Giants Set Initial 53-Man Roster
Most of the headlines concerning the Giants came this summer as the team came to a long-term deal with quarterback Daniel Jones and a short-term solution to satisfy running back Saquon Barkley. Still, the team made the necessary moves today to get towards a 53-man roster. Here are the cuts from today:
Waived:
- DT Ryder Anderson
- DE Habakkuk Baldonado
- LB Darrian Beavers
- S Alex Cook
- RB Jashaun Corbin
- QB Tommy DeVito
- LB Tomon Fox
- CB Gemon Green
- LB Dyontae Johnson
- TE Ryan Jones
- LS Cameron Lyons
- T Tyre Phillips
- WR Kalil Pimpleton
- DT Kobe Smith
- LB Ray Wilborn
Released:
- C Sean Harlow
- WR David Sills
- LB Oshane Ximines
Ximines is potentially the biggest name here. A former third-round pick in 2019, Ximines has failed to live up to his draft stock, only starting nine games during the first four years of his career. He was re-signed on a cheap, one-year deal at the start of free agency, but ultimately, it seems like New York decided to move on.
The sixth-round rookie draft pick Beavers had a strong chance not only at a roster spot but at a starting spot. A torn ACL in the preseason ended any hopes of a starting role as a rookie for Beavers.
On offense, Phillips was a top contender for the swing tackle job after filling in for Evan Neal in four starts at right tackle last year. It appears he lost out on the role to Matt Peart.
Lastly, the undrafted rookie quarterback DeVito did his best over the preseason to earn a roster spot, drawing praise from many of his coaches. Ultimately, he proved unable to convince the Giants to keep a third passer behind Jones and Tyrod Taylor.
Bills To Trade DE Boogie Basham To Giants
9:53am: This move will indeed lead to Ximines being released. The Giants had re-signed the Old Dominion alum midway through this offseason, but ESPN’s Jordan Raanan notes he will be cut. Ximines played four seasons with the Giants, arriving as a Dave Gettleman-era draft choice. While he recorded 4.5 sacks as a rookie, the former third-rounder only managed two in the ensuing three years.
9:20am: Coworkers for several years in Buffalo, Joe Schoen and Brandon Beane have a trade in place. The Giants are set to acquire edge rusher Boogie Basham from the Bills, Tom Pelissero of NFL.com reports.
Schoen was in place as the Bills’ assistant GM when they drafted Basham in the 2021 second round. While Basham has not taken off in Buffalo, the Giants will give him an opportunity. The Giants had been among the most active teams in the market for edge help, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Beane and his former top lieutenant agreed to a pick-swap deal for Basham, with Pelissero adding the Bills and Giants will exchange 2025 late-round picks. Two years remain on Basham’s rookie contract.
The Bills’ Leonard Floyd addition made Basham a logical trade candidate, with the Bills also rostering 2020 second-rounder A.J. Epenesa and 2021 first-rounder Gregory Rousseau. Von Miller remains this position group’s anchor, but the future Hall of Famer is not certain to begin the season on time. The Bills have until 3pm CT today to move Miller from the active/PUP list to the reserve/PUP list, a designation that would shelve him for at least four games. The team could also go week to week with the high-priced D-end, but Shaq Lawson having re-signed this year also complicated Basham’s Bills place.
Epenesa has also drawn trade interest, per Fowler. One year remains on Epenesa’s rookie deal, but with Miller returning from his second ACL tear as a pro, it would make sense if the Bills held onto the Iowa alum for depth purposes. Epenesa finished with a career-high 6.5 sacks last season, breaking through after not producing more than 1.5 in either of his first two NFL slates. Basham, however, has not taken off. The Wake Forest product has 4.5 sacks and eight QB hits in 23 NFL games.
Chosen 61st overall, Basham has yet to make a start as a pro. Rousseau, Epenesa and then Miller have blocked Basham lineup avenues, and the Giants do not present an immediate starter opportunity. Kayvon Thibodeaux and Azeez Ojulari are in place as Big Blue’s starting edge rushers, but Schoen will take a flier on Basham as a depth piece. The Giants still have Jihad Ward and Oshane Ximines behind their starters. The latter, a former third-round pick, is not a lock to make the roster, The Athletic’s Dan Duggan notes (subscription required). With Basham now en route, Ximines may soon be released.
This move comes after the Giants sent the Cardinals a seventh-round pick for Isaiah Simmons. The team had been rumored to be eyeing another low-risk trade, per Duggan, and given Schoen’s Bills past, they are always a logical candidate to do business with the Giants. Beane and Schoen had first-round trade parameters in place this year, but no deal ended up happening.
Giants To Activate WR Wan’Dale Robinson From PUP List, Release WR Jamison Crowder
Short on wide receivers last season, the Giants made several modest investments at the position this year. Those moves came as Wan’Dale Robinson rehabbed a torn ACL. Robinson’s return, however, will end up bumping one of those vets off the roster.
The Giants are releasing Jamison Crowder, Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com report. As Crowder comes off the Giants’ roster, Robinson will return. Stashed on the active/PUP list throughout training camp and the preseason, ESPN’s Jordan Raanan notes the 2022 second-round pick will not stay on the list to start the season.
One of several slot receivers on Brian Daboll’s second Giants roster, Robinson went down midway through last season. Had the Giants left Robinson on the PUP list, he would have been required to miss four regular-season games. The Giants will instead go week to week with the Kentucky alum, who played in only six games as a rookie.
During an offseason in which Big Blue hoarded slot receivers, Crowder arrived on a one-year, $1.32MM deal that included only $28K guaranteed. The latter figure made Crowder far from certain to land on the Giants’ 53-man roster. The Giants also added Parris Campbell and Cole Beasley, bringing back Sterling Shepard on a low-cost deal as well. Darius Slayton also re-signed with the team, while waiver claim-turned-regular Isaiah Hodgins remains as well. The Giants also drafted Jalin Hyatt in Round 3.
Crowder, 30, has five 600-plus-yard receiving seasons on his resume. The former Washington slot receiver caught on with the Jets in 2019, becoming a regular target during Sam Darnold’s early seasons. The diminutive target was not making a major transition, system-wise, as he spent last year with the Bills. But a fractured ankle led to Crowder’s season ending early. He will again look for a new team.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/28/23
We are less than 24 hours from the deadline for NFL teams to trim their rosters to 53 players. Here are the latest moves teams have made as they pare their squads down toward the in-season limit:
Baltimore Ravens
- Released: DB DeAndre Houston-Carson
- Waived: DT Trey Botts, DB Kaieem Caesar, WR Dontay Demus, OL Jake Guidone, DB Corey Mayfield, LB Kelle Sanders
Chicago Bears
- Waived: LB Kuony Deng, OL Gabe Houy, LB Buddy Johnson, TE Jared Pinkney, WR Joe Reed, TE Jake Tonges
Cleveland Browns
- Placed on reserve/NFI list: G Drew Forbes
- Released: G Wes Martin
Dallas Cowboys
- Released: DE Ben Banogu
Denver Broncos
- Waived: ILB Austin Ajiake
Detroit Lions
- Waived: OL Connor Galvin, CB Chase Lucas
Indianapolis Colts
- Waived: LB Donavan Mutin, DT Caleb Sampson, OL Dakoda Shepley
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Waived: WR Kevin Austin, FB Derek Parish, QB Nathan Rourke
Los Angeles Chargers
- Waived: LB Tae Crowder, QB Max Duggan
Los Angeles Rams
- Waived: LB Kelechi Anyalebechi, WR Braxton Burmeister, DB Timarcus Davis, DB Tyon Davis, DB Vincent Gray, WR Tyler Hudson, DB Tanner Ingle, DB Jordan Jones, G Sean Maginn, WR Lance McCutcheon, TE Camren McDonald, TE Christian Sims, DT Taron Vincent
- Waived/injured: LB Ryan Smenda
Miami Dolphins
- Released from IR via injury settlement: DB Tino Ellis
Minnesota Vikings
- Released: LB Jake Gervase
- Waived: DL Calvin Avery, CB Kalon Barnes, CB C.J. Coldon, T Christian DiLauro, CB Jameson Houston, WR Garett Maag, RB Abram Smith, OL Josh Sokol, QB Jordan Ta’amu, TE Colin Thompson
- Waived/injured: CB Tay Gowan
New England Patriots
- Waived: P Corliss Waitman
New Orleans Saints
- Waived: LB Nick Anderson, WR Kawaan Baker, FB Jake Bargas, DT Prince Emili
New York Giants
- Waived/injured: G Jack Anderson, G Wyatt Davis, DB Zyon Gilbert
- Placed on IR: TE Chris Myarick
New York Jets
- Released: CB Craig James, OL Greg Senat, LB Pita Taumoepenu
- Placed on IR: CB Jimmy Moreland
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Released: OL Le’Raven Clark
- Waived: OL William Dunkle, S Jalen Elliott, RB Darius Hagans, CB Lavert Hill, DL Manny Jones, QB Tanner Morgan, LB Tanner Muse, LB Toby Ndukwe, S Kenny Robinson
Seattle Seahawks
- Waived: CB Arquon Bush, TE Griffin Hebert, WR Tyjon Lindsey, T Jalen McKenzie, T Liam Ryan
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Waived: WR Taye Barber, LB Brandon Bouyer-Randle, RB Ronnie Brown, DB Anthony Chesley, TE Dominique Dafney, WR Kaylon Geiger, WR Cephus Johnson, WR Ryan Miller, OL John Molchon, OL Michael Niese, T Raiqwon O’Neal, DL Willington Previlon, DL Deadrin Senat, S Nolan Turner, WR Kade Warner, CB Rodarius Williams, S Aaron Young
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: TE Alize Mack, DB Josh Thompson, RB Jonathan Ward
- Placed on IR: RB Hassan Haskins
Giants CB Darnay Holmes Agrees To Pay Cut
Darnay Holmes‘ roster security has been a talking point for much of the offseason. To little surprise, the Giants corner will remain with the team, but at a reduced rate.
Holmes is taking a pay cut, per The Athletic’s Dan Duggan. Financial details are unknown at this point, but the news means the 25-year-old will see less than the $2.74MM he was initially owed in 2023, the final year of his rookie contract. Releasing him would have taken his full salary off the books, which would have been an appealing move for the Giants given their cap situation.
Nonetheless, since the club is apparently prepared to deploy two rookie CBs — Deonte Banks and Tre Hawkins — on the boundaries while moving Adoree’ Jackson into the slot for the first time in his career, it makes sense to have additional veteran help on hand. If Jackson does not adapt well to the nickel, where Holmes played in 2022, then Holmes could take his place. Likewise, if Hawkins should struggle in his first taste of professional action and the club is forced to move Jackson back outside the numbers, Holmes would presumably be called upon to take over in the slot.
The Giants are also rostering 2022 third-rounder Cor’Dale Flott, who appeared in 11 games (six starts) in his rookie season, as well as onetime Lions standout Amani Oruwariye. 2021 third-rounder Aaron Robinson is a likely candidate for the reserve/PUP list, which will force him to miss at least the first four games of the 2023 season.
Rory Parks contributed to this post.
Giants Waive RB James Robinson
Like many teams around the league, the Giants have already made a number of cuts ahead of Tuesday’s deadline for 53-man rosters to be finalized. Per a team announcement, running back James Robinson is among the players who have been let go. 
Robinson’s career started far differently than it has gone in recent years. The former UDFA recorded 1,414 scrimmage yards and 10 total touchdowns as a rookie in 2020. The Jaguars eventually saw former first-rounder Travis Etienne assume the role of lead back, however, which made Robinson a luxury in the backfield. The latter was dealt to the Jets midseason in 2022.
With Breece Hall having suffered an ACL tear, the door appeared to be open for Robinson to take on a somewhat notable role. Instead, he received only 29 carries, and his 2.9 yards per attempt average made it an easy decision for New York not to retain him. Robinson briefly found a home in free agency by signing a two-year deal with the Patriots, but his tenure there proved to be very short lived.
The 25-year-old was released after he was unable to remain healthy through the spring. That left him on the open market once again until the onset of training camp, where he landed a deal with the Giants. The absence of Saquon Barkley at the time, which was sparked by his contract situation, gave Robinson an opportunity to win at least the third RB spot. Barkley is back in the fold, though, along with Matt Breida, Gary Brightwell and Eric Gray.
In addition to Robinson, the Giants have waived defensive tackle Kevin Atkins, defensive back Darren Evans, defensive tackle Donovan Jeter and wideout Collin Johnson. Defensive linemen Tashawn Bower and Brandin Bryant, along with offensive tackles Korey Cunningham and Julien Davenport and receiver Jaydon Mickens were released. Lastly, wideout Bryce Ford-Wheaton was placed on injured reserve, meaning he will be sidelined for the 2023 season.
NFC East Notes: Commanders, Kearse, Giants
Battling a turf toe issue sustained Monday night, Terry McLaurin will not need surgery. But an extended rest period is underway. This hiatus has the top Commanders skill-position talent uncertain to be ready by Week 1, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler (Twitter links). McLaurin has not missed a game due to injury since 2020. The Commanders have made some big investments at wide receiver since starting McLaurin’s tenure off with little around him. Curtis Samuel is going into the final season of his three-year, $34.5MM contract, and the team has first-rounder Jahan Dotson going into his second season. But McLaurin has been one of the NFL’s best receivers, totaling his third straight 1,000-yard season months after signing a three-year, $69.6MM extension.
Here is the latest from the NFC East:
- Washington’s offensive line is nearly set. Free agent Nick Gates will enter the season as the starting center, despite the team drafting Ricky Stromberg in Round 3, while SI.com’s Albert Breer notes Sam Cosmi — a converted tackle who was not a full-time starter last season — will line up at right guard. The left guard competition is not yet over, but Saahdiq Charles is believed to have the lead on Chris Paul. Stromberg could have a chance to step in at center or one of the guard spots, Breer adds, noting the rookie improved as camp progressed. Stromberg earned third- and first-team All-SEC acclaim during his final two seasons at Arkansas. If nothing else, Stromberg represents intriguing 2023 depth. Charles Leno and free agency addition Andrew Wylie are in place at tackle.
- The Giants have not determined who their starting guards will be, having held a three-way competition between Mark Glowinski, Ben Bredeson and 2022 third-rounder Joshua Ezeudu. But they ended their center competition. Second-rounder John Michael Schmitz ran away with the competition and will start, Paul Schwartz of the New York Post notes. Just before the Giants picked Schmitz at No. 56, Brian Daboll said the All-Big Ten blocker could start in Week 1. Schmitz and two of the above-referenced trio will take their spots alongside Andrew Thomas and Evan Neal up front for the Giants.
- Big Blue continues to consider a cornerback configuration where Adoree’ Jackson shifts to the slot, with Schwartz adding the current plan appears to be a setup with the veteran inside and rookies Deonte Banks and Tre Hawkins on the perimeter. The Old Dominion-developed sixth-rounder moving into the lineup would keep slot options Darnay Holmes and Cor’Dale Flott on the bench, with Jackson — a career-long boundary corner — taking over there. This would be a bold move, but it has been on the team’s radar for a bit now.
- Myles Jack announced his retirement shortly after joining the Eagles. The veteran linebacker had taken first-team reps with the defending NFC champions, but ProFootballNetwork.com’s Adam Caplan notes Zach Cunningham — who signed with Philly on the same day Jack did — had moved ahead at the position. Amid a February salary purge, the Titans released Cunningham after an injury-plagued season. Cunningham, 28, has made 76 career starts and would be an interesting option alongside Nakobe Dean. While Cunningham is not a lock to start, The Athletic’s Bo Wulf notes the former Texans second-rounder and extension recipient is a roster lock (subscription required).
- Finishing up an offseason in which the Cowboys took care of their safeties, the team guaranteed Jayron Kearse‘s $4MM 2023 base salary, per ESPN’s Field Yates and Todd Archer (on Twitter). As a vested veteran, Kearse’s salary would have become guaranteed just before Week 1. But the Cowboys offered some protection for the starter. At safety this offseason, Dallas re-signed Donovan Wilson to a three-year, $21MM deal and extended Malik Hooker for the same terms. Kearse, who has started 29 of the 30 games he has played with the Cowboys, is tied to a two-year, $10MM deal signed in 2022.
Minor NFL Transactions: 8/24/23
Here are Thursday’s minor moves:
Detroit Lions
- Waived from IR via injury settlement: WR Denzel Mims
Green Bay Packers
- Waived from IR via injury settlement: OL Jake Hanson
Houston Texans
- Signed: OL Keaton Sutherland
- Placed on IR: OL Kilian Zierer
Las Vegas Raiders
- Waived from IR via injury settlement: T Brandon Parker
New York Giants
- Waived from IR via injury settlement: OL Devery Hamilton
Philadelphia Eagles
- Re-signed: T Fred Johnson
Washington Commanders
- Signed: DT Anthony Montalvo
The Lions made a minor trade for Mims earlier this month, ending the former second-round pick’s unremarkable Jets tenure. But Mims struggled to catch on in Detroit as well. The Baylor alum is now headed toward free agency, should no one claim him. The Lions waived Mims with an injury designation, due to the fourth-year wideout encountering multiple ailments.
Parker landed on IR earlier this month. The Raiders will cut their former third-round pick loose. Depending on the terms of the settlement, Parker could return to the Raiders later this year. The sixth-year veteran could also land elsewhere, as this transaction will move him off Las Vegas’ IR. But the 32-game Raiders starter missed all of last season due to injury and moved out of the right tackle competition via injury once again this year.
The Eagles have circled back to Johnson quickly. After cutting the fifth-year veteran Wednesday, the defending NFC champions have him back in the fold on a two-year contract. The 26-year-old lineman had recently been promoted to second-team left tackle. Johnson started eight games for the Bengals from 2019-21.
Cardinals Trade Isaiah Simmons To Giants
1:08pm: Providing further details on the financial implications of the deal, Howard Balzer of gophnx.com tweets that Simmons already had a roster bonus of $4.2MM paid out earlier in training camp. That figure, along with the outstanding signing bonus from his rookie contract, will leave Arizona with $5.56MM in cap commitments to their now-former starter. The Cardinals’ only financial savings will be Simmons’ $1.01MM base salary; the Giants will now be on the hook for that amount.
9:38am: Isaiah Simmons‘ time in Arizona is coming to an end. The Cardinals are trading the former first-rounder to the Giants in exchange for a 2024 seventh-round pick, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). The deal is now official.
Expectations were high for Simmons upon arrival in Arizona, after he established himself as a highly athletic and versatile prospect. Finding a permanent spot for the hybrid defender has proven to be difficult in the NFL, however, and the Cardinals are moving on with one year remaining on his rookie contract. His 2023 cap hit sits at just over $6.57MM, and Arizona will see minimal savings with this trade.
The 25-year-old played at linebacker during his first three seasons with the Cardinals. The team declined to pick up his fifth-year option at a rate of $12.7MM after being classified at that position. Simmons later revealed that his move to safety was of his own choosing. Player and team appeared to be headed for at least one more year together, especially to see how effective the position change would prove to be. Instead, new Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort will cut bait with a Steve Keim draftee.
The Giants’ defense played a large role in the team’s surprise run to the divisional round of the playoffs last season, and the unit will again be counted on to be effective under second-year coordinator Don Martindale. New York lost a starting safety in Julian Love during free agency, but there is also plenty of uncertainty for the team at the inside linebacker spot. Former Colt Bobby Okereke is locked into one starting spot at the second level, but the other first-team role has been in the air during the summer.
Simmons could fill in at either spot, and it will be interesting to see if he is used in a similar fashion to how he wished to be deployed in Arizona. On that point, ESPN’s Jordan Raanan tweets the Giants plan to use him at the LB spot. The Clemson alum has filled the statsheet during his career with 258 tackles, 7.5 sacks, seven forced fumbles and four interceptions. Those figure have not translated to strong PFF grades, however, and issues in run defense helped contribute to the Cardinals’ decision to decline his fifth-year option and, now, move on altogether before his contract year began.
The rebuilding Cardinals are eyeing future assets as they look to contend further down the road. Given his age and draft pedigree, it appeared Simmons could have had at least a short-term future with the team, one whose defense already lost corner Byron Murphy and defensive lineman Zach Allen in free agency. That unit will be without another starter now, while the Giants will take a flier and see if Simmons can live up to his draft stock in Year 4. If that takes place, he could prove to be a highly worthwhile acquisition.
CB Prince Amukamara Retires
After three years without seeing regular season action, Prince Amukamara has officially brought his NFL career to an end. The cornerback signed a one-day contract on Thursday to retire as a Giant. 
Amukamara began his career in New York after being selected in the first round in 2011. Expectations were high after that decision, which in turn followed a decorated college career at Nebraska. After serving as a backup during his rookie campaign, he operated as a full-time starter for the rest of his Giants tenure.
That spell included the 2011 postseason, which saw New York win the Super Bowl. Amukamara went on to play 55 games with the Giants, and it was with them that he recorded seven of his 10 interceptions and 43 of his 78 pass deflections. His overall career arc included a number of ups and downs, however, and he only secured a one-year deal on the open market during his first foray into free agency. The six-foot cover man spent 2016 with the Jaguars, then the following three with the Bears.
Amukamara’s first campaign in the Windy City was enough to earn him a three-year, $27MM Bears contract in 2018, but he was released two years later. He was nevertheless a full-time starter in Chicago, logging a snap share of at least 89% in each of his seasons with the team. That led to sufficient interest to earn him practice squad stints with the Raiders, Cardinals and Saints. The Colts hosted him on a workout last January, but it did not result in a deal.
At the age of 34, Amukamara has now decided to hang up his cleats for good while returning (symbolically) to where his nine-year career began. In addition to his Super Bowl ring, he will depart the game with just over $46MM in career earnings.