned as interested in retaining Nick Gates, but the Commanders signed him and deployed the ex-Giants starter at center in Week 1.
The Giants preferred to devote funds to retaining their own talent this offseason, giving Jones, Thomas and Dexter Lawrence pricey extensions. Saquon Barkley‘s $10.1MM franchise tag also limited how Big Blue could devote its free agency dollars. The team had also given Glowinski a three-year, $18.3MM deal ($11.4MM guaranteed) in 2022. Despite Pro Football Focus rating Glowinski as a top-30 guard last year, the Giants held a three-way guard battle in training camp. The 31-year-old blocker kept his RG gig but enters Week 2 under a microscope after his showing against the Cowboys.
Outside options do exist at guard for the Giants. Justin Pugh, who began his career with the team and started at guard and tackle following a 2013 first-round investment, has expressed interest in rejoining the team. Pugh, 33, is coming off a torn ACL sustained in October of last year. The five-year Cardinals starter said he was eyeing a Giants return in August, though the Syracuse alum has not been closely tied to a team since he received clearance to resume football work.
Oddly, Dalton Risner also remains a free agent. The four-year Broncos starter entered free agency as, at worst, a second-tier option at guard. But he did not sign anywhere and took the surprising path of remaining unattached entering the year. A handful of teams showed interest in Risner, who may well be waiting for an injury to shake up a team’s O-line plans. The 28-year-old blocker probably qualifies as the top option available.
Elsewhere on New York’s O-line, Thomas is battling a strained hamstring. An MRI revealed the All-Pro left tackle avoided a serious setback, per Raanan, but it is possible he misses some time. Injured after the Giants’ botched field goal attempt that resulted in a Cowboys TD, Thomas did not practice Wednesday. This offseason, the Giants gave the 2020 first-rounder a five-year, $117.5MM deal that sits second among tackles.
Matt Peart, a 2020 third-round pick, sits as the Giants’ swing tackle, though Schwartz adds Ezeudu has taken LT reps in practice over the past two weeks. Ezeudu spent time at tackle while at North Carolina. Moving to left tackle after failing to win a starting guard job in his second training camp might make be a stretch. Peart has not made a start since 2021; the UConn alum has six career starts.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/16/23
Today’s callups and adjustments heading into Week 2:
Atlanta Falcons
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Godwin Igwebuike, LB Andre Smith
Baltimore Ravens
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Melvin Gordon, C Sam Mustipher
Chicago Bears
- Promoted from practice squad: T Aviante Collins
Dallas Cowboys
- Promoted from practice squad: CB C.J. Goodwin, C Brock Hoffman
Detroit Lions
- Signed to active roster: CB Chase Lucas
- Promoted from practice squad: G Kayode Awosika
- Placed on IR: CB Khalil Dorsey, DE Josh Paschal
Green Bay Packers
- Promoted from practice squad: S Innis Gaines, RB Patrick Taylor
Houston Texans
- Signed to active roster: G Michael Deiter
- Promoted from practice squad: T Austin Deculus, S DeAndre Houston-Carson
- Waived: DE Derek Rivers
Indianapolis Colts
- Promoted from practice squad: G Arlington Hambright, WR Juwann Winfree
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Placed on IR: CB Gregory Junior
Kansas City Chiefs
- Activated: DT Chris Jones (story)
- Promoted from practice squad: DT Matt Dickerson, RB La’Mical Perine
- Waived: CB Darius Rush
Las Vegas Raiders
- Promoted from practice squad: DE Isaac Rochell
Los Angeles Rams
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Royce Freeman, WR Austin Trammell
Miami Dolphins
- Signed to active roster: DT Da’Shawn Hand
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Cameron Goode, DE Chase Winovich
- Waived: S Verone McKinley III
New England Patriots
- Promoted from practice squad: LB Calvin Munson, WR Jalen Reagor
New York Giants
- Promoted from practice squad: RB Taiwan Jones, OLB Oshane Ximines
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Artie Burns, LB Jon Rhattigan
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Promoted from practice squad: DT Pat O’Connor, LB J.J. Russell
Tennessee Titans
- Promoted from practice squad: CB Eric Garror, DT Kyle Peko
NFC Restructures: Armstead, Lawrence, Okereke
As if they needed to, the 49ers made moves yesterday to increase their already NFL-leading unused salary cap space up to $42.29MM in 2023 (Overthecap.com). This time, San Francisco addressed the contract of defensive tackle Arik Armstead, according to Field Yates of ESPN.
The 49ers came to an agreement with Armstead, who’s currently playing on a five-year, $85MM contract, to convert $14.72MM of his 2023 base salary into a signing bonus while adding an additional void year to the end of his current deal. The moved resulted in $11.78MM becoming available in cap space for the 2023 season.
We mentioned yesterday that the additional cap space for the 49ers could have multiple uses that benefit the team. The obvious immediate benefit is that San Francisco should have plenty of flexibility around the trade deadline to make any necessary additions.
If second-year quarterback Brock Purdy decides to continue adding to his flawless regular season record and the team deems that no additions are necessary, the 49ers will be able to roll over unused cap space into 2024, when they’re projected to be $40MM over the salary cap. They’ll likely still make additions or adjustments in the offseason that will make it a closer call but having over $42MM of cap space to play with is insanely valuable.
Here are a couple of other restructures from another 2022 NFC playoff squad:
- Shortly after rewarding defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence with a four-year, $87.5MM contract extension, the Giants have restructured his new deal for a bit of maneuverability in the team’s cap space, according to Jordan Raanan of ESPN. Lawrence’s 2023 base salary of $2.25MM was reduced down to $1.08MM with the difference of $1.17MM being converted into a signing bonus. This is a standard move at the start of the year to help create a bit of flexibility in the team’s salary cap.
- New York also adjusted the contract of new linebacker Bobby Okereke, according to Raanan. Okereke’s 2023 base salary of $1.9MM was also reduced to $1.08MM with the $820K-difference being converted into a signing bonus. Along with Lawrence’s above restructure, the team was reportedly able to clear up about $1.55MM of cap space for 2023.
2023 Offseason In Review Series
Quarterback acquisitions generated top headlines this offseason, while the slew of developments affecting the running back market moved that position’s value to a precarious point. On that note, our latest Offseason In Review series is in the books. Here are the PFR staff’s looks at how teams assembled their 2023 rosters:
AFC East
AFC North
AFC South
AFC West
NFC East
NFC North
NFC South
NFC West
NFL Injury Updates: Armstead, Andrews, Waller, Okudah, Moss
The Dolphins are expected to be productive on offense with a healthy Tua Tagovailoa under center, but protection for him up front will be critical to his success. Miami will be shorthanded up front to begin the campaign.
Left tackle Terron Armstead is out for the Dolphins’ opener against the Chargers, as noted by NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe. The four-time Pro Bowler is dealing with back, knee and ankle injuries and has not practiced since August 16. He was carted off the field that day, which represented a setback from his ongoing recovery from offseason knee surgery.
Armstead, 32, expressed optimism that he would be healthy in time for Week 1 before suffering the new injuries last month. His absence will be sorely missed given his importance to the team as a high-end blocker when available, and the five-year, $75MM pact he signed with the Dolphins last offseason. Wolfe notes that veteran Kendall Lamm is expected to get the nod in place of Armstead.
Here are some other injury updates in advance of Sunday’s action:
- The focal point of the Ravens‘ new-look passing game will likely not be in action tomorrow. Tight end Mark Andrews was listed as questionable on the team’s final injury report, but he is not expected to play against the Texans, reports NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. The three-time Pro Bowler has been dealing with a quad injury recently, but he practiced on a limited basis each day this week. If he does indeed miss the contest, Baltimore will turn to 2022 draftees Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar at the TE spot, while leaning on a revamped receiver room which added Odell Beckham Jr. and first-round rookie Zay Flowers in the offseason.
- Darren Waller‘s Giants debut may be delayed. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the 30-year-old is dealing with a hamstring injury, and his availability for Monday night against the Cowboys is in question. Waller is no stranger to hamstring issues, and they caused signficant missed time during his Raiders tenure. Upon being traded to New York, he received an opportunity to serve as the team’s top pass-catcher, so any absence would deal a blow to the Giants’ offense. 2022 fourth-rounder Daniel Bellinger would take on an increased role at the TE spot if Waller were unable to play.
- Cornerback Jeff Okudah has been ruled out by the Falcons, Wolfe notes. The former No. 3 pick had a disappointing run in Detroit which included a number of significant injuries, one of which was a 2021 Achilles tear. Plenty is at stake for him in Atlanta, as he is entering the final year of his rookie contract. Okudah, 24, suffered a leg injury last month and his recovery was not expected to last deep into the start of the regular season. Free agent signing Tre Flowers could step into a starting role opposite A.J. Terrell against the Panthers on Sunday.
- Colts running back Zack Moss was downgraded to doubtful by a team announcement on Saturday. He is recovering from a broken arm, and it was always in the air whether or not he would recover in time to play Week 1. Of course, the absence of the former Bills draftee will compound the fact that Jonathan Taylor is on the PUP list to begin the season, meaning he will be sidelined for at least four weeks. Plenty of rushing responsibility will likely fall to former UDFA Deon Jackson and 2021 Rams seventh-rounder Jake Funk in quarterback Anthony Richardson‘s NFL debut.